I peered over Geraldton as Doc turned Swallow, preparing to land. The town was much bigger than Port Hedland. I saw tall buildings, cars, railway tracks and ships tied to a jetty. Somewhere, among all this, was my Elsie. I wriggled with excitement and fear.
The airstrip was busy, with small planes taking off and circling. I raised my nose. The air felt different here. It was warm, but not scorching like Marble Bar. I also smelt the familiar salt of the ocean. I wagged my tail.
As Swallow rolled to a stop, young men in flying suits gathered around.
‘Welcome to Geraldton.’
‘How was your flight?’
Doc answered their questions, then said, ‘I’m looking for a girl called Elsie Grey.’ He nodded at me. ‘Her dog wants to dance for her.’
‘Elsie helps at the Signals Shed,’ a tall fellow answered. ‘She asked me to watch out for you.’ The man pointed to the other side of the runway. ‘I could mind your dog or go over and find Elsie for you.’
‘Thank you,’ Doc said, ‘if you could bring her that would be kind. I’d like to spend these last few moments with Flynn. We’ve flown together for over a year and I’m going to miss her.’
As the man drove away in a truck, I leant against Doc and listened to his heart. Its steady beat pulsed sadness, but I also sensed happiness for me.
The other men returned to their aeroplanes and we waited in the shade of a strange, twisted tree that was hunched over like old Jock’s back. Matron had scrubbed me with carbolic, but she’d missed one flea. I scratched until Doc told me to stop. His voice was gruff, but I felt his love and knew he wasn’t cross.
Doc read aloud from his newspaper as we waited, but I was too restless to listen. After so long apart, would Elsie recognise me? And could she really love a broken-down dog with three legs?
Doc pointed to a line of dots on his news paper and spoke about someone called Eddie Ward and the ‘Brisbane Line’, but I wasn’t interested in lines. I wanted to be with my Elsie. I wriggled. Why was it taking so long to get her?
My missing leg ached. I bent to lick it, even though I knew my leg wasn’t there.
At last we heard the truck’s engine. I squinted into the glare.
‘I can see two people,’ Doc said.
I squirmed.
‘One of them is a young woman …’
The truck stopped in a cloud of dust. I couldn’t see Elsie but I smelt her.
I gallop-hopped as fast as I could, then danced in circles.
As Elsie stepped out I leapt into her arms.
‘Princess!’
I licked her face. My body had changed and so had Elsie’s. She was tall now and smelt like a woman. As Elsie stroked the scars on my chest I looked up nervously. Did my injuries scare her?
‘Princess,’ Elsie whispered. ‘You’ve found me at last.’
She didn’t seem to mind …
‘I’m so sorry for leaving you,’ Elsie cried.
Tears fell onto my whiskers. I shook them away, then burrowed into Elsie until she laughed. My Elsie still loved me. Three legs didn’t matter! I danced in circles until Elsie hugged me to her chest. As I licked Elsie’s beaming face, she stroked my scars and promised that no matter what happened, no one would ever separate us again.