Avalanche - Chapter 3

Two hours later, Mrs. Baxter is waiting in the house with the children.
Dad’s very late, Mum, says Ben. Is he OK?
Yes, he’s OK, says Mrs. Baxter, but she looks at the clock and thinks, Where is he? Perhaps he is lost.
Maxine looks out of the window. She can see a lot of people. Some of the people are policemen.
Mum, who are those people? she asks.
Mrs. Baxter looks out of the window too. Oh, no! she says, and runs to the door.
What’s happening? she asks.
It’s an avalanche,’ says a policeman.
Are there some people under the snow? asks Mrs. Baxter.
Yes, perhaps, says the policeman. ‘We must go and look.
My husband! says Mrs Baxter.
Buster runs out of the door.
Buster! Come here! calls Ben.
He cannot see Buster because there are a lot of people.
Buster! he calls again.
In the house, Mrs. Baxter talks to the policeman.
My husband isn’t here, she says. He’s on the mountain. Perhaps he’s in the avalanche.
It’s a small avalanche and it’s far away, says the policeman. Perhaps he isn’t on the mountain. Perhaps he’s in the village.
No! says Mrs. Baxter. He’s on the mountain. You must find him!
Ben is afraid. Where’s Dad? he thinks. And where’s Buster?
He says to the policeman, My dog isn’t here. He’s small and brown and he’s called Buster. Perhaps he’s in the village. Can you find him too?
The policeman smiles. Yes, he says.