PART 3: Befriending the Beast
Instead of another chase scene, the boys devise a new plan: Squints lures the dog out with a perfectly cooked steak, while Ham slowly reads the paper clippings aloud in a soothing voice (which he weirdly turns into a monologue). To everyone’s surprise, the dog doesn’t growl—he whines, sniffs the gear, and lies down at their feet.
Mr. Mertle shows up, impressed. He explains that the dog’s real name was Hercules and he was the Mutts' mascot—he’s the son of the original Beast. Mertle admits he let the legend grow to keep kids away, because the truth was too sad: the Mutts disbanded when their coach left town, and no one ever played there again.