Ali shook her head. Jake was being ridiculous—again! “There are lots of workers around the ranch,” she reminded him. “They probably made the footprints.”
Jake made a face at her “These are definitely the mark of cattle rustlers!” he insisted, gathering up Walker's reins and trotting off.
“Ooh, rustlers!” Little Genie gazed excitedly up at Ali from the holster “Look, there are some broken branches on that tree there. Do you think the rustlers climbed it to check out the lay of the land?”
“No,” Ali said firmly. “Honestly, Genie, you're as bad as Jake! Giddyup, Trigger!”
Trigger muttered something under his breath but trotted after Jake. As they followed Walker along the trail, Ali noticed something ahead of her, wriggling out of the undergrowth. She gasped as she saw a long black snake slither across the trail right in front of Jake's mule.
Walker leapt away from the snake in alarm. He let out a deafening whinny and dashed off along the trail at high speed, with Jake clinging on for dear life.
“Walker's been spooked by a snake!” Ali cried. “Genie, what are we going to do?”
“Help!” Jake shouted as Walker flew along the dusty trail.
“Bulldozer!” Ali cried.
“Don't be scared, Ali,” Genie yelled, jumping out of the holster as Trigger followed the runaway mule at a slower pace. “Leave this to me!”
Balancing on Trigger's back, Little Genie snapped her fingers, and a magic lasso appeared in a rush of pink sparkles. Ali could see that Jake was still holding on to Walker's reins. His bandana had fallen over his face.
“Yee-haw!” Genie shouted, circling the lasso above her. She let it fly and the rope zoomed through the air and slipped over Walker's head as he raced on.
“See, I told you to leave it to me!” Genie called out. But instead of being able to use the rope to slow Walker down, Genie was whipped from Trigger's back and went flying through the air, clinging to the rope as it flew behind the galloping mule.
“Genie's being dragged along behind Jake and Walker!” Ali gasped as she urged her mule after them. “We've got to do something, Trigger!”
“Like what?” Trigger demanded.
“Maybe we can catch them!” Ali said desperately. “Can't you go any faster?”
“Faster!” Trigger repeated in an offended tone. “Of course I can go faster I'm much quicker than Walker Once we had a race and I—”
“That's great, Trigger Why don't you show me?” Ali interrupted him. “Come on! Giddyup!”
“Okeydoke,” Trigger said, and hurtled after Jake, Walker, and Genie. Ali was relieved to see that Trigger was faster than Walker Her heart pounded as they galloped closer and closer
“Hang on!” Ali yelled as she rode past the end of the flying lasso.
“I will!” Genie gasped, her ponytail flying straight out behind her in the wind. “I'm good at hanging on!”
Trigger was almost level with Walker now. Leaning over, Ali grabbed the other mule's reins and was able to slow him down. “It's okay, Walker,” she said gently. “Shhh, calm down.”
Panting, Walker slowed down some more and then stopped. Little Genie jumped onto Trigger's saddle, thrust the lasso at Ali, and disappeared into the holster just as Jake pushed his bandana off his face.
“Ali?” Jake stared at the rope in her hands with wide eyes. “You lassoed Walker and saved me! You're a real cowgirl now!”
“Um … that's not exactly how it was … Ali began.
But Jake wasn't listening.
By this time the rest of the group had realized that something was wrong and were riding back.
“Cowgirl Ali saved me!” Jake declared. “Walker bolted and she lassoed him!”
“Are you two all right?” their mom asked anxiously as Cowboy Joe dismounted from his own mule and quickly checked Walker over
“Way to go, Ali!” Mr. Miller said, looking very proud. Ali blushed as the rest of the group applauded.
“No damage done.” Cowboy Joe patted Walker's flank and turned to Ali. “That was a mighty fine thing to do,” he said approvingly. “You'll get a horseshoe for that, and so will your brother for not panicking when Walker bolted.”
“Yippee!” Jake hollered. “One down, two to go!”
“Your first horseshoe, Ali!” Gran leaned over from her mule and gave Ali a big hug, almost toppling over. “You're a really brave girl.”
Ali felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't actually lassoed Walker at all; Little Genie and Trigger had done all the hard work.
“But you did stop him,” Little Genie whispered as they started off down the trail again with Trigger bringing up the rear It was as if Genie had read her mind. “So you do deserve your horseshoe.”
“Genie, could you get me a treat for Trigger?” Ali whispered.
With a quick snap of Genie's fingers, a ripe red apple appeared in Ali's hand.
“Thanks very much,” said Trigger as Ali dismounted and offered it to him. “It is nice to be appreciated, you know!”
Ali grinned. Trigger might be a bit snappish, but she'd discovered that her sassy mule had a good heart. Even better, Jake thought she was the best sister and cowgirl in the whole world, and she had her first horseshoe.
This was turning into an excellent vacation, thanks to Genie's magic!
“More beans, Ali?” Mom asked, lifting the ladle from the kettle.
Ali nodded and held out her plate. A group of ranch hands had cooked sausages and beans over the campfire, and now everyone was eating under the night sky. Ali gazed up at the huge expanse of deep black above them. She could see lots more glittering silver stars than she could in Cocoa Beach. And even though the night air was cold, the campfire was keeping everyone warm. Ali gave a contented sigh as she slipped a tiny piece of corn bread to Genie to nibble on. Little Genie was snug in Ali's denim jacket pocket.
“Time for some cowboy songs,” Cowboy Joe said, taking out his harmonica. “Any volunteers want to accompany me on guitar?”
Gran raised her hand. “I remember many songs from my ranch days!” she told the crowd. “Hopefully I'm not too rusty!”
One of the ranch hands produced a guitar for Gran, and she and Cowboy Joe began to play.
“Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,” Gran sang. “Join in, everybody!”
Ali didn't know all the words. So she hummed along and sang the chorus.
“Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”
As Ali sang along, she could hear Genie singing too. What a great wish this is! Ali thought happily, noticing her mom smiling as Cowboy Joe and Gran launched into “Clementine.” I'm so glad we didn't go to the spa, and it looks like Mom feels that way too….
When they finally went to bed, Ali was feeling very tired. She fell asleep almost immediately. But she was woken up a few hours later by some faint but very strange sounds.
“What's that?” Ali wondered, yawning. She sat up to investigate. There was Genie, sitting on the nightstand, strumming a tiny guitar made of twigs and bits of thread. Moonlight cast a spotlight on her
“Oh, give me a Lava lamp in the middle of camp,” Genie sang.
Ali smiled as she pulled the covers back over herself and closed her eyes. Ali wasn't the only real cowgirl in the Millers' cabin!
“Ah, another beautiful day!” Ali's dad declared, breathing in deeply as the family left their cabin and made their way over to the canteen for breakfast the following morning. “I wonder what cowboy activities we'll be doing today.”
“And I've only got two horseshoes left to earn after Cowboy Joe gave me one for my singing last night,” Gran said. “I can't wait to get my very own Stetson.”
“I'm going to win another horseshoe today!” Jake said.
“I hope I win one too,” Ali whispered to Genie—who was back in her holster—as they went into the
canteen.
“You will!” Genie whispered back “Don't worry I'll help you.”
“That's what I'm afraid of!” Ali winked at Genie, who giggled.
“There's still plenty of sand to run through the hourglass,” Genie said, holding out her watch to Ali. “Don't forget you've got one wish left.”
Ali got in line and picked up her tray. The delicious smells of maple syrup and cinnamon filled the air
“How about some oatmeal, Ali?” Gran said, pointing to a steaming metal kettle as she moved down the line. “They've got bananas and strawberries to put on top.”
“Yum,” Ali said. As she began to ladle oatmeal into her bowl, Genie popped up out of the holster again.
“I want some cowboy grub too,” she said, holding up a thimble. Before Ali could stop her, Genie leaned out of the holster to scoop up some oatmeal. All of a sudden, the holster flipped forward. Genie tumbled out—right into the oatmeal!
“Help!” Genie spluttered.
Ali had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Luckily, her family had found a table to sit at, and everyone else in line was paying attention to their food, not to Ali.
Ali pushed up her sleeve, then stuck her arm into the kettle to fish Genie out. The oatmeal was superhot!
“Young lady!” a stern voice called out.
Ali jumped and turned to see an older woman wearing a hairnet striding toward her She looked very annoyed. “What are you doing sticking your hands in everyone's breakfast?” she demanded.
“I—uh—” Ali stammered. She couldn't think of anything to say What if the woman saw Little Genie? Genie would lose her magic powers and be shut up in her lamp forever!
As the woman came closer, Ali stood right in front of the kettle, trying to shield it from view. The woman stepped to the left to get around her, but Ali stepped to the left too and blocked her path. The woman stepped to the right. So did Ali. She had to stop that woman from getting near the kettle!
The woman frowned. “Are you blocking my way?”
“Um, well, not exactly,” Ali said.
Finally, the woman nudged Ali aside and bent over the oatmeal. “Hey! There's something in here!”
Ali's heart pounded with fear She's seen her! Does that mean Little Genie has lost all her magic?
The woman took the ladle and scooped Genie out. Ali saw that Genie was lying perfectly still on the ladle, not moving a muscle. Oh no! Has Little Genie been cooked?
“Is this your doll, young lady?” the woman asked sternly.
Jake had come up to grab a muffin. He walked over to see what was going on.
“You dropped your doll in the oatmeal, Ali?” Jake asked, taking a bite of his muffin. Crumbs fell onto the floor “Classic!”
“Yes, she's mine, ma'am,” Ali told the woman. She could feel her cheeks turn red. But it was the only way she could get Genie back!
“Well, here she is.” The woman gingerly handed Genie, who was covered in oatmeal, over to Ali. “And be more careful next time. We're going to have to make an entire new batch of oatmeal now.”
“I'm very sorry!” Feeling totally flustered, Ali grabbed a couple of paper napkins and cleaned Genie up in a corner where no one could see. I never should have brought her with us on vacation, Ali thought miserably.
“Genie!” Ali whispered. Little Genie still hadn't moved. Had Ali lost her best friend? “Genie, please wake up!”
Just when Ali thought Little Genie would never say “groovy” again, Genie opened one eye. “Is it safe?” she whispered.
“Oh, Genie!” Ali held her tiny friend close. “You're okay!”
“Of course I am!” Genie gasped, shaking a lump of oatmeal out of her ear “I was still as could be, just pretending to be a doll. As long as no humans saw me in action, I'm okay. But it's nice to know you care.”
“I'm so glad you aren't cooked!” Ali said. “And if you want some oatmeal, you can share mine.” She picked up her bowl and spoon again.
“I don't think so.” Little Genie made a face. “I've had enough, thank you!”
The day's morning activity was lassoing.
“Cool!” said Jake.
“Again?” Ali said, sighing. Even worse, Tim was their instructor
Tim pointed to a large metal horseshoe nailed to one of the paddock fences so that the two ends stuck up in the air “If you can lasso one of the horseshoe prongs, you get a horseshoe,” he explained. He folded his arms. “Go ahead and see how you do. You get three chances.”
Everyone had a turn and everyone missed.
“It's not as easy as it looks,” Tim said.
“Who said it looked easy?” Ali grumbled.
Ali watched as her dad stepped up for his second try This time the loop of his lasso headed straight toward the horseshoe, falling neatly over the left-hand prong.
“Dad's done it!” Jake shouted. “Me next!”
Jake, Gran, and Ali had another try, but they all missed again. Then it was Mrs. Miller's turn. Ali held her breath as the rope flew through the air—and lassoed both prongs of the horseshoe.
“Mom, you get two horseshoes!” Jake yelled excitedly. “Will you give me one of them?”
“She hasn't got two horseshoes,” Tim said, looking annoyed. “You can only win one horseshoe for this game.”
“But she got both prongs at the same time,” Ali pointed out. “She should get two horseshoes.”
“It's against the rules, but I suppose we can make an exception,” Tim said, looking less than thrilled.
Jake dashed forward to take his final throw. This time he was able to rope the right-hand prong.
“Yippee!” Jake jumped up and down. “I've won my second horseshoe!”
“Oh, we'll never hear the end of this now,” Ali groaned to her gran.
“Quiet, Ali,” Gran replied, waving her lasso overhead. “You're distracting me.”
Everyone applauded as Gran's rope slipped over the right-hand prong like Jake's had. Ali's heart sank a little. Now she was the only one without a horseshoe for this activity.
“Good luck, Ali!” Genie whispered as the rest of the family gathered around Tim. He'd taken a scorecard from his pocket and was jotting down the number of horseshoes they'd won.
“Thanks!” Ali whispered back, aiming the lasso as carefully as she could. “I really hope I can—”
But before Ali could get the rest of the sentence out, she saw Little Genie leap out of the holster Genie whizzed through the air and grabbed the loop just as it flew toward the horseshoe.
“I'll help you, Ali!” Genie called as she zoomed straight toward the horseshoe, clinging tightly to the rope. “I'll make sure the rope goes over one of the prongs!”
To Ali's horror, she suddenly realized that this was her most accurate throw so far and, if she didn't do something fast, Genie would be squished against the giant metal horseshoe!
Immediately, Ali jerked her rope aside, making sure the lasso didn't get anywhere near the prongs. It fell to the ground and Genie bounced into a tumbleweed.
“Nice try, sweetie!” her mom told her “You were really close that time.”
“That's a typical beginner's mistake, jerking the rope like that,” Tim said. “Be more careful next time!”
Ali felt even more frustrated as she followed the rope, coiling it as she went along. She scooped up Little Genie, who looked dazed, and put her back into the holster
“Sorry, Ali!” Genie whispered, pulling a piece of hay from her ponytail.
“Ali's the only one without a horseshoe today,” Tim announced, looking up from his scorecard.
Did he have to announce it? Ali thought. Maybe she could think up a good third wish to use on him! But suddenly and unexpectedly, a loop of rope flew past Ali and over Tim's head. It slipped down around his shoulders, pinning his arms to his sides.
“Hey!” Tim yelped at Ali's mom, who held the other end of the lasso. “What are you doing?”
“Sorry,” Mrs. Miller said innocently. “It w
as an accident. I was just trying to rope the horseshoe again.” She winked at Ali, making it clear that it hadn't been an accident.
“I'm going to get my Stetson before Ali does!” Jake boasted as they headed off for lunch. “You know what? I bet Ali doesn't win a cowboy hat at all!”
Ali made a face at her brother's back. The trouble was, he might be right, she thought, feeling glum all over again.
“Way to go, your mom!” Genie whispered. “That stopped Tim in his tracks! But why the long face, Ali?”
“I'm the only one who didn't get a horseshoe,” Ali said, “and Jake's not going to let me forget it.”
“Don't worry,” Little Genie said. “I'll help you win one of those big hats. You'll see!”
After lunch Ali's family put their new skills to the test. A group of ranch hands showed them how to move the herd of cattle around the paddock in a group, complete with lots of hooting and hollering. Gran, Mrs. Miller, and Mr. Miller all got horseshoes. Jake missed out because he was too concerned with following more “cattle rustler” clues, and Ali couldn't get Trigger anywhere near the giant reddish-brown longhorns.
As they rode out of the paddock, Trigger was the first mule through the gate. “I'm sorry,” he said. “I just don't like longhorns when they all start to run around. They scare me.”
“I think they're kind of cute,” Little Genie said from her perch in Ali's holster
Ali patted Trigger's neck. “I understand, Trigger But the bad thing is that I've missed out on a horseshoe again.”
“Keep your holster on, Ali!” Genie said. “We don't go home until tomorrow. And you've still got one wish left.”
“But what if the sand runs out before we get home?” Ali asked her
Genie poked her head out. “Then you'll have to pull this one off yourself, cowgirl!”
“I don't know what activity we're doing tonight, but I sure hope Jake wins his last horseshoe,” Ali said to Genie as she walked to the barn after dinner to visit Trigger Ali had an apple for the mule in her pocket—and Genie was in her holster “Otherwise, he'll be whining the whole car ride back home.”
Home on the Range Page 3