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第12章 史努比回家（第3页）

&dayJoewentofftocollectthewiredfundswhileNandthekidsshtheirpossessitodecidewhatcouldbetothesixpiecesofbaggagetheywereallowedonthebusandwhathadtobeleftbehind。OrdinarilySnoopyed，butnowhereyesfollowedeverymoveofNandthe，ahempausedtothink，evenforaminute，Sheidlehand，askiouched，tobeheld。

"Sheknows，"Jodisaid，gher。"Shekhingawfulisgoingtohappen。"

&ravelers'Aidrepresentativearrivedtotakethebelongingsthey'tpaatiohriftshop。Ani，hewascaughtbetweenbeingsympathetigpractihelookedatSnoopy。"Seventeenisreally，"hesaidgently。"Maybeyoujusthavetofigureshe'shadalonglifeandagoodo;Whennobodyspoke，hetookadeepbreath。"Ifyouwant，youleaveherwithmeandI'llhaveherputtosleepafteryou'vego;

ThelookedatNancybutsaidnothioodtherewasn'taheydidn'twaharderoherbyprotesting。Nancybowedherhead。Shethoughtofallthewalks，alltheromps，allthepiics，allthetimesshe'dgookissthegoodnightandSnoopyhadliftedherheadtobekissedtoo。

"Thankyou，"shetoldtheman。"It'skindofyoutooffer。Butno，no，"sherepeatedfirmly，"Snoopy'spartofthefamily，andfamiliesdon'tgiveupoher。"Shereachedforthetelephonebook，lookedup"Ke;intheYellowPages，andbegandialing。Scrupulously，shestartedeachcallwiththeexplanationthatthefamilywasdownontheirluck。"But，"shebegged，"ifyou'lljustkeepourlittledoguntilwedawaytogethertoFortWayne，Igiveyoumywordwe'llpay。Pleasetrustme。Please。"

&erinaryic，whichalsoboardedpets，fiheTravelers'Aidrepresehemtotheplacywasthelasttosaygood-bye。ShekookSnoopy'sfrostedmuzzleinherhands。"Youknowwe'dneverleaveyouifwecouldhelpit，"shewhispered，"sodon'tgiveup；don'tyiveup。We'llgetyoubaise。"

OnFortWayoppsfoundamobilehometorent，oneofJoe&#avethemhisoldcar，sisters-in-lawprovidedpotsandpansandbedlihereturheiroldsdNandJoefoundjobs。Bitbybitthefamilygotitselftogether，butthecirclehadapainfulgapinit。Snoopywasmissing。EverydayNancytelephonedadifferentmovingpany，adifferenttrupany，beggingforarideforSnoopy。EverydayJodiahroughthedifshe'dhadanyludshehadtosayno。

ByMarch，they'dbeenbaFortWaynesixweeksandNandespair。ShedreadedbearingfromWyomingthatSnoopyhaddiedoutthere，neverknowinghowhardthey&#etherbaeday，havihielephoartmentofAnimaldtoldthemthestory。

"Idon'tknowwhatIdotohelp，"thedireannamedRod，saidwhenshe'dfi;ButI'lltellyouthis：I&#totry。"

&er，hetoohadexhaustedtheobviousapproaoopywastoofrailtobeshippediedbaggageentofaplane。Aprofessionalanimaltransppahereast。Shippingpaoberesponsiblefupfromhislatestdshookhishead。"Iwishtheold-timePoilli;heremarkedtohisassistant，Skip。"They'dhavebroughtthedogback。"

"They'dhavepassedheralongfromoher。Itwould'vebeenaPuppyExpress，"Skipjoked。

Rodthoughtforami;Bygolly，thatmaybethea;HegotoutamapandalistofaersinWyoming，Nebraska，Iowa，IllinoisandIndiaelephoning。CouldheenlistenoughvolutogetheraPuppyExpresstotransportSnoopybystagesacrossfivestates？Wouldenoughpeoplebelieveitmatteredsoforalittleseventeen-year-olddogtobereuhherfamilythatthey'ddriveahundredorsomileswesttopickherupandanotherhundredorsomileseasttodeliverhertothedriver？

&er，RodcalledtheTopps。"ThePuppyExpressstartstomorrow。Snoopy'se？"hetoldNantly。

TheanimaltroloffiRshadvoluobeSnoopy'sfirstdriver。Whesidetheic，thevetbundledSnoopyieraothecar。"She'sgotacold，"thevetsaid，"sokeepherwarm。Medidinstrudthespecialfoodforherkidioheshoppingbag。"

&helittledogoaherhand。Snoopyplacedherpawinit。"You'rewele，oldgirl，"thevetsaid，shakingit。"It'sbeeakingcareofyou。Thebestofluesafely？"

&he108milests，Wyomiheyrehawomahy，who'dilesfromeetthem。CathylaughedwhenshesawSnoopy。"Whatafunny-lookinglittleseriouscreatureyouaretinsuchstyle，"sheteased。"Imagiechauffeursacrossfivestates。"Butthatevening，whenshephonedRodinIndiaSnoopyhadarrivedsafelyinCasper，shecalledher&quirl"，a，"Ifsheweremine，I'dgotoalotoftroubletogetherback，too。"

SobedatCathy'shousealittlebrown-and-whitedih，amacelebrity。Wordoftheseventeen-year-oldpuppywithabadcoldwhowasbeingshuttledaericatorejoinherfamilyhadreaewsmedia。Afterbreakfast，dazedbythecamerabut，asalolite，SnoopysatoheCasperHumayandobliginglycockedherheadahewasagiftfromdthatnight，inFortWayhtbetweeearsastheysawtheiroldgirlpeeroutatthemfromthetelevisio。

Withtheinterviewbehindher，SforNorthPlatte，350milesaway，intheayoffiCasperwhohadvoluhelosinglehoponSnoopy'sjourhemsthtahPlatteatday。Morereportersandawaitedthem，butassoonasshe'dbeeninterviewed。Snoopywasbatheroadfora138-miletriptoGrandIsland。

&hatdaysheassedalinLinebraska，afterdarkashecurledupidoggiebedshesawdespitethegrowlshtfulowner。

Withagiftofanewwickersleepia;HappytobepartoftheitingSnoopywithherfamily，"NebraskapassedthelittledogontoIeofddriverinDesMoines，SnoopyspedonandbynightfallwasinCedarRapids。

Atnightfallofherfifthdayontheroad，SnoopywasinChicago，hero-laststop。Whetheritwasthatshewasgettiohomeorjustbecausehercoldhadrunitscourse，shewasclearlybetter。Iwhoexamihereportersthat，"Foranoldladywho'sbeentravelingallweekandhasorethan1300miles，she'singrandshape。She'sgoihometomorrowjustfiheTopps，watgthenightlyupdateofSnoopy'sjourWayioocheers。

&daywasSaturday，March17th。InhonorofSaintPatrick'sDay，thelittledogsportedawithagreenderbypihecollar。TheChicagopressdidoerviewwithher，andthenSnoopyhadnothingtodobutnapuntilRod'sassistant，Skip，arrivedfromFortWayodriveherthe160mileshome。

HoursbeforeSnoopyaedinFortWayexcitedlyatthehumaer。JodiandMatthewworkedonaroom-sizedba，whenitwasunfurled，read：WELE，SNOOPY？FROMRS，WYOMING，TOFORTWAYNE，INDIANA，VIATHEPUPPYEXPRESS，withherrouteoutlinedacrossthebottomauresintheer。ReportersfromtheFortWayionsandopps，friendsandfamilyaer'sstaffalltotheshelter'swaitingroom。

Somewhereamidthefussand，RodfouodrawNancyasideahatSnoopywhomewithherbbillmarked"PaidinFull"。AnanonymousfriendoftheHumayiake。

&heCBradiocradSkip'svoicefilledthe。"ingin？ThePuppyExpressisingin？"

NandJoeandtherushedoutinthesubfreezingair，thereportersontheirheels。Aroundtheethepickuptruck，lightsflashing，sirensounding。"Snoopy'shome？"screamedthe，"Snoopy'shome？"

Aledogwas，sittinguposeatirick'sdayoutfit，peeriedlyoutofthewindowatalltheotiowomoionfromherfamily，afteraweekontheroad，aftertravelingacrossfivestatesfor1，500milesinthepanyers，Snoopy'sodysseywasover。

Nancygottothetruckfirst。Ibeforesheshedooropen，Snnizedher。Barkingwildly，shescrambledacrosstileseatandintoNans。Thehere，andthe。Laughing，g，theyhuggedSnoopyaher。Thefamilythatdidn'tgiveupossmallestmemberwasbacktain。