Annabelle S’s Learning World

After supper, I was called by two soldiers and taken to Lieutenant Roberts tent. I had been  charged with theft and desertion and had no clue why. He told me I had disobeyed the Governor’s orders by stealing the dog and that I had left my post. Then he told get a good nights sleep and first thing in the morning, I was told I was going to get flogged. At night, my good friend Goodwin and I went into the triangle, where I was going to get flogged the next morning. My heart ached as we walked into the triangle.

Then, just before Goodwin was going to start talking to me about some random things Waruwi approached me. She was holding kangaroo skin, and I could tell that there was something inside of it. Then Goodwin stopped me and asked if I wasn’t already in enough trouble already. I didn’t really care about what he said, so I looked inside of the kangaroo skin and I could just see the faint silhouette of a small dog. Goodwin looked inside too and saw the dog, his frown had turned into a smile. Waruwi then handed the puppy to us and left.

We took it to Lieutenant Roberts, where I was about to get flogged. I was surrounded with soldiers around him. He looked at me and asked me if I had any last words, and I hesitated for a bit but I said that I did. He asked me to explain, so I showed him the puppy and told him how much easier it would be to train the puppy than a full grown dog. He thought about it for a moment but then told me about how lucky I was to have this puppy. He told me that I was responsible for taking care of the dog and smiled at me.

I sat on the beach with Larka. I was trying to teach her to fetch, but she didn’t do anything.  Lieutenant Roberts had then interrupted me and  asked why the dog wasn’t tied up. I told him that I was trying to teach her how to fetch but he didn’t seem to care. He told me if the dog doesn’t get to the Governor safely he’d nail my hide  to a tree.  I knew I would be in trouble if that happened. Waruwi’s dingo still wasn’t co-operating so I just gave up and threw the stick away.

I got up and went back to camp and tied Waruwi’s dingo back where it was supposed to be. Then, I went to talk to Goodwin. I thought he could help, but I was mistaken. He just gave me a bunch of reasons why we shouldn’t listen to the governor and instead listen to Lieutenant Roberts. While he was talking, I managed to take a dice from him, a coin and thread, I hoped I could return Waruwi these things. I then thanked him and went back into my tent. There I sat down and looked at what I stole. It wasn’t enough.

I walked over and went to talk to the cook and sat down. He asked me that I couldn’t be hungry already, and I told him that my feet were sour and needed some drippings for my boots. He told me that he wouldn’t waste some drippings on my boots, and while he was talking I stole a bag and to make sure he didn’t see it in my hands I threw it into my tent. But, I had accidentally thrown it too far and it landed just outside my tent. After that, he told me to give Lieutenant Roberts his rations.

So, I went to go give Lieutenant Roberts his rations, and when I got there I asked him where to put them. He told me just to put it in his bag, and I did. He told me to give me his bag, so I did. I held his hat for him when he put it on and gave it back to him after. Then, we went to the beach and they marched to The Point. Lieutenant Roberts told me to start drumming, and I did. Then, they marched off.

It was another day in the camp. It was a sunny day and I had nothing to do. I walked around the camp in circles, extremely bored. Soon, my boss asked me something. He asked me whether the animal following me was a dog, I said it was. He the told me we were going to take the dog. I asked him if the dog already belongs to someone, like a native. He told me it was nonsense and that the dog doesn’t belong to them, but just follows them around. I told him it was stupid, but he didn’t care. It seemed some of us didn’t care if something belonged to someone, but just took it for themselves. Then, he heard a growl, I hadn’t heard it though. He soon told me to follow him, I didn’t want to but all I could do was follow his orders.

I soon found the big tree, where I knew Warawi was, I had to warn her that they were taking Larfa away. So, I called her, she then came down and I tried to warn her. I tried to tell her to hide, but she started laughing and thought it was a game and tried to play along. I kept telling her it wasn’t a game and they were taking Larfa, but she couldn’t understand me. Then, He then saw me and the dog next to me. I had to take the dog back, but I didn’t want to.

I walked got back to camp, feeling sick inside. I went back inside my tent, where I was told that I would be responsible for the dog, which I knew was actually a dingo. I told Larfa that she better not try to run, as their guns were loaded. I got out of the tent and started walking around, feeling bored. Then I saw Warawi hiding in the bushes. I saw her throw a rock at the camp, and it had hit me. Then, another rock had hit someone else and everyone was told. All the soldiers got their guns and one of them saw her. Warawi tried to hide, but she had already been spotted. There was nothing that I could do.