The Horse Rescuers

by Patricia Gilkerson

  My dad came puffing up and hugged me, then hugged Addie, then me again. While the sheriff handcuffed Jake, Dad got a flashlight and checked me over for injuries.

  “What happened?” I asked as we walked slowly through the woods back to the car.

  “Don’t you remember?” said Addie. “It was awesome! He came up behind you, and you turned around and bashed him with that rock. You yelled for your dad and was standing there like a...like a warrior princess! It was great!”

  “I think you just fainted from all the excitement,” said Dad. “I’ve got some antiseptic for those scratches,” he said, “but the bruises will just have to go away on their own.”

  My eyesight was back to normal by then. Luckily, Addie didn’t have any hurts to deal with, so we all kind of sat around the car waiting. Sam got on his phone and called for someone to come get us. None of us really wanted to go into that house after all.

  Then, about ten minutes later, the blue Cougar came roaring up the road. Miss Julie leaned her head out the window.

  “Your moms sent me to get you. Are you both really okay?” she asked, peering at me and Addie. When we assured her we were fine, she said, “Then hop in and start talking. Don’t leave anything out!” Dad, Addie and I all piled into the backseat of Miss Julie’s car. Sam said he would ride back with Harvey Martin.

  Telling the story took most of the ride back home. I told most of it, but I was exhausted. Addie filled in a little, and we got it all told by the time Miss Julie pulled up in front of my mom’s house. Dad went in to talk to Mom while I turned to Miss Julie.

  “So, Dotty is safe now, but why did Jake have her?”

  Miss Julie’s smile and her bright blue eyes made me warm after an awful night.

  “You go on to bed, dear. We’ll talk tomorrow. Why don’t you both go out and see Dotty in the morning?”

  “Okay, Miss Julie,” I said. I was just too tired to think or ask questions any more and I could tell Addie was too. Miss Julie left to take Addie and Sandy home. Mom and Dad walked me up to my room.

  “Goodnight, honey,” Dad said, kissing my forehead. “Will you stay home until morning?”

  “Okay, Daddy,” I promised. I hadn’t called him Daddy since I was little.

  “Goodnight, Piper,” said my mom. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too,” I said. I hugged them both and was asleep before I had time to worry anymore.

  Chapter Eleven

  ~ Warm Pony and Fresh-Cut Grass ~

  I didn’t wake up until late the next morning. I hollered to Mom that I was going out to see the pony and went over to wake Addie. She climbed out her window as soon as she saw me. It was another warm day and things seemed better with the sun shining. Dotty whinnied when she saw us and trotted over to have her forehead scratched. We decided that since there was no longer any reason to hide, we would walk her over to the barn and let her drink. Someone had already replaced the ratty old family gate with a new aluminum one that swung open smoothly. Things were looking up.

  As we neared the house, we could hear a lawnmower, which soon came chugging around the side of the house, Sam sitting on it and driving. Miss Julie was shaking a dust mop out the back door.

  “Hi, girls!” she called. “Do you want to come in for cold lemonade when you finish there? I have a cooler with some already made.”

  We must have looked sweaty and hot. We watered Dotty and tied her under the maple tree to graze, then walked to the house. The air inside was cool on my moist skin. My mom said those big old houses didn’t heat up like small ones do, that the heat went up into the attic.

  “What are you doing, Miss Julie?” I asked.

  “Why are you cleaning?” asked Addie. She didn’t like sponges and mops much.

  “Oh, girls!” said Miss Julie, handing us tall, cold glasses of lemonade. “The most wonderful thing has happened. I’m going to move back out here. Sam and I talked and talked last night. He thought I wanted to live in the retirement home more than anything and I guess I did want to try it. But I really don’t like living there. I miss my home and would love to move back if we can find someone to live here with me so I’m not alone.”

  Sam came inside, all sweaty and grinning. He took a swallow from a glass of lemonade.

  “There are lots of people looking for rooms to rent, even in a small town like Serendipity Springs. I know it’ll be easy to find someone. And then I plan to stay out here most weekends. I’m finding out that I miss the farm, too. And some of the people around here.” He was grinning when he said that.

  I felt glad for Miss Julie. She belonged in this big old house with all the trees and lilac bushes around it.

  “By the way,” said Sam, “Sheriff Martin called earlier. It took all night, but Jake finally admitted everything. He had drugs hidden in the feed bags and didn’t know or care anything about horses. He just used the pony to cover up what they were doing.”

  “What about that weird house?” Addie wanted to know.

  “That house is where his contact in this town lived—the guy you saw him with. He and some others were making the drugs and giving them to Jake to sell. They’re probably far away by now.”

  “What will happen to Jake?” I asked, worried that he might get free and come after Dotty.

  “Oh, they’ll give him some time off for helping the sheriff’s department find the men he was involved with, but he’ll still be in prison for a good long time.”

  I was relieved to hear that and I could tell Addie was, too. She started to smile until she heard Sam’s next words.

  “There’s just one problem,” he said. “And that’s what to do with Dotty.”

  Addie and I had talked about this and knew Miss Julie was probably too old to take care of a pony. Dotty would have to be sold. That was sad, but I was pretty sure Miss Julie would sell her to nice people who would take good care of her.

  “Please make sure she goes to a good home,” I said.

  “With nice people who love horses,” said Addie.

  Miss Julie’s blue eyes twinkled. She grinned and I saw where Sam got his smile. “What I would really like is to have some horse-loving girls take ownership of Dotty, but keep her here on the farm and be responsible for her.”

  “Do you mean it?” I said, feeling hope glowing in my chest. Something was bothering me about this, but I wasn’t sure what it was.

  “Don’t kid us about this,” Addie said, jumping up and down. “This is too important.”

  Miss Julie’s eyes were blue stars. ”I mean it,” she said. “It was such a lucky accident that you found her, and it was so brave of you to protect her, that I think you should both have her. You can move her up here close to the house where I can see her, too. And I’ll be able to visit with you while you take care of my old friend. Maybe we can make Addie a horsehair bracelet to match Piper’s.”

  “You should have one too,” said Addie, “Everyone who loves Dotty should get one.”

  “Your dad is coming out later to check Dotty over,” said Sam. “But she’s looking pretty perky today, and I think once she puts on a little weight, she’ll be fine. And I believe both your moms are coming out to meet her.”

  “But, Miss Julie,” I said, remembering what it was that bothered me, “she’s a registered purebred. She’s worth money.”

  “Okay,” said Miss Julie. “So how much money do you have?”

  I knew I had none at home. There was a little in my savings account, but I had to use that for a phone. I dug and dug, but only came up with the penny I had found on the street.

  “This is all,” I said with a sad heart.

  “That’s exactly enough,” said Miss Julie Applegate, taking my penny. “Dotty is yours. Sam will take care of the paperwork.”

  Addie and I held hands and spun in a circle right there in the farmhouse kitchen, nearly knocking over the oak trestle table. Miss Julie and Sam laughed at us. It felt so good to hear the laughter that I started to giggle.

  “
Adds,” I said, “You know what?”

  “What?”

  “We have a pony!”

  “I know,” she said, grinning.

  “We haven’t brushed our pony today.”

  “Let’s go!” she said. We danced out the door and across the lawn to the spotted pony waiting for us under the maple tree. I put my head close to her and whispered that she belonged to us now and would never have to be hungry or thirsty again. With Addie on one side and me on the other, we hugged Dotty’s neck, breathing in the smells of warm pony and fresh-cut grass, the best smells in the world.

  Nickel-Bred

  Chapter One

  ~ Dumped ~

  I looked up at the morning sky and tried to catch my breath. That wasn’t happening. Since I’d been riding in the middle of a horse pasture, there was no one around to say, “Oh, Piper, are you okay?” Had I been knocked out for a minute or two? Maybe. I lay still until finally I managed a shaky breath. Nothing hurt. I was evidently okay. I had landed in soft grass, and gotten the wind knocked out of me and dirt in my mouth. This had happened to me once before, when I was seven, but not since then. I turned my head and spit the dirt out.

  Hoofs clip-clopped nearby, a horse snorted above me somewhere and whiskers tickled my face. A soft muzzle touched the top of my head and large lips pulled at my hair. I swiveled my head to look up at my wayward horse and raised my hand to touch her nose. She made that snorty gurgle that horses make in their throats. It was the best sound in the world.

  “Enough, Dotty,” I said to the spotted pony that was now trying to taste my head. “First you throw me off and then you try to eat my hair.” We’d been cantering in Dotty’s paddock, but she was feeling good and got a little bouncy. And then she bucked. I wasn’t expecting it and went flying. She did that a few times before when she was excited. I could only hope she settled down and got used to being ridden again.

  Dotty was my horse since earlier in the summer-- mine and my best friend Addie’s. We had rescued her from a cruel owner and now she lived at the farm of Miss Julie Applegate, a friend of my family, but most of all, a special friend of mine. Miss Julie looked old, maybe seventy, but

  she didn’t miss a thing. She was just the best. We had an understanding that Addie and I would take care of Dotty while we kept her on Miss Julie’s farm.

  Since it was still summer vacation, I had made it a habit to go out to see Dotty every morning. I cleaned her stall, gave her food and water and brushed her really well. Then I started riding her. It had gone well-- until she began bucking me off. I hadn’t told my dad that she did that, because I was afraid he’d want to get rid of her. Dad was a veterinarian and didn’t trust most horses, especially the ones with bad behavior. He’d gotten kicked and bitten a bunch of times.

  After getting bucked off, I got to my feet, collected Dotty’s reins, and walked back to the barn. I liked to ride, but Addie and I couldn’t ride together with just one horse between us. I wondered if we could somehow find another horse for Addie. It didn’t seem likely; horses didn’t grow on trees. I rubbed my side, which was a little sore, and ran my fingers through my straight brown hair. After pulling off Miss Julie’s old pony saddle, I gave Dotty a good brushing and let her loose in the pasture. She wandered off, and then turned her head around to watch me. Was she wondering why I had cut our ride short? Well, I didn’t do it, she did!

  I walked home thinking about riding. I lived mainly with my mom since my parents got divorced, although I had a room at Dad’s house. The walk didn’t take long—it was less than a mile, and I didn’t usually bother with my bike. Serendipity Springs, Kentucky is a small town, so even though I lived in town, Miss Julie’s farm was close. That afternoon, I called Addie to tell her about getting bucked off.

  “Hey, Adds,” I said when she answered.

  “Hey, Pipe. Did you get a new cell phone?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I had to spend every penny of my baby-sitting money, but it’s worth it,” I said. Then I told her about getting bucked off.

  “Are you hurt?” she asked.

  “Nah, just a little stiff,” I said. “The grass was soft. Do you want to ride Dotty tomorrow?”

  “I don’t think so,” said Addie. “My mom wants me to go shopping with her for a new bedspread. I don’t want to, but she says it’s for my room, so I have to okay it.

  ”You’ll just get another purple one.”

  “I know, but there are lots of different patterns and stuff.”

  “So what about riding?”

  “I guess not,” she said.

  “You haven’t ever ridden her! Are you planning to someday?”

  “Well, I don’t know....I don’t want to get bucked off. You are more used to horses than I am.”

  “She doesn’t do it much. Just once in a while. All you do is get some of her energy out before you ride.”

  “I don’t know, Piper, I...maybe you should ride her and not me.”

  “Addie Davis! Are you scared?”

  “Well, maybe a little.”

  “But you helped break into Sam Applegate’s office when we had to rescue Dotty! And creepy Jake’s trailer! And you were there when we captured Jake and sent him to jail! How can you be afraid of a little horse?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  “Piper, we did all those things together, but it was different then. You were a Warrior Princess and we were on a mission to rescue Dotty. I forgot to be scared most of the time, but I don’t know if I would do it again now that I’ve had time to think about it. We actually did break the law. We were really criminals, you know.”

  “How can you say we were criminals?” I was amazed that she was talking like that. “We did what we had to do. We saved Dotty and now we have a horse. And she needs someone to ride her.”

  “I don’t think I want to.”

  “Well, maybe you don’t, but I’m still going to ride our horse. And you will too, if you have any gumption!” And I hung up on the best friend I’ve ever had in my life.

  Chapter Two

  ~ Two Heads are Better than One ~

  I felt really bad about hanging up on Addie, so after supper that evening I walked over to her house and tossed a pebble at her window. I thought it would be better to apologize in person for hanging up. And also she couldn’t hang up on me back. Sometimes we both got hotheaded. I guess I was like my mother about that. When Addie stuck her curly head out, I said, “Sorry I hung up on you, Adds.”

  “Why did you?”

  “I wanted you to try riding Dotty. You love horses and she’s part yours.”

  “What if I’m too chicken?”

  I snorted. “As if!”

  “No, really, Piper. I’m scared.”

  “I didn’t know you were scared of riding.”

  “Well, I didn’t think about it when we were rescuing Dotty. She was this poor pony and needed our help. And I do love horses. I was just embarrassed to admit to you that I was scared to ride one.”

  “Dotty’s not hard to ride, she just bucks sometimes. What if we could somehow find you another horse to ride? One that doesn’t buck. One that is gentle and easy-going?” The idea seemed better and better as I said the words.

  “I think I could maybe ride a safe one, but my mom would never spend the money for a horse,” said Addie. “She complains about buying everything, and a horse isn’t something I need. And she’ll say I already have half of a horse now.”

  “Then we have to figure something out,” I said. “Want to go get a Slushy Slosh?”

  “Yeah!”

  So Addie slipped out her window—she said it made her feel mysterious-- and we walked to Main Street and the Dairy Dog Drive-in, home of the best frozen drinks in the world. I ordered my usual raspberry and Addie ordered a cherry Slushy Slosh. We sat at a picnic table and considered what to do.

  “Here’s my plan,” I said. “Someone is always selling animals, and sometimes they give them away free to good homes because they can’t take care of them anymore.
Usually they give away kittens, but once in a while a dog or a horse. They put up index cards on my dad’s clinic bulletin board.”

  “Why would you get a dog or a horse and then give it away?” Addie wanted to know.

  “It’s the bad economy,” I said, quoting my father. “Hard times. People can’t afford the feed.”

  I knew the clinic was open until 8:00 that night, so we had about an hour. The problem was, I didn’t want my dad to know I was already looking for another horse. We hiked the three blocks to the clinic and I checked the back entrance. No cars or trucks out front, and my dad’s truck wasn’t parked in back. Excellent! He was gone and there were no clients, so I led the way in the back door.

  Dad’s assistant and receptionist, Sue, was cleaning dog cages, making the whole clinic smell like Pine-Sol on top of the doggy smell. She was getting the place spruced up before she closed for the night.

  “Hi, Piper! Hi, Addie! Whatcha doin’?” she asked.

  “Oh, we came to see if there are any horse magazines left in the waiting room. We’re looking for some riding tips.” I didn’t like telling lies-- it always made me feel guilty. I told some big ones when we were saving Dotty and promised I would never do it again. But sometimes I just had to. Sue would tell Dad if she knew I was checking out horse ads, he would ask why and then the secret would be out.

  Addie nodded her head, agreeing with me and reinforcing my lie.

  “Take what you want, Piper, just don’t take them all. Leave some for the clients to read. Hey, how is that pony doing?”

  “She’s great. We love her,” I said. Sue went back into the laundry room with an armful of dirty scrubs.

  We went through to the waiting room and grabbed some magazines--that way I wouldn’t be lying. Addie took Western Horseman, I took Horse & Rider, and we began checking out the bulletin board by the front door.