Stray Horse

by Bonnie Bryant

  Veronica was left to ride her horse in the schooling ring while all the other students followed Doc Tock down the street to CARL. As far as The Saddle Club was concerned, there were a lot of great things about CARL. One was that it was within walking distance of Pine Hollow.

  All it took was one look around for the girls to realize how much they were needed. The place was a mess.

  “Okay,” Lisa said, putting her naturally logical self in the lead. “We’ve got to clean out all these cages and then begin cleaning and feeding the animals themselves. Let’s form teams of three. One, two, three; one, two, three.” She had seven teams formed before Doc Tock and Max had followed the last stragglers through the door. “The first team will start with the birdcages; teams two and three, you get the small woodland animals, be careful of the skunk. Four and five, you clean out the cats. Six and seven, we get the dogs. Okay, we’ll start at the far end.”

  Stevie enjoyed watching Lisa in action. She wasn’t a loud or pushy person; she wasn’t even a particularly strong leader. It was just that she was so utterly logical that everybody followed her lead. Stevie could have done the same thing, she told herself, but it would have taken her a half hour to figure out what size the teams should be and how to sort them around the large building. Lisa had an amazing ability to break a task down to small units and tackle it efficiently.

  “Doc Tock,” Lisa said, turning to her. “Could you show the team leaders—that’s the first person I named for each team—where the cleaning supplies are?” Doc Tock was happy to do as she was asked.

  Stevie, too, followed Lisa’s directions. She’d been put on a team with Adam Levine and May Grover. Once again, she admired Lisa because she’d managed to balance each of the teams with older and younger kids, as well as mixing up boys and girls. She’d paid no attention to usual friendships. Though Stevie would have preferred to work with Lisa and Carole, it meant she was working with May, one of the younger riders who had a lot to learn, and Adam, who was taller and probably a little bit stronger than she was, and that mattered when they were working with the dogs in the big cages.

  In fact, if she didn’t like Lisa so much, she might envy her amazing skills.

  “Oh, good,” said Doc Tock, coming over to the cage of a small mixed-breed dog that Stevie had just cleaned. May brought over a bowl of fresh water and Adam handed the pup a treat to chew on. “I need to take a blood sample from this fellow. Who wants to hold him?”

  May offered first, so Stevie and Adam let her handle it. May opened the cage door and enticed the puppy to its entrance with a biscuit. The puppy came willingly, and May easily lifted him out and carried him to the table. She patted him gently, and the puppy settled in so happily with all the attention he was getting that he never seemed to notice what Doc Tock did to him.

  Stevie got to hold the next dog—a medium-sized mutt of uncertain heritage—while he got his immunization, then Adam held a female named Daisy, who looked like a mix of retriever and shepherd, while Doc Tock examined her. Daisy was scheduled to be spayed in the next few days, and the vet needed to be sure she was in good health before she operated on her.

  “She’s a sweet dog,” said Doc Tock, watching Daisy’s tail swish eagerly. “I’m sure we’ll find her a good home.” Stevie found herself wishing that home could be hers, but she didn’t think her cat, Madonna, would appreciate a big dog in the house. She didn’t think her parents would appreciate it, either.

  When Doc Tock was finished with the dogs, Stevie’s team joined another team that was painting some of the vacant cages so that they’d be ready for new occupants.

  Carole, who had spent several vacations working as Judy Barker’s assistant, was prepared to give Doc Tock a hand with anything. Together they took blood samples from several cats, set the deer’s broken leg, and changed the bandage on a cat whose foot had been caught in a trap.

  “All the cages are clean,” Lisa reported to Doc Tock as she came out of the surgical room. “Everybody’s been fed and watered, and ten cages have been painted.”

  “You guys are wonderful!” said the vet.

  “What’s next?” Lisa asked, still eager to help. Carole couldn’t help noticing how Lisa had thrown herself into this whole project. Lisa was definitely good at organizing things, but she seemed to be in super mode today.

  “Dr. Einstein,” said Doc Tock.

  “I thought he was dead,” Lisa remarked.

  “No, not the genius professor with the relativity theory. It’s the owl in the corner over there with the broken foot,” Doc Tock told her. “He won’t let anybody near him, and he won’t eat anything. I’m afraid we’re going to lose him. You’ve already worked a couple of miracles here today. Want to try for another?”

  Lisa blushed. “I don’t know about that,” she said. “But I’ll try.”

  Carole looked over to where the owl was cowering in the corner of his cage, sitting awkwardly on the ground while he protected his wounded foot.

  Lisa picked up a bowl of fresh meat and a toothpick and approached the cage cautiously. She pulled a stool along with her and sat down on it. Then she looked into the cage and began talking gently. Carole tried to hear what she was saying, but she knew the words wouldn’t make any difference. What was important was the sound of Lisa’s voice. There were a few voices outside the room, but in the cage room, nobody spoke except Lisa.

  She looked sideways into the cage, keeping her eyes from looking directly into the owl’s, which might be perceived as a challenge, a dare. She saw when the owl looked at her and then averted her eyes completely, showing submission.

  The riders had all learned about this kind of communication with animals when they’d studied horse training techniques. To animals, it was important who was dominating and who was submitting. If Lisa remained submissive, the owl would feel it had nothing to fear from her.

  The owl took one step forward along the side of the cage. Lisa remained still. The owl took a second step. Very slowly, very smoothly, Lisa took a bit of the meat and put it on the toothpick, holding it within Dr. Einstein’s field of vision but not moving it toward him.

  The owl watched; he didn’t blink.

  He took another step toward Lisa.

  Lisa moved the meat toward the bird. Dr. Einstein stepped back.

  Lisa withdrew the meat. Dr. Einstein stepped forward.

  Carole held her breath.

  For fifteen minutes, Lisa and Dr. Einstein continued their little dance, Lisa approaching, the bird withdrawing, and then vice versa. Each time, though, Lisa let the bit of meat on the stick stay just a little bit closer to the bird, and each time he withdrew a little less. Finally the meat was inside the bars of the cage, and Lisa was absolutely still, gazing at the floor. The bird only had eyes for the meat.

  When it happened, it was so fast that most of the students missed it altogether, but Carole was glad she hadn’t blinked. The bird snatched the piece of meat from the toothpick and swallowed it, and Lisa was left with an empty toothpick. Slowly she replenished the supply and the dance began again. Only this time it didn’t take so long. Dr. Einstein had been building up a serious hunger since he’d arrived at CARL the week before, and he was ready to eat. Four more times, he took meat from the toothpick.

  Lisa stood up and walked slowly over to the group of watching students. Doc Tock gave her a hug.

  “That was great!” she said. Lisa beamed. “You’re saving the life of a great horned owl—something nobody else could do. You’re amazing!”

  The students patted her on the back and Carole hugged her as well. “Fantastic,” she told her friend. Lisa could barely speak.

  “Okay, guys,” Max said, calling for their attention. “I think our work here is done for a while. As you know, all of you are welcome to volunteer here at any time. Of course, that will cut into your stable chores, and knowing how you feel about mucking out stalls, I’m sure Doc Tock won’t be able to draw you away.”

  The students laughed. Mucking out stalls
was just one of the jobs all of them had to do at Pine Hollow. Max liked to emphasize that there was much more to horses than riding. He also liked to point out that helping with chores kept the costs down at his stable, so most of the students were willing to pitch in.

  “Don’t worry, Doc,” Stevie said. “We’ll be able to pull ourselves away from the manure pile and give you a hand every once in a while.”

  “That’s all I’ll need,” said the veterinarian. “Thank you all for your help this morning. I hope I’ll see you again soon.”

  “May I stay?” Lisa asked, speaking to nobody in particular and everybody in general.

  “You want to help out some more?” Doc Tock asked.

  Lisa nodded. The vet looked at Max.

  “You’d be missing the lesson,” he reminded her.

  “It’s okay.”

  “As long as you call your parents,” Max said.

  “I will,” Lisa promised. “But they won’t have to pick me up. I can walk home.”

  “You’re going to Stevie’s,” Carole reminded her.

  “I can walk there, too,” said Lisa.

  “Are you sure?” Stevie asked. It was hard to imagine anyone wanting to miss a riding class.

  “I want to help with the raccoon,” she said, looking to Doc Tock for permission.

  “It’s fine by me,” she said. “I can always use help.”

  “We’ll see you at Stevie’s, then,” Carole said.

  “Bye,” Lisa said, turning toward the cages.

  Carole and Stevie walked back to Pine Hollow together, but Carole wasn’t in a talking mood. She was more in a thinking mood. She remembered Lisa’s weird morning—or, more accurately, Mr. and Mrs. Atwood’s weird morning, and then how Lisa had seemed to turn into Super Girl and now wanted to skip the riding lesson. She guessed that if Lisa had found something she really wanted to do more than having a riding lesson, it was probably good for her. Besides, they’d have a chance to talk that night at Stevie’s.

  LISA SIGHED. HER work was finished for the day. She’d helped Doc Tock stitch a gash on the raccoon’s belly, and she’d talked to three people interested in adopting puppies. She’d even had the pleasure of helping one little boy choose a cat.

  The day was over and it was time to meet her friends at Stevie’s. She thanked Doc Tock for letting her stay and work.

  “I’m the one who’s thankful,” the vet told her, shooing her out the door. “Now go have fun!”

  It was hard to imagine having more fun than she’d just had, helping both animals and people. When she stopped to think about it, though, she realized that spending the night at Stevie’s might be more fun. Being with her friends was always great.

  She’d left her riding clothes at Pine Hollow. That was fine. They were clean and they’d be in her cubby waiting for her in the morning. What she’d forgotten, however, was to bring her overnight things from home. It was unlike her to be forgetful, but she recalled that she and Carole had been a little rushed, wanting to be sure not to be late to the stable that morning. Anyway, it was no big deal. She could stop off at home and pick up her pajamas, clean clothes, and toothbrush since her house was right down the block from Stevie’s.

  She looked at her watch, knowing her friends would have finished their lesson and their ride by now and would be preparing to get to Stevie’s fairly soon. Everything would work smoothly. Lisa would even have time to tell her parents all about her day at CARL.

  She cringed. She’d forgotten to call them, even though she’d promised Max she would. She should have done it, she knew. Her parents needed to know where she was. She was sure they wouldn’t mind, but it was her responsibility to let them know. That was two things she’d forgotten that day. Was there anything else? She hoped not.

  Mrs. Atwood was in the kitchen when Lisa came in. Lisa went over and gave her a hug, and Mrs. Atwood wrinkled her nose.

  “I guess I smell, huh?” Lisa said. “It couldn’t be helped, though, and wait until I tell you what I’ve been doing!”

  “Why don’t you shower first?” Mrs. Atwood said. Lisa thought maybe that would be a good idea. She ran upstairs, showered and changed, put what she needed for the night into a backpack, and was back downstairs in less than fifteen minutes.

  “Where’s Dad?” Lisa asked. She’d noticed that both cars were in the driveway. Normally her father would have come to greet her.

  “I don’t know,” said Mrs. Atwood.

  Lisa poured herself a glass of milk and got some graham crackers from the cabinet. She settled down at the kitchen table, where her mother was sitting with a cup of coffee. On the counter, the television was showing a golf tournament. Mrs. Atwood stared at the screen. Lisa couldn’t ever remember her mother watching golf before. She dunked a cracker into the milk and took a bite. Her mother didn’t say anything.

  “I had the greatest day, Mom,” Lisa began.

  “Good,” said her mother.

  “Well, I should have called you, I guess, but I got so involved …”

  Lisa told her mother all about her day at CARL, about organizing the teams and cleaning the cages. She told her about feeding Dr. Einstein.

  “And when he finally took the meat—well, you wouldn’t believe how exciting it was,” she said. “Nobody in the whole place said a word until I got him to take the fourth bite. Isn’t that great?”

  “Yes, of course. You’re good with horses,” her mother said.

  “It’s a bird,” she reminded her mother. “A great horned owl.”

  “Oh,” said her mother. “What do you want for dinner?”

  “I’m going over to Stevie’s,” Lisa said.

  Mrs. Atwood looked at her watch. “What time are you due?”

  “Whenever I get there,” Lisa said. “Like about now.”

  “Good night, darling. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, after riding, then, right?”

  “Right,” Lisa said, kissing her mother.

  She picked up her overnight bag and walked into the hallway toward the front door. As she passed the den, she saw that her father was there. He’d apparently finished his paper, because he was now reading a magazine.

  “Good night, Dad,” she said.

  He glanced at his watch. “Isn’t it a little early for bed?” he asked.

  Lisa laughed. “I’m going over to Stevie’s.”

  “Oh, well, then, good night,” he said, blowing her a kiss.

  Lisa slung her bag over her shoulder and paused before leaving.

  “I saved an animal’s life today,” she said.

  “Good,” said her dad, looking up from his magazine.

  “It was an owl.”

  “They eat rodents,” said her father.

  “This one ate steak,” she told him.

  “Good,” he said, turning his attention back to his magazine. “Right, well, good night.”

  “Night,” she said. She left him flipping the pages.

  It was a short walk over to Stevie’s. Lisa drew her sweater around her shoulders against the cool night air. She wasn’t sorry she’d forgotten her bag at home. She was glad she’d gotten to tell her parents a little bit about her work at CARL. They weren’t always interested in her schoolwork or her riding, but they’d seemed proud of the volunteer work she was doing at CARL. It was a place where she felt she could make a difference.

  Lisa could almost hear Stevie’s house before she saw it. It was nearly dark and a few lights had been turned on in the house, but through the open windows the chaotic sounds of the Lake family carried into the neighborhood.

  “I did not!” It was Chad’s voice. He was fourteen and his voice had changed. It fairly boomed.

  “You’re always saying that to me!” said another voice Lisa recognized as Alex’s. Although the greatest rivalries were between Stevie and her brothers, these days Alex seemed to be more and more willing to challenge Chad’s position as king of the hill.

  “I say it because I’m right!” yelled Chad.

  �
��Upstairs, both of you!” Mr. Lake called out. “Work it out between the two of you and work it out quietly!”

  Lisa could even hear the thumps of the two teenage boys’ oversized feet as they chased each other up the stairs.

  Lisa neared the front door.

  “Mom, if they’re sent away from the table tonight, can I have Alex’s dessert?” That was Michael. He sometimes seemed angelic, but he didn’t fool anybody for long, especially not his mother.

  “You’d better go upstairs, too,” said Mrs. Lake. “Your father and I need a few minutes of peace and quiet.”

  “What did I do wrong?” Michael asked.

  As Lisa knocked and entered, she saw Mrs. Lake in the kitchen.

  “It isn’t what you did,” Mrs. Lake said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling. “It’s what you’re thinking about doing.”

  Michael sighed. “I can’t get away with anything,” he said.

  “You’ve got that right!” declared Mrs. Lake. She laughed, and so did Michael. Whatever he’d been up to, it had been nipped in the bud.

  “Oh, hi, Lisa,” Mrs. Lake said, noticing her arrival. She removed her oven mitts and tossed them on the kitchen counter, then led Lisa toward the den.

  “Hi, Mr. Lake. Are Stevie and Carole here yet?”

  “They are,” answered Mr. Lake from the sofa, where he was watching the same golf tournament Lisa’s mother had been staring at a few minutes earlier. “I think I heard them expressing some intention of talking about—what is it you girls like so much? Is it camels?” He was teasing and Lisa knew it.

  “No sir,” she said. “We’re zebra fans. Why can’t you remember?”

  “You’d think I’d remember after all this time!” he said. “Oh, will you look at that putt?”

  Lisa looked. It seemed that the ball made an S-curve on the green before dropping into the cup. It was pretty amazing.

  “Well, go on up, then. They’re definitely going to want to hear your opinion about, uh, uh, those giraffes.”