everyone,” she added.
“I guess so,” John said. He glanced at her. “I hope you’re still planning to come along tomorrow morning to bring in the horses for the auction.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lisa assured him. And she definitely meant that, too.
B Y DAWN THE next day everyone at The Bar None was up and busy. Carole and Kate headed into the kitchen to help Phyllis finish the food preparation while Stevie and Lisa rode out with Frank, Walter, and John to bring in the horses.
“Stewball sure is antsy this morning,” Stevie remarked as she mounted. He hadn’t seemed able to hold still while she was saddling him up.
“I guess he didn’t like spending the night in the corral,” John said. To save time, John and Walter had left Stewball and the other four horses in the corral instead of turning them out with the herd as usual.
Stevie laughed as Stewball tossed his head and snorted. “Well, at least he’s got plenty of energy for the work he’s about to do.”
It didn’t take the riders long to find the herd; it was stillmore or less where John and Lisa had left it the evening before.
“Good,” Frank commented. “That makes things easier. Once the horses we want are separated, we won’t have far to bring them.”
“Let’s get to work,” Walter said. He squinted at the herd. “You checked them over yesterday, didn’t you, John?”
John nodded and rode over to join the two men. As they discussed which horses would be auctioned off, Stevie and Lisa watched the herd.
“They sure look peaceful, don’t they?” Lisa commented.
Before Stevie could answer, John came riding over. “Time to quit yapping and start working,” he told them.
“Just tell us what to do,” Stevie said.
“Well, for starters you could head off that black gelding who’s trying to sneak away,” John said, pointing. “He must have heard he was going to be sold.”
The girls looked where he was pointing and laughed. “He does look like he’s trying to sneak away without being noticed,” Lisa said. While most of the other horses were grazing calmly, this particular horse, a black quarter horse gelding with three white feet, seemed to be sidling away on the outskirts of the herd.
Frank rode over and noticed where they were looking. He grinned. “That’s Midnight. I don’t know where he thinks he’s going, but I guess someone had better stop him.”
“Leave him to me and Stewball,” Stevie declared. She sent Stewball toward the black gelding.
Stewball’s ears perked forward as they approached the herd, and he seemed to know exactly what was expected of him. The black gelding tried to avoid him, backing away and then quickly dodging behind a nearby mare. Before Stevie could make any sort of signal, Stewball responded. Quick as a wink he was behind Midnight, nudging him forward. Midnight took a few steps in the direction Stewball wanted him to go, then whirled and raced away from the herd in the opposite direction. Stewball followed. A second later he caught, passed, and cut off Midnight. The black gelding continued to resist for a few more minutes; in fact, Stevie would have sworn he was actually having fun doing it. But finally he seemed to realize he was no match for Stewball, and he gave up. Soon he was ambling obediently ahead of Stewball.
“Wasn’t Stewball great?” Stevie exclaimed breathlessly as they approached the others. “He did all the work—all I had to do was hold on!”
“He was terrific,” Lisa said sincerely. If she had thought Chocolate was good the day before, Stewball had just demonstrated that he was even faster and more skilled.
“I have a feeling Midnight here was one of our toughest customers,” John said. “He’s almost as much of a troublemaker as … well, Stewball!”
The others laughed. Then they got back to work. Walter pointed out two more horses, and Stevie and John went to get them. As they brought them over to join Midnight, Lisaand Walter
“I guess so,” John said. He glanced at her. “I hope you’re still planning to come along tomorrow morning to bring in the horses for the auction.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Lisa assured him. And she definitely meant that, too.
B Y DAWN THE next day everyone at The Bar None was up and busy. Carole and Kate headed into the kitchen to help Phyllis finish the food preparation while Stevie and Lisa rode out with Frank, Walter, and John to bring in the horses.
“Stewball sure is antsy this morning,” Stevie remarked as she mounted. He hadn’t seemed able to hold still while she was saddling him up.
“I guess he didn’t like spending the night in the corral,” John said. To save time, John and Walter had left Stewball and the other four horses in the corral instead of turning them out with the herd as usual.
Stevie laughed as Stewball tossed his head and snorted. “Well, at least he’s got plenty of energy for the work he’s about to do.”
It didn’t take the riders long to find the herd; it was stillmore or less where John and Lisa had left it the evening before.
“Good,” Frank commented. “That makes things easier. Once the horses we want are separated, we won’t have far to bring them.”
“Let’s get to work,” Walter said. He squinted at the herd. “You checked them over yesterday, didn’t you, John?”
John nodded and rode over to join the two men. As they discussed which horses would be auctioned off, Stevie and Lisa watched the herd.
“They sure look peaceful, don’t they?” Lisa commented.
Before Stevie could answer, John came riding over. “Time to quit yapping and start working,” he told them.
“Just tell us what to do,” Stevie said.
“Well, for starters you could head off that black gelding who’s trying to sneak away,” John said, pointing. “He must have heard he was going to be sold.”
The girls looked where he was pointing and laughed. “He does look like he’s trying to sneak away without being noticed,” Lisa said. While most of the other horses were grazing calmly, this particular horse, a black quarter horse gelding with three white feet, seemed to be sidling away on the outskirts of the herd.
Frank rode over and noticed where they were looking. He grinned. “That’s Midnight. I don’t know where he thinks he’s going, but I guess someone had better stop him.”
“Leave him to me and Stewball,” Stevie declared. She sent Stewball toward the black gelding.
Stewball’s ears perked forward as they approached the herd, and he seemed to know exactly what was expected of him. The black gelding tried to avoid him, backing away and then quickly dodging behind a nearby mare. Before Stevie could make any sort of signal, Stewball responded. Quick as a wink he was behind Midnight, nudging him forward. Midnight took a few steps in the direction Stewball wanted him to go, then whirled and raced away from the herd in the opposite direction. Stewball followed. A second later he caught, passed, and cut off Midnight. The black gelding continued to resist for a few more minutes; in fact, Stevie would have sworn he was actually having fun doing it. But finally he seemed to realize he was no match for Stewball, and he gave up. Soon he was ambling obediently ahead of Stewball.
“Wasn’t Stewball great?” Stevie exclaimed breathlessly as they approached the others. “He did all the work—all I had to do was hold on!”
“He was terrific,” Lisa said sincerely. If she had thought Chocolate was good the day before, Stewball had just demonstrated that he was even faster and more skilled.
“I have a feeling Midnight here was one of our toughest customers,” John said. “He’s almost as much of a troublemaker as … well, Stewball!”
The others laughed. Then they got back to work. Walter pointed out two more horses, and Stevie and John went to get them. As they brought them over to join Midnight, Lisaand Walter
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