delicious, and Stevie thought that nothing had ever felt better than being in her own sleeping bag, looking up at the brightly sparkling stars and sleeping. Her last thought before she went to sleep was to wonder if her face would twitch the way Mel’s had while she slept. Barking at stampeding cattle might just be her kind of dream that night, too!
C AROLE PATTED HER back pocket, wanting to be sure the letter was still there. It had arrived the day before, covered all over with funny-looking stamps and postmarks. It was from Lisa and she was in Italy. Carole had wanted nothing more than to tear it open and read it right then, but she thought it was only fair to wait until Kate and Stevie got back from the cattle drive. It was addressed to The Saddle Club and reading it out loud would be a sort of Saddle Club meeting for the three of them when Stevie and Kate arrived.
Things had been quiet at the ranch, once Arthur was alone in his field and the other horses were in theirs. Linc, Ellis, and Jack had been relatively cooperative since their “rustling” experience. Carole had taken advantage of their new mode of behavior toteach them everything she could about riding. At first, they’d been more than a little reluctant to learn anything about what they thought of as “sissy” riding, but when Carole showed them what she could do with a horse and an English saddle, they’d changed their minds a little. They weren’t ready to sign up for dressage lessons, but they began to have a little respect for the finer points of equitation and jumping. One of them, Ellis, even acknowledged that Pony Club might be almost as much fun as his 4-H Club. Carole took that as high praise and didn’t push her luck. “Could be,” she said.
Now the days of emptiness at High Meadow were over. The cattle drive was complete, although a day longer than expected, for some reason Carole didn’t know, and her friends would be returning.
Carole was pulling weeds from around the carrots when she saw Kate, Stevie, and Eli approach, accompanied by twelve campers. Mel was at the head of the group, leading the way. Everyone there was dusty, dirty, and looked very tired.
“Where’s the nearest shower?” Stevie asked.
“This way, but I’m first,” said Kate, pointing at their bunkhouse.
Normally Carole would have reminded her friends that, actually, it was the horses who came first, but in this case, she considered it wise to make an exception. Clearly the cowpokes needed a break. She rounded upLinc, Ellis, and Jack to help take care of the horses and told everybody else to go clean up and get a little rest. Jeannie announced that dinner would be ready in an hour. Carole told her friends there would be a Saddle Club meeting after that.
“I’ll do anything you tell me,” Stevie said, “as long as it starts with a shower.”
Carole had the feeling that there was a good long story to the cattle drive, and she was eager to hear it. And she had some things to tell Stevie and Kate about, too. First, though, she and the three campers took care of the horses, took off their tack, gave them a brushing and some fresh water, and set them loose in the field with the rest of the horses. They seemed to enjoy their reunion as well.
Then Carole returned to the kitchen to help Jeannie finish dinner preparations. It was another couple of hours before the Saddle Club girls had any time together. By then all the stories had been told and everybody was ready for bed.
The girls retreated to their bunkhouse.
“I’ve got a surprise,” Carole said mysteriously.
“Something good?” Stevie asked. “I hope so, because I can’t take another dose of bad news now.”
“Really good,” Carole said. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out Lisa’s letter. “It’s another letter from Lisa!”
“What’s the news?” Stevie asked eagerly.
“I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet,” Carole said as she carefully opened the envelope.
“Only
C AROLE PATTED HER back pocket, wanting to be sure the letter was still there. It had arrived the day before, covered all over with funny-looking stamps and postmarks. It was from Lisa and she was in Italy. Carole had wanted nothing more than to tear it open and read it right then, but she thought it was only fair to wait until Kate and Stevie got back from the cattle drive. It was addressed to The Saddle Club and reading it out loud would be a sort of Saddle Club meeting for the three of them when Stevie and Kate arrived.
Things had been quiet at the ranch, once Arthur was alone in his field and the other horses were in theirs. Linc, Ellis, and Jack had been relatively cooperative since their “rustling” experience. Carole had taken advantage of their new mode of behavior toteach them everything she could about riding. At first, they’d been more than a little reluctant to learn anything about what they thought of as “sissy” riding, but when Carole showed them what she could do with a horse and an English saddle, they’d changed their minds a little. They weren’t ready to sign up for dressage lessons, but they began to have a little respect for the finer points of equitation and jumping. One of them, Ellis, even acknowledged that Pony Club might be almost as much fun as his 4-H Club. Carole took that as high praise and didn’t push her luck. “Could be,” she said.
Now the days of emptiness at High Meadow were over. The cattle drive was complete, although a day longer than expected, for some reason Carole didn’t know, and her friends would be returning.
Carole was pulling weeds from around the carrots when she saw Kate, Stevie, and Eli approach, accompanied by twelve campers. Mel was at the head of the group, leading the way. Everyone there was dusty, dirty, and looked very tired.
“Where’s the nearest shower?” Stevie asked.
“This way, but I’m first,” said Kate, pointing at their bunkhouse.
Normally Carole would have reminded her friends that, actually, it was the horses who came first, but in this case, she considered it wise to make an exception. Clearly the cowpokes needed a break. She rounded upLinc, Ellis, and Jack to help take care of the horses and told everybody else to go clean up and get a little rest. Jeannie announced that dinner would be ready in an hour. Carole told her friends there would be a Saddle Club meeting after that.
“I’ll do anything you tell me,” Stevie said, “as long as it starts with a shower.”
Carole had the feeling that there was a good long story to the cattle drive, and she was eager to hear it. And she had some things to tell Stevie and Kate about, too. First, though, she and the three campers took care of the horses, took off their tack, gave them a brushing and some fresh water, and set them loose in the field with the rest of the horses. They seemed to enjoy their reunion as well.
Then Carole returned to the kitchen to help Jeannie finish dinner preparations. It was another couple of hours before the Saddle Club girls had any time together. By then all the stories had been told and everybody was ready for bed.
The girls retreated to their bunkhouse.
“I’ve got a surprise,” Carole said mysteriously.
“Something good?” Stevie asked. “I hope so, because I can’t take another dose of bad news now.”
“Really good,” Carole said. She reached in her back pocket and pulled out Lisa’s letter. “It’s another letter from Lisa!”
“What’s the news?” Stevie asked eagerly.
“I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet,” Carole said as she carefully opened the envelope.
“Only
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