Chapter XXVII
Ducky gets lost
Ali ran at the head ahead before; close behind her ran Littlefoot followed by Cera on whose head Petrie had landed. The last one was Spike who troubled not to fall behind. Ducky on his back kept her eyes upon the sharptooth behind them. Ali led the others towards the river aggravating the pursuit for the sharptooth as much as possible by using the terrain. Her mother and the other longnecks of the herd would certainly already search for her. Ali tried not to think of the anger she would get from the grownups. At the moment there was enough other trouble. She chose a way between very big trees that were too strong to be cracked by the sharptooth. Especially the many plateaus offered possibilities to disappear from the sharptooth's sight at least temporary. Ducky assass till isfied that the distance to the sharptooth became longer and longer. She was so busy with observing the sharptooth that she forgot to cling firmly to Spike's backplates and she didn't saw that Ali jumped on a higher plateau. Littlefoot and Cera followed her and then Spike jumped too. The sudden and unexpected jerk let Ducky lose her balance and fell from Spike's back. Immediately she jumped up and called for Spike: "Spiky! Stop little brother! Wait for me!" But Spike hadn't noticed anything. He was far to engage not to be left behind by the others. He had followed them and was already to far away to hear Ducky. She had to accept that she was dependant on herself now. The steps of the sharptooth that let the earth quake came nearer and nearer so she had to continue the flight. Normally she wasn't much slower then her friends, but the plateaus were a real hinderance for her. With a short arm stretch she managed to come upon the next plateau where she found the other's tracks and she followed them at once. The sharptooth had no sharp sight and its eyes were moreover pretty ill treated by Petrie, but it heard and smelled Ducky. It scented and pursued her purposive. It knew that its victim had hardly a chance to escape so it allowed itself to slow down a little bit. Ducky felt her strengths dwindling fast.
Ali, Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Spike had reached the river in the meanwhile. They were at the shore of the shallow lake were Cera and Ali had met the day before. Ali stopped and the others matched her. They listened for a moment. The roaring of the sharptooth was audible only very silent quietly. "I think we can repose for an instant", Ali said finally. Spike deposited with a pleased sigh. He needed a break. Littlefoot, Cera and Ali herself breathed heavily too and Cera went over to the watermark to drink extensively. She had been very thirsty since she hadn't drank anything since the meeting with Ali the eve. After a short while said Ali: "We shouldn't waste to much time. We're not in safety yet. I think we should wade a distance up stream in the river before traversing it, therewith the sharptooth loses our tracks. I don't want to lead it directly to the herd." Littlefoot and Cera nodded silently. There was the roaring of the sharptooth again but this time it was far louder and sounded pretty near. The rest had lasted to long. They all jumped up. "We must get away her! It is very near already!" shouted Littlefoot. They just wanted to run of when Petrie gasped suddenly: "Ducky!" he starred at Spike. "Where she is?" Spike spun around several times and uttered some horrified noises. Littlefoot, Cera and Ali changed dismayed looks and began to call for Ducky. The sharptooth's roaring sounded again it has certainly heard their calling. It has come even nearer and they could already feel the tremors caused by it's steps. "We must find her!" called Littlefoot. "We must go back!" Their nervousness became more and more panic. "Maybe she has hidden in the forest", said Cera. "I hope so. If she hasn't...", Ali never finished the sentence. Suddenly wood splintered and the sharptooth broke forth out of the forest. Now they had no choice anymore, they had to flee.
Ducky gets lost
Ali ran at the head ahead before; close behind her ran Littlefoot followed by Cera on whose head Petrie had landed. The last one was Spike who troubled not to fall behind. Ducky on his back kept her eyes upon the sharptooth behind them. Ali led the others towards the river aggravating the pursuit for the sharptooth as much as possible by using the terrain. Her mother and the other longnecks of the herd would certainly already search for her. Ali tried not to think of the anger she would get from the grownups. At the moment there was enough other trouble. She chose a way between very big trees that were too strong to be cracked by the sharptooth. Especially the many plateaus offered possibilities to disappear from the sharptooth's sight at least temporary. Ducky assass till isfied that the distance to the sharptooth became longer and longer. She was so busy with observing the sharptooth that she forgot to cling firmly to Spike's backplates and she didn't saw that Ali jumped on a higher plateau. Littlefoot and Cera followed her and then Spike jumped too. The sudden and unexpected jerk let Ducky lose her balance and fell from Spike's back. Immediately she jumped up and called for Spike: "Spiky! Stop little brother! Wait for me!" But Spike hadn't noticed anything. He was far to engage not to be left behind by the others. He had followed them and was already to far away to hear Ducky. She had to accept that she was dependant on herself now. The steps of the sharptooth that let the earth quake came nearer and nearer so she had to continue the flight. Normally she wasn't much slower then her friends, but the plateaus were a real hinderance for her. With a short arm stretch she managed to come upon the next plateau where she found the other's tracks and she followed them at once. The sharptooth had no sharp sight and its eyes were moreover pretty ill treated by Petrie, but it heard and smelled Ducky. It scented and pursued her purposive. It knew that its victim had hardly a chance to escape so it allowed itself to slow down a little bit. Ducky felt her strengths dwindling fast.
Ali, Littlefoot, Cera, Petrie and Spike had reached the river in the meanwhile. They were at the shore of the shallow lake were Cera and Ali had met the day before. Ali stopped and the others matched her. They listened for a moment. The roaring of the sharptooth was audible only very silent quietly. "I think we can repose for an instant", Ali said finally. Spike deposited with a pleased sigh. He needed a break. Littlefoot, Cera and Ali herself breathed heavily too and Cera went over to the watermark to drink extensively. She had been very thirsty since she hadn't drank anything since the meeting with Ali the eve. After a short while said Ali: "We shouldn't waste to much time. We're not in safety yet. I think we should wade a distance up stream in the river before traversing it, therewith the sharptooth loses our tracks. I don't want to lead it directly to the herd." Littlefoot and Cera nodded silently. There was the roaring of the sharptooth again but this time it was far louder and sounded pretty near. The rest had lasted to long. They all jumped up. "We must get away her! It is very near already!" shouted Littlefoot. They just wanted to run of when Petrie gasped suddenly: "Ducky!" he starred at Spike. "Where she is?" Spike spun around several times and uttered some horrified noises. Littlefoot, Cera and Ali changed dismayed looks and began to call for Ducky. The sharptooth's roaring sounded again it has certainly heard their calling. It has come even nearer and they could already feel the tremors caused by it's steps. "We must find her!" called Littlefoot. "We must go back!" Their nervousness became more and more panic. "Maybe she has hidden in the forest", said Cera. "I hope so. If she hasn't...", Ali never finished the sentence. Suddenly wood splintered and the sharptooth broke forth out of the forest. Now they had no choice anymore, they had to flee.