Climbing down, I fixed him with a stern glare and whispered:
“Alright. Since you’re so clever, you’re going on the chain.”
He lowered his head in guilt, but I still led him to the kennel and fastened him. Certain that I could now work undisturbed, I returned to the ladder. I had just grasped it again, ready to climb, when the unexpected happened. At last, I understood the reason for his desperate behavior.
A searing flash split the sky. Thunder cracked at once. Lightning struck the apple tree directly at the trunk where I had planned to climb.
The bark exploded with a shower of sparks, smoke curling through the air. I leapt backward, shielding my face with trembling hands.
For a long second I stood motionless, unable to breathe. Then it sank in: had it not been for my stubborn dog, I would have been up there, high on the ladder, right beside the treetop when the strike hit. The thought chilled me.
Continued on next page:
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