[littlemanpoet]

Gaffer Hugo chuckled. "Oh, aye, he's a ferocious one all right, to strangers at least. But o' course he's friendly as anything to folks as knows dogs, which it's clear you do. An' truth be told, he's been hankerin' for a bit of adventure for some time, now; so he'll come. Matter of fact, he's no doubt in better shape for bein' in the wild than I!

"Anyways, let's all pile into the cart, there's room enough for all."

With that Gaffer Hugo climbed the makeshift steps he'd had installed to make it easier for his old bones to get up into a cart a few feet off the ground. He sat down in the driver's seat, picked up the reins, then hollared and yodeled at the still jabbering lasses.

"Now I thought sure I heard one of you sayin' as you wanted to be off right quick, and here you stand talkin' while the sun rises! Come on up! There's room for all!"

Snatch was first up, climbing the makeshift steps fast as his four short legs could manage it, and onto Gaffer Hugo's lap, his tongue hanging out in a big smile, his eyes bright and happy, eager for the adventure to begin.

"Come on up, Brown! There's enough room on the front seat for both you an' Rudy! We can get acquainted while the lasses yack in back!" Hugo laughed at his rhyme as well as the prettily offended scowls on the faces of his granddaughtes and their friends as they daintily (and not so daintily in the case of Bunny) climbed into the cart.