RIDING AFTER RUSTLERS
Kate set the alarm clock. “We’ll leave before dawn,” she said, pulling on a jacket and boots. “I’m going to go call Dad.”
“We shouldn’t ride bareback,” Carole suggested after Kate left.
That made sense. This wasn’t a pleasure ride. This was serious business. The lives of many horses could be on the line.
A minute later Kate reappeared. Her face looked grim.
“What’s the matter?” asked Stevie.
“The phone’s dead. The storm must have knocked it out,” Kate answered. “It looks like we’re on our own.”
The Saddle Club series by Bonnie Bryant; ask your bookseller for tides you have missed:
1. HORSE CRAZY
2. HORSE SHY
3. HORSE SENSE
4. HORSE POWER
5. TRAIL MATES
6. DUDE RANCH
7. HORSE PLAY
8. HORSE SHOW
9. HOOF BEAT
10. RIDING CAMP
11. HORSE WISE
12. RODEO RIDER
13. STARLIGHT CHRISTMAS
14. SEA HORSE
15. TEAM PLAY
16. HORSE GAMES
17. HORSENAPPED
18. PACK TRIP
19. STAR RIDER
20. SNOW RIDE
21. RACE HORSE
22. FOX HUNT
23. HORSE TROUBLE
24. GHOST RIDER
25. SHOW HORSE
26. BEACH RIDE
27. BRIDLE PATH
28. STABLE MANNERS
29. RANCH HANDS
30. AUTUMN TRAIL
31. HAY RIDE
32. CHOCOLATE HORSE
33. HIGH HORSE
34. HAY FEVER
35. HORSE TALE
36. RIDING LESSON
37. STAGE COACH
38. HORSE TRADE
39. PURE BRED
40. GIFT HORSE
41. STABLE WITCH
42. SADDLEBAGS
43. PHOTO FINISH
44. HORSE SHOE
45. STABLE GROOM
46. FLYING HORSE
47. HORSE MAGIC
48. MYSTERY RIDE
Super Editions
A SUMMER WITHOUT HORSES
THE SECRET OF THE STALLION
WESTERN STAR
THE SADDLE CLUB: WESTERN STAR
A BANTAM BOOK 0 553 40917 4
First published in USA by Bantam Skylark Books
First publication in Great Britain
PRINTING HISTORY
Bantam edition published 1996
“The Saddle Club” is a trademark of Bonnie Bryant Hiller.
The Saddle Club design/logo, which consists of an inverted U-shaped design, a riding crop, and a riding hat is a trademark of Bantam Books.
Copyright © 1995 by Bonnie Bryant Hiller
With thanks to the management and staff at Snowball Farm Equestrian Centre for their help in the preparation of the cover
Bantam Books are published by Transworld Publishers Ltd, 61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA, in Australia by Transworld Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd, 15–25 Helles Avenue, Moorebank, NSW 2170, and in New Zealand by Transworld Publishers (NZ) Ltd, 3 William Pickering Drive, Albany, Auckland.
eISBN: 978-0-307-82549-0
v3.1
For Amy La Roche
Contents
Cover
Other Books by This Author
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
About the Author
“THERE!” LISA ATWOOD declared as she folded a dishtowel. “I’ve dried the very last pot. And put it away. Now can I go call Stevie and Carole?” she asked her mother.
“Of course,” her mother said. “Just as soon as you—”
“See you later, Mom!” Lisa said, running up the stairs. She suspected her mother was teasing anyway. Mrs. Atwood knew Lisa was dying to talk with her best friends, Stevie Lake and Carole Hanson. There was exciting news to discuss—Christmas was less than a week away and she’d just learned that she and her friends were getting a wonderful present!
Lisa blessed the miracle of three-way calling as she dialed her friends’ numbers. It saved so much time when she wanted to talk with Stevie and Carole at once.
The three girls had been best friends from the moment they discovered what they had in common. They were all horse-crazy. They were so horse-crazy that they’d invented The Saddle Club for themselves. It had only two rules: Members had to be horse-crazy and they had to be willing to help one another out. The first part was easy. The second part had sometimes been hard, but it was almost always fun.
Lisa thought it was a good thing that the three of them had a strong common bond in their love of horses, because in almost every other way, the girls could not have been more different.
Lisa was studious and methodical. Stevie claimed that Lisa’s report cards were dull because the only letter on them was A. Stevie’s report cards were much more interesting than that! It wasn’t because Stevie wasn’t smart. She was very smart; but even she admitted that she could be lazy. Most of the “interesting” parts of Stevie’s report cards were penciled notes in the “conduct” section. She had a nose for trouble—and was always getting into it. Fortunately, she was almost as good at getting out of it.
Carole Hanson was the best rider of the three. She’d taken up riding as a very young girl, when she and her family had lived on various Marine Corps bases. When she was ten, they’d moved to the town of Willow Creek, Virginia, not far from Quantico, where her father worked. She had lived alone with her father since her mother’s death from cancer a few years earlier. Carole had decided long ago that she would work with horses when she grew up. The only problem was that she kept changing her mind. One day she was going to be a horse trainer; another day it was a breeder, an instructor, a grand prix rider, or a vet. Some days it was all of them. Horses were her life.
The three girls rode at Pine Hollow Stables in Willow Creek. Pine Hollow’s owner, Max Regnery, was their instructor and Pony Club director. Stevie and Carole owned horses and boarded them at Pine Hollow. Stevie’s was a big, frisky mare named Belle. Carole rode a talented bay half-thoroughbred gelding named Starlight. Lisa rode Pine Hollow’s horses. At the moment she was working with an ex-racehorse named Prancer. Lisa was the newest rider of the three, and she found that learning to ride on a variety of horses was helping her improve fast. Prancer still had a lot to teach her.
The three girls had started The Saddle Club, but they weren’t the only members. They were just the only members in Willow Creek. They thought of their other horse-crazy friends as out-of-town members. The out-of-town members included Stevie’s boyfriend. His name was Phil Marsten. He lived a few towns away and belonged to the Cross County Pony Club. Two other out-of-town members lived almost all the way across the country. They were Kate Devine and Christine Lonetree. The Saddle Club didn’t think they got to see anywhere near enough of them, but that was going to change this week. The Saddle Club was going to travel.
Kate’s family owned a dude ranch called the Bar None, and Stevie, Carole, and Lisa’s big Christmas present from their families was a trip
out West to visit Kate for a few days before Christmas. Today was Friday. They were leaving bright and early Sunday morning. Since Christmas was on Thursday, it was going to be a quick visit. They all wanted to be with their own families for Christmas Day.
“Can you believe it?” Stevie said when Lisa and Carole were both on the telephone line. “All the way out to the ranch for three days. I can’t wait!”
To some people, it might have seemed odd that the girls would travel so far for such a short visit, but Kate Devine’s father was a retired Marine Corps pilot and he worked part-time flying a private plane. The best part was that the good-natured owner of the plane made frequent trips to nearby Washington, D.C. Frank Devine rarely made a trip to Washington without taking a plane full of Saddle Club members back West. This trip would be no exception.
“We haven’t been there in the winter before,” said Stevie. “It’s always been pretty warm weather. Since the Bar None is in the mountains, I bet it’s going to be cold.”
“No bet on that one,” Carole said. “Frank called Dad and gave him a list of the clothes we’re supposed to bring. First thing on the list is long underwear!”
“And what comes next? A second set of long underwear?” Stevie asked.
“No, it’s gloves, scarves, sweaters, earmuffs, mittens, and heavy jackets. I think Dad is going to let me raid his Marine Corps foul-weather-gear closet,” Carole said.
“I have things I wore skiing in Vermont,” Stevie said. “Those should keep me warm enough.”
“You know my mother,” Lisa said. “She’s already been to the mall and bought me warm but stylish clothes for the visit!”
The girls laughed. Lisa’s mother was very fashion-conscious and always saw to it that Lisa’s wardrobe was complete.
“Uh-oh,” Stevie said. “That means Frank Devine is going to have to trade up his boss’s airplane for a bigger one just to accommodate your eight suitcases, right?”
“I promise—no more than three,” Lisa said.
“Right, one for each day we’re there,” Stevie said.
“Exactly,” Lisa agreed. “Would you expect less from my mother?”
“Not for a minute,” Stevie assured her. “But I bet your mother had quite a time at the mall. It’s just crammed with Christmas shoppers this time of year.”
“Oh no,” Carole said.
“What?” Lisa asked.
“Christmas shopping. Going to the Bar None means we lose four days of Christmas shopping,” Carole said.
“You have four days of shopping to do?” Stevie asked. “I only have two days of shopping to do, but I’ve only got half a day of money, so that simplifies that!”
“That’s not what Carole meant,” Lisa said. “She means she only has one day of shopping to do, but since we’ll be at the Bar None, she’s losing three days to procrastinate!”
Carole laughed. “Oh, you know me too well. I guess I just got so interested in working with Starlight for the drill Max designed that I’ve forgotten about all the gifts I need to get.”
“Does that mean you haven’t even bought presents for me and Lisa yet?” Stevie asked.
“Oh, um, no. I mean, of course I got your presents months ago,” Carole assured Stevie. “I’m talking about stuff for other people.”
Lisa thought it sounded as if Carole probably hadn’t gotten her a present yet. That didn’t bother her. In fact, it made her feel a little better. She had gifts for her family, but she didn’t know what to get for Carole and Stevie. Now she’d been reminded that she had only one day to get something for them—and that day was going to be mostly taken up with Horse Wise.
Their Pony Club met on Saturdays at Pine Hollow. The riders had named the club Horse Wise because that was what they hoped it would help them become—wise about horses. Meetings started at nine o’clock on Saturday mornings and lasted until early afternoon. That would leave a very short time to do any more shopping. Lisa was going to have to get her mother to take her over to the mall right after Horse Wise.
“Maybe we’ll get to town while we’re at the Bar None,” Carole said.
“It’s a teeny little town,” Lisa reminded her. “And besides, who wants to go into town when there’s so much to do at the ranch?”
“And so little time to do it,” said Stevie. “This is going to be a short trip.”
“Then it means that we’re going to have to work harder to pack all that fun into three days,” Lisa said.
“There she goes again, being logical!” Stevie teased.
“Well, if I’m really going to be logical, then I’m going to have to start thinking about packing now. There won’t be much time tomorrow, and on Sunday we’re out of here first thing in the morning,” Lisa said.
They all agreed it was the sensible thing to do.
“See you tomorrow!”
“Good night.”
“Happy trails.”
But Lisa didn’t start thinking about her packing right then. First she needed to think about Christmas. She went to sleep thinking about finding the perfect Christmas presents for the two best friends in the world.
“NOW, COLUMNS SPLIT and circle back at a trot!”
Stevie kept her eyes forward and sat straight in the saddle. Max wanted all the riders to go through the whole drill practice with military precision. If the movements weren’t precise, then the whole thing just looked like a bunch of horses and riders milling around a ring.
Belle perked up her ears. Belle was a mixed-breed horse, part Arabian, part American Saddlebred. There were probably some other parts in there as well, and Stevie was convinced that one of them was mind reader. Belle had a way of seeming to know exactly what Stevie was about to ask her to do.
Stevie turned Belle to the left and trotted the length of the ring, following one length behind Carole, who was leading the column of riders through the drill.
“Nice turn, Stevie, nice,” said Max.
Stevie could barely keep her jaw from dropping. Max was very good at pointing out eight things a rider was doing wrong at once. He wasn’t as good at talking about what a rider was doing right. She was very pleased by his praise and couldn’t help smiling.
“All right now, cut across the middle … don’t bump into one another … and back into a double column,” Max called out.
Finally the practice was over. Max asked all the riders to line up in front of him, and he gave comments to each of them.
“Carole, you’ve got to keep Starlight at an even pace.”
“Yes, Max,” Carole said.
“Veronica, you must pay attention. If you’re not paying attention, how can you expect Garnet to follow my directions?”
Veronica didn’t answer. She just pursed her lips, obviously annoyed. Veronica rarely answered when someone criticized her. That was the way she was. The Saddle Club exchanged smirks while Veronica coolly stared straight ahead.
Max had dozens of other reminders for the riders. Toes in, heels down, remember to change diagonals without being told, don’t forget the pattern, and maintain an even pace, especially when doing a crossover. Boys and girls were trying to take in everything Max was saying so that they wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. Everybody wanted the demonstration to be perfect when they performed it in a couple of weeks.
Stevie waited for her list of criticisms, but they didn’t come. Max had nothing bad to say about the way she’d ridden, which was extremely rare. Stevie decided she’d remember this day for a long time.
“Now, there’s one other thing,” Max said. His eyes rested on Stevie for a second. Maybe this day wouldn’t be memorable after all, she thought. Maybe he had just saved her for last because her list of faults was much longer than everyone else’s.
“It has to do with Wednesday …,” Max continued.
Wednesday? They didn’t have class on Wednesday and no more Pony Club until next Saturday. What was Wednesday? It was the day they were getting back from the Bar None. It was Christmas Eve. It was—
The Starlight Ride was one of Stevie’s favorite Pine Hollow traditions. There was something totally wonderful about riding at night. The path through the woods was decorated with princess pine and lit with twinkling lanterns. It was a magical event.
“As you know, every year I select a special rider to lead the trail ride. It’s an honor because it’s not an easy thing to do. It takes someone with confidence and good judgment, someone who can be responsible and set an even pace for the other riders. It’s also a way I have of honoring a rider who has made a lot of progress during the year.”
Stevie smiled, remembering when Carole had had the honor. She had been riding a borrowed horse—one that her father, though she didn’t know it, had already bought for her Christmas present. Starlight had been named for the ride. She could still see Carole with the torch in her hand, leading all of Pine Hollow through the woods. It had been a great night.
“And this year, it’s clear to me that the rider I most want to honor and who will do a fine job for us is Stevie Lake.”
Stevie shook her head. What was it Max had just said? It sounded like her name, but that really wasn’t possible. She wasn’t the kind of girl who got honored. She was the kind of girl who got sent to the principal’s office. It must have been somebody whose name sounded like hers.
On either side of her, her best friends were grinning.
“Yay, Stevie!” Lisa said.
“I knew it! I just knew it!” Carole said. She reached over and clapped Stevie on the back.
“Me?” Stevie said.
“Of course it’s you, silly,” Lisa told her. “You’re going to lead us all!”
“Really?” Stevie asked.
“You’ll be up for it, won’t you?” Max asked.
Stevie felt a grin spreading over her face. Max had chosen her to lead the Starlight Ride. She, Stevie Lake, was going to be the front rider.
“Leading this group through the woods?” she said. “Sure, it’s a piece of cake. It’s just like a game of Follow the Leader, right? Let’s see—we can go in circles, maybe ride backward in our saddles—I guess there isn’t anybody else at Pine Hollow who is better at Follow the Leader than I am—”
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