The Runaway
Felipe lives by his wits in a small Mexican border town while scheming to cross into California to search for his long lost father. The opportunity arrives when the boy and a dog he has stolen for companionship sneak aboard a truck headed back to the United States At the border checkpoint, Felipe is discovered hiding in the truck. The custom officers allow Father Dugan, the Priest who owns the truck and is touched by the boy’s story, to take Felipe with him. On the bumpy road back to California the dog, still undiscovered in the back, falls out of the truck and is injured. The local vet recommends putting him down but realizing how important the animal is to Felipe, Father Dugan persuades two orthopedic surgeons to take on the task. The dog survives the operation with the help of a silver staff from a statue of St. Michael that the doctors insert into his leg. Felipe decides to name him “St. Mike” and vows to train the greyhound to be a racer. Under Father Dugan’s tutelage, Felipe undergoes a kind of moral rehabilitation as he and the Priest complete Mike’s training. When the dog is entered into an important race, and comes from behind to win the first to congratulate Felipe is the man he had stolen the dog from. The boy confesses to the theft and decides to return the dog, and the winnings, to the rightful owner. The man keeps the purse, but sets the dog free to be reunited with Felipe. |
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