into the air. Carole thought it was almost waiting for her as it floated. She flew over the penalty line after it, caught it in her racquet, and then immediately shot for the goal.
“Score!”
The only people more surprised than the Cross County Pony Clubbers were the Horse Wise Pony Clubbers.
“Yoweeeee!” cried Stevie.
The chukka was almost over by then, but there was enough time left for Cross County to score. Mr. Baker tossed in the ball. The Cross County Attack caught the ball on the fly and tossed it to their Center, who tossed itback to the Attack. The two of them played a game of keep-away as they rode down the field and, when the Attack crossed the penalty line, Lisa was waiting for them. She did everything she could to stop the ball from going in, but it wasn’t enough. “Score!”
Bzzzzzzzp!
The buzzer for the end of the chukka sounded.
Carole, Lisa, and Marie rode off the field triumphant. Their teammates greeted them and hugged them.
“Hey, guys, it’s not over!” Carole reminded them. But as far as Lisa and Carole were concerned, the rest didn’t matter. The fact was they were playing and they were giving Cross County a run for their money. That was what really mattered. The rest was just for fun.
Two minutes later, the second chukka started. Betsy and Polly were doing a fine job, but there was definitely something wrong with Adam. He was playing Center and he seemed to be almost out of it. He waved his racquet weakly at balls he ought to have caught, and once it seemed as if he was almost off-balance on his horse.
“What’s the matter with him?” Carole asked.
“Look at him,” Lisa said. “Unless my eyes deceive me, he’s pale and sweaty and I don’t think it’s from playing polocrosse. Personally, I think he’s sick.”
“Sick?” Carole said, as if she’d never heard the word before. Then she looked for herself. Adam was definitelynot feeling well. She nudged Stevie. “Look at Adam,” she said. “He’s sick.”
“He will be when I’m through with him!” Stevie said through clenched teeth. “He just missed an easy pass and doesn’t even seem to know which end of the field he’s playing!”
“No, I mean, really. He’s sick,” Carole said. “Look at him. His color’s all wrong and he’s got this dizzy look—”
Bzzzzzzzp
! The second chukka was over. The score was tied, 4–4.
“Time!” Max called. He, too, had seen that something was wrong with Adam. He ran over to the boy. “Adam,” he called. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Adam protested, dismounting and landing on the turf with a thud. “I’ve just got to—”
He didn’t finish his sentence. He just ran. His mother, who had come to watch the match, followed him as fast as she could. Mr. Baker pointed the way.
“Oh, poor Adam!” Lisa said.
“There’s a bug that’s been going around,” Marie said. “He’ll be okay in a couple of days.”
“But he has to play again in just a few minutes!” Stevie said.
“Forget it!” Carole told her. “His mother will be taking him home in just a few minutes. He won’t be back on a horse today.”
An unhappy look crossed Stevie’s face. “I’m going tohave to find a substitute for him—or we’ll end up forfeiting.”
“We don’t have any substitutes,” Lisa said. “All we have is us.”
“Resume the game in one minute!” Mr. Baker announced.
“We’ve got to mount up!” Carole said. “Come on, team, let’s do it!”
Stevie stood up from her chair and walked slowly toward the stable. She told Max she wanted to check on Adam. It wasn’t quite the truth. She really wanted to do some thinking.
She saw Adam and Mrs. Levine climbing into her car. He still looked pale, but a little relieved.
“I’ll see to his horse,” Stevie assured the Levines.
“Thanks, and sorry,” Adam said weakly.
Stevie shrugged. “You couldn’t help it. You tried. Thanks for that.”
The car doors slammed.
Adam’s horse, Barq, was tied
“Score!”
The only people more surprised than the Cross County Pony Clubbers were the Horse Wise Pony Clubbers.
“Yoweeeee!” cried Stevie.
The chukka was almost over by then, but there was enough time left for Cross County to score. Mr. Baker tossed in the ball. The Cross County Attack caught the ball on the fly and tossed it to their Center, who tossed itback to the Attack. The two of them played a game of keep-away as they rode down the field and, when the Attack crossed the penalty line, Lisa was waiting for them. She did everything she could to stop the ball from going in, but it wasn’t enough. “Score!”
Bzzzzzzzp!
The buzzer for the end of the chukka sounded.
Carole, Lisa, and Marie rode off the field triumphant. Their teammates greeted them and hugged them.
“Hey, guys, it’s not over!” Carole reminded them. But as far as Lisa and Carole were concerned, the rest didn’t matter. The fact was they were playing and they were giving Cross County a run for their money. That was what really mattered. The rest was just for fun.
Two minutes later, the second chukka started. Betsy and Polly were doing a fine job, but there was definitely something wrong with Adam. He was playing Center and he seemed to be almost out of it. He waved his racquet weakly at balls he ought to have caught, and once it seemed as if he was almost off-balance on his horse.
“What’s the matter with him?” Carole asked.
“Look at him,” Lisa said. “Unless my eyes deceive me, he’s pale and sweaty and I don’t think it’s from playing polocrosse. Personally, I think he’s sick.”
“Sick?” Carole said, as if she’d never heard the word before. Then she looked for herself. Adam was definitelynot feeling well. She nudged Stevie. “Look at Adam,” she said. “He’s sick.”
“He will be when I’m through with him!” Stevie said through clenched teeth. “He just missed an easy pass and doesn’t even seem to know which end of the field he’s playing!”
“No, I mean, really. He’s sick,” Carole said. “Look at him. His color’s all wrong and he’s got this dizzy look—”
Bzzzzzzzp
! The second chukka was over. The score was tied, 4–4.
“Time!” Max called. He, too, had seen that something was wrong with Adam. He ran over to the boy. “Adam,” he called. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Adam protested, dismounting and landing on the turf with a thud. “I’ve just got to—”
He didn’t finish his sentence. He just ran. His mother, who had come to watch the match, followed him as fast as she could. Mr. Baker pointed the way.
“Oh, poor Adam!” Lisa said.
“There’s a bug that’s been going around,” Marie said. “He’ll be okay in a couple of days.”
“But he has to play again in just a few minutes!” Stevie said.
“Forget it!” Carole told her. “His mother will be taking him home in just a few minutes. He won’t be back on a horse today.”
An unhappy look crossed Stevie’s face. “I’m going tohave to find a substitute for him—or we’ll end up forfeiting.”
“We don’t have any substitutes,” Lisa said. “All we have is us.”
“Resume the game in one minute!” Mr. Baker announced.
“We’ve got to mount up!” Carole said. “Come on, team, let’s do it!”
Stevie stood up from her chair and walked slowly toward the stable. She told Max she wanted to check on Adam. It wasn’t quite the truth. She really wanted to do some thinking.
She saw Adam and Mrs. Levine climbing into her car. He still looked pale, but a little relieved.
“I’ll see to his horse,” Stevie assured the Levines.
“Thanks, and sorry,” Adam said weakly.
Stevie shrugged. “You couldn’t help it. You tried. Thanks for that.”
The car doors slammed.
Adam’s horse, Barq, was tied
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