The rumble of an engine signalled that Old Smithy was in his truck. They’d never be able to outrun him now.
‘Quick! Over here!’ Poppy cried to the others as she dove into the bushes, prickly branches tearing at her face. Katie and Milly jumped in behind her. It was a huge area of shrubs, nestled around the base of a small wood of large pine trees, but Poppy was under no illusion that they were safe. He knew where they were heading, and he’d find them. Eventually.
‘What are we going to do?’ cried Katie.
‘Didn’t you say you had it covered?’ asked Milly.
Poppy looked at Katie, hoping her friend really did have them covered.
‘I left a note on Cody’s stable for the Delaneys. I thought they would find it when they came back in, if we weren’t home. But I’d also planned on having a phone that worked!’
‘It could be hours before they see it!’ said Milly.
Poppy closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Her heart was beating fast with nerves. ‘We need to find one of the ponies,’ she said. Her voice was shaky, but so was her entire body. She was shaking in fear. ‘Then one of us can get back for help.’ She wanted so desperately to find the stolen horses, but right now they needed to alert her aunt or uncle that they were in serious trouble.
Poppy scanned the surrounding fields. Cows to the left, cows to the right. Weird that the cattle out here weren’t like the ones in the barn, she thought. The cows in the barn were light brown. These are black and white. And there are no ponies – theirs or stolen ones. Poppy ran her eyes back over the land again.
‘Oh my gosh!’ Poppy’s hand flew up to cover her mouth.
‘What?’ Milly’s eyes popped wide. Katie looked like she was going to start crying again.
‘The cows,’ said Poppy. ‘Look over there.’
Katie and Milly’s eyes followed Poppy’s point.
‘He hid the coloured horses in with the dairy cows!’ Poppy was almost annoyed with herself. She had spotted the cows two days ago, but she’d never even thought to make the connection, and the others clearly hadn’t, either. But there they were, clear as day. Black-and-white horses camouflaged among a hundred or so black-and-white cows in the paddock. They’d been right about Old Smithy all along!
Poppy heard gravel crunch nearby, and pulled her friends back into the bushes. Old Smithy was getting close. Poppy spied his ute parked next to a tree, the engine still rumbling. She could feel the hairs prickle on the back of her neck.
‘So he does have them!’ whispered Milly excitedly.
Even Katie looked happier. ‘At least this wasn’t all for nothing. Even if he does capture us.’
‘We’ve got to get back to Starlight,’ said Poppy. She was excited about what they had discovered, but it didn’t change the fact that they needed help. It wouldn’t be long before Old Smithy found their hiding place – she could hear his heavy breathing just beyond the bushes.
Milly ignored her. ‘I can only count four,’ she whispered. ‘Do you think they’re all here?’
Poppy left it to Milly and Katie to scan the paddocks while she kept an eye on Old Smithy. He’d moved away from their hiding place, and Poppy let her eyes travel from the barn they had fled to the nearby trees, searching for their lost ponies. A movement caught her eye. It was Joe. Poppy stayed still and tugged on Katie’s sleeve.
‘There’s Joe,’ she whispered.
‘Can you see Crystal yet?’ Katie asked.
Poppy kept watch. Cody came walking out of the trees then, which made Joe trot off, head held high. Poppy held her breath as she saw Cody’s reins dangling precariously near his hooves. Then Crystal came wandering from the same direction as Cody, and Poppy almost let out a whoop of excitement.
‘I’m going to make a run for it,’ said Poppy, turning back to her friends. She could hardly feel her legs from squatting low, but she had to get to Crystal. She realised she’d lost track of Old Smithy. He could be anywhere. He could even have gone back to his house to get his gun. Wherever he was, Poppy knew that it was now or never, while Crystal was so close.
‘Are you sure?’ asked Katie.
‘Why don’t we all go?’ suggested Milly.
Poppy stretched up to look past the bushes, then turned and shook her head.
‘No. We’ll never make it if we all run. He’d definitely see us and we might not be able to catch all three ponies. I’ll go, jump on whichever one stays still or is close enough.’ Poppy reached her hands out to touch her friends. She knew that if she had to wait for her friends to mount, it would only slow them down, and if one of them took off while another was still trying to get into the saddle with only one foot in the stirrup, it could end in a nasty accident. ‘I’ll race straight back to the farm and get help. Just stay hidden, okay?’
Milly and Katie squeezed her hand back, and Poppy counted to ten in her mind. She stretched one leg, ready to run, pushed her head out from the bush, took one look around to check Old Smithy wasn’t there, and then sprinted.
Her feet raced along the hard-packed dirt below. She had never moved so fast in her life, and especially not in riding boots. Poppy heard a rustling noise behind her, but she didn’t turn. A scream rang out loud in the air, but she didn’t even slow. All Poppy wanted to do was spin around and help her friends, but she knew if she stopped, even hesitated, she might not make it back to safety. And then who would save them?
Poppy felt like she was running for her life. Her head was down and her arms were pumping against her sides, pushing her forward. Her friends continued to yell out, but Poppy only had one thing in mind. She had to make it to Crystal. She could see her pony ahead of her, grazing contentedly, and she kept on running. She caught sight of Smithy’s blue ute, blurred, to the side of her vision. But Poppy’s eyes stayed focused, fixed on her pony.
She willed Crystal to put her head up, to read her mind and get ready to bolt. But the pony didn’t. Poppy kept running. Her heart was pounding, and she was struggling to catch her breath. Her lungs and throat were burning, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was getting to Crystal, racing home and finding help. They might be in a power-load of trouble, but right now she had to save her friends. That was all that mattered.
It seemed to take forever, but when Poppy finally reached her pony and thudded to a stop beside her, Crystal startled. But Poppy didn’t have time to be gentle. She yanked Crystal’s head up and untied her reins, throwing them back over her pony’s head. Poppy glanced over her shoulder. She couldn’t see Old Smithy, and she relaxed just a smidge. She remembered to tighten her girth, pulled her stirrups down and virtually vaulted into the saddle.
‘Sorry, Crystal!’ she cried as, for the first time ever, she dug her heels hard into her pony. Crystal snorted and raised her head high, acting distressed, but made for the boundary as Poppy steered her towards Starlight Stables and safety. The gate was edging closer and closer, and Poppy urged her pony to go faster. They were galloping now, thundering across the paddock. With the sound of Crystal’s hooves pounding in her ears, Poppy allowed herself a quick look over her shoulder. Thankfully the other two ponies hadn’t followed from where she’d left them grazing on the long grass.
She turned back, focused on what was ahead. The jump was maybe ten strides out now. Poppy pulled on the reins and sat deep, slowing Crystal back to a canter. But Crystal was really wound up now, excited by the urgency in her rider’s commands, and she fought for her head, tugging back and keeping her head high. They took off too early, her jump huge – high and long – but Poppy trusted Crystal. Still, she realised she was holding her breath until she was sure that they’d cleared it. They landed heavily on the other side, and Poppy directed Crystal straight into the forest. She chanced another glance over her shoulder, but still couldn’t see any sign of Old Smithy, and that almost worried her more than seeing him. She knew he had Katie and Milly. Would she be able to get help in time?
Crystal responded when Poppy squeezed her legs, and they cantered alon
g the sandy track fast. Branches tore at her arms, but Poppy was blinded by terror that Old Smithy would somehow catch her even though she was riding fast. A fallen log appeared in front of them but they flew over it, going faster still, Crystal not missing a beat. Poppy didn’t ever remember going this fast before, but she didn’t dare slow. Every second counted, and they kept going. She needed to make sure her friends were okay!
Finally, the trees began to thin, and she knew they were almost at Starlight. She started to worry that Aunt Sophie wouldn’t be back yet. She had to get help, and fast! The stables were a blur in the distance ahead, and she raced towards them.
‘Sophie!’ Poppy screamed at the top of her lungs, terror resounding in her voice. ‘Aunt Sophie!’
Crystal quivered beneath her, one ear flickering back to listen to the terrified screams of her rider.
‘Aunt Sophie, where are you?’ Her shouts were coming out as sobs now.
Footsteps thudded from the stables, and Uncle Mark came running towards her, his face creased with concern. Then Poppy saw Jupiter come flying around the corner, with Sophie kicking his sides. She had never seen her aunt ride him like that before.
‘Poppy, what’s happened?’ Uncle Mark got to her first, pulling her down from Crystal’s back, his arms wrapped protectively around her. ‘Where are the others?’
She could hardly stop the tears that were falling down her cheeks in big plops.
‘Poppy, say something!’ Mark’s voice sounded full of panic as he knelt down before her and put his hands on either side of her face, gently but firmly making her look at him.
‘They’re, they’re . . .’
‘Poppy!’ Her aunt jumped from her horse and rushed over to her. ‘I heard you galloping out of the forest. What’s happened, honey? Has there been an accident? Where are the others?’
She looked up at her aunt, and then turned again to Mark, wishing she had never gone through with the stupid plan. The words came out in a rush, and she knew she sounded hysterical.
‘Old Smithy, he caught them. They’re on his property. Cody and Joe are there, too, but I managed to get away.’
‘Smithy’s? What on earth?’ Aunt Sophie’s raised eyebrows halted Poppy’s tears. Poppy wanted to tell her how sorry she was. Her aunt was going to hate her, probably even send her home, but apologies could wait. Right now, she had to catch her breath and get back there. If it meant her holiday was over and she had to be sent home, then she’d take the punishment. She didn’t care, as long as she saved her friends.
‘We went looking for the stolen horses,’ she admitted, hanging her head in shame at going behind their backs.
Uncle Mark sighed, expelling a big lungful of air. He looked angry. She’d never seen him angry before.
‘You did what?’ asked Aunt Sophie. Her words were clipped and her voice was low, almost a whisper. Poppy felt her aunt’s disappointment with each word.
‘We thought that the stolen horses were in his barn, so we went exploring, and now he’s got Milly and Katie. We have to save them!’
Her uncle shook his head, and Aunt Sophie just turned her back, grabbing Crystal’s reins as she did so and leading her quickly, with Jupiter, back toward the stables.
‘Aren’t we going to save them,’ Poppy gulped, watching her aunt walk off.
‘Of course we’re going to save them, Poppy. Get in the truck,’ said Uncle Mark as he took long strides across the gravel to where his truck was parked outside the barn.
Poppy ran to keep up. Her legs felt like jelly as she pulled herself up into the truck’s back seat.
Uncle Mark slammed the door as he stepped in to the driver’s side. ‘You knew not to go over there, Poppy,’ he said without looking at her. ‘Why would you disobey me? Especially after what we told you the other night?’
‘I know, but . . .’ Poppy started to tell Mark that they’d found the missing horses, but her aunt appeared from the stables, shouting to them as she ran towards the truck.
‘I’ve called the police,’ called Aunt Sophie. ‘They’re on their way over there, too.’
‘Come on, let’s go get your friends,’ said her uncle. Sophie slid into the passenger seat next to him, then he put his foot down hard on the accelerator. The wheels spun in response against the gravel on the driveway, and the car lurched forward, speeding down the driveway.
Trees and bushes whirred past the window, and Poppy pressed her nose against the glass, welcoming its coldness against her hot face. She was terrified. She could hardly breathe.
‘Poppy, I do have to point out that you girls trespassed onto Smithy’s land, and he is the one neighbour, and you know this, who does not allow us over there. He does not like his stock disrupted, and, quite frankly, he’s not the sort of person we want you around,’ said Uncle Mark.
‘But . . .’
‘No buts, Poppy. You know exactly why we didn’t want you going over there.’
‘But we found the horses!’ Poppy cried. She swallowed and sucked in a big breath.
‘You what?’ Her aunt spun around in her seat, and Poppy saw Uncle Mark’s eyes watching her in the rear-view mirror.
‘That’s what I was trying to tell you!’ said Poppy, nearly jumping off the seat she was so worried about her friends. ‘We got it wrong. We thought that they were in the barn, but he had them disguised in the paddocks with the black-and-white dairy cows.’
The car went silent. Poppy didn’t know what else to say.
‘You’re still in trouble, Poppy,’ said her aunt.
Poppy gulped. ‘I know.’
‘I think you need to ring the police again,’ said Uncle Mark in a low voice. ‘Make sure they’re definitely on their way. Now.’
If something had happened to Milly and Katie . . . Poppy didn’t want to finish that sentence. But suddenly, all she could think about was what it might look like to see a man get his jaw broken in a fight, like her aunt had described to them at the dinner table the other night.
In no time at all, they’d arrived at Old Smithy’s place. Poppy knew her uncle had been speeding, and she worried about her friends even more, because Mark never usually went fast in areas where kangaroos or other wildlife could be crossing.
Uncle Mark and Aunt Sophie jumped out of the car, and Poppy obeyed their orders. She was not to move a muscle. She didn’t know if she could even if she tried. Her fear for her friends had her glued to the spot.
She watched her aunt and uncle run to the farmhouse. She spotted a police car already parked outside the house, and that comforted her.
It seemed like forever that she was waiting for someone to appear, thrumming her fingers against her thighs. She had gone over the dressage alphabet in her mind, practising where and when she would have to turn for her first dressage test at pony club, but it was no good. She couldn’t concentrate. Besides, she might not even make it to actual Pony Club, let alone the big gymkhana. Not after all this.
A flicker of movement from the corner of her eye made her sit up straight in the seat. She could see them all walking from the house. A policeman was following behind Milly and Katie, talking to her aunt and uncle. There was no sign of Smithy.
Still Poppy didn’t move, though. They came closer to the truck, and Poppy could see that Milly and Katie looked terrified, and that they’d been crying, their eyes all red and puffy. She watched, holding her breath, expecting them to be put in the police car, but they kept walking towards her while her aunt and uncle stood talking to the policeman.
Poppy pushed the door open to let them in, and her eyes locked on Katie’s.
‘What happened?’ Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.
Katie just flopped into the back seat and huddled up next to Poppy. Milly jumped in after her, and slammed the door.
‘What a disaster,’ said Milly.
‘Did he hurt you?’
Katie just shook her head, and so Poppy looked to Milly for a reply.
‘He found us in the bushes and marched us ba
ck to his house. I thought he was going to break my arm, he was holding it so tight. Then he called the police and hardly said a thing to us.’
Poppy squeezed both of their hands, tight.
‘Except to tell us that we were in big trouble,’ added Katie. ‘He said that we’d regret ever stepping foot on his land, and told us not to move.’
‘Yeah, there was that,’ agreed Milly. ‘Then the police showed up, told us that trespassing and breaking into someone’s property was a big deal.’
‘Didn’t you tell them that he had stolen the horses?’ asked Poppy. ‘Why did he call the police?’
‘I know!’ exclaimed Milly. ‘That’s what I wondered. But then the Ds arrived, and Sophie told us to go wait in the car. I guess he had no idea we’d figured him out and seen the horses in the paddock.’
They all looked at one another, and Poppy found herself in a group hug as Katie threw one arm around each of her friends.
‘We’re all safe now, though,’ Katie said. ‘Thanks for riding to our rescue, Poppy.’
Poppy smiled back, but noticed another policeman emerged from the house.
‘Uh-oh,’ said Poppy as the smile dropped from her face.
‘We’re still going to be in big trouble, aren’t we?’ said Katie, although Poppy knew that she wasn’t really asking. They all knew.
‘Do you think they’ll take our horses away and send us home?’ asked Milly.
Poppy met their gaze, but looked down. The thing was, she had no idea what they would do. She had never been in trouble with her aunt and uncle before. There was a lot at stake. They might have saved the missing horses, but they had still lied about what they were up to. Would Sophie and Mark ever forgive her? Poppy would rather be sent home than see her friends lose their ponies. She didn’t know how to tell them that all their ponies were still on trial. Would her aunt and uncle send the ponies back?
As they sat in the back of the truck, misery painted across their faces, Poppy wondered about how quickly they’d all become friends. It seemed like she’d known Milly and Katie her entire lifetime already. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them.
Pony Detectives Page 9