hundred years ago—and it was fiction.”
“Well, maybe, but how about the idea of treasure?You know, something hidden from marauding settlers for centuries.
“I like
that
one,” Lisa said. “But I don’t believe it.”
“Neither do I,” Stevie admitted. Then, while her mind raced through other exciting possibilities, she heard the hoofbeats she’d been waiting for. “There,” she said. “He’s coming.”
All four girls filed down off the porch and began making their way toward the roadway with the help of the dim light of the gray dawn.
Although the girls tried to stay in the shadows, they weren’t hidden to the dog. He began barking excitedly. He romped over to the foursome and began wagging his tail joyously while he sniffed at Stevie. She knew then for sure that it was the same dog she’d met in town the day of the “bank robbery.” They patted him and watched his tail swish.
“Who’s there?” the rider asked.
“I’m Kate Devine,” Kate said, stepping out of the shadows. “I live here with my parents. This is our ranch. Who are you?”
“I’m Christine Lonetree,” the rider said, sitting easily on the bare back of her horse. “This is my dog, Tomahawk, and my horse, Arrow.”
Christine???
Stevie said to herself. It wasn’t a boy at all. It was a Native American girl and she was about their age!
“Are you an
Indian?
” Lisa asked. The awe was clear in her voice.
“Sure,” Christine answered, laughing gently. “You a paleface?” She dismounted and held Arrow’s rein loosely.
“Oh,” Lisa said, embarrassed. “I didn’t mean it that way.…”
“I know,” Christine said. “People never do. Say, what are you doing up at this hour? I thought all dudes were asleep at least until lunchtime.”
“Actually, we were waiting for you,” Stevie confessed. “I saw you yesterday morning and the day before. I was curious.”
“So that’s why Tomahawk barked,” Christine said. “I was wondering.”
“He knew me already,” Stevie explained. “We met in town the other day. He was at the bank robbery. Were you there, too?”
“Watching the McClanahan gang try to steal the payroll?” Christine said, laughing. “No, I was just running an errand at the jewelry store. Tomahawk got lost in the crowd.”
“Does he always come when you whistle?” Stevie asked.
“Always,” Christine said.
“How come you go out for a ride so early in the morning?” Stevie asked.
“I like it. You have a problem with it?” she challenged.
“No, you can ride whenever you want,” Stevie said quickly. “We just wondered if there was some special reason why it had to be so early.”
“Yeah, like if it’s some sort of ritual,” Lisa added.
“You know, to protect the spirits of your ancestors,” Carole said.
“Or the treasure hidden from the marauding settlers,” Stevie said.
“Give me a break,” Christine said. “I ride at this hour because I
like
to ride at this hour. So does my horse. And it’s cooler at this time of day—in case you
dudes
hadn’t noticed it.”
“You don’t have to get so upset,” Stevie said. “We were just wondering.”
“Well, wonder about somebody else,” Christine said. “I’m not some kind of freak who does rain dances in the moonlight or sprinkles mustard seeds on sacred hunting grounds.”
She remounted her horse and turned to leave the girls.
Stevie had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She realized that their dumb guesses about Christine’s dawn riding had really hurt the girl’s feelings, and she hadn’t meant to do that at all.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Stevie said. “We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. We were just curious—”
“Well, go be curious about whether the clothes you’re wearing are fancy enough or if your hat is eight or ten gallons or whether you can talk the wrangler into taking care of your horse for you!”
With that, Christine turned Arrow back the way she had come. The horse picked up a
“Well, maybe, but how about the idea of treasure?You know, something hidden from marauding settlers for centuries.
“I like
that
one,” Lisa said. “But I don’t believe it.”
“Neither do I,” Stevie admitted. Then, while her mind raced through other exciting possibilities, she heard the hoofbeats she’d been waiting for. “There,” she said. “He’s coming.”
All four girls filed down off the porch and began making their way toward the roadway with the help of the dim light of the gray dawn.
Although the girls tried to stay in the shadows, they weren’t hidden to the dog. He began barking excitedly. He romped over to the foursome and began wagging his tail joyously while he sniffed at Stevie. She knew then for sure that it was the same dog she’d met in town the day of the “bank robbery.” They patted him and watched his tail swish.
“Who’s there?” the rider asked.
“I’m Kate Devine,” Kate said, stepping out of the shadows. “I live here with my parents. This is our ranch. Who are you?”
“I’m Christine Lonetree,” the rider said, sitting easily on the bare back of her horse. “This is my dog, Tomahawk, and my horse, Arrow.”
Christine???
Stevie said to herself. It wasn’t a boy at all. It was a Native American girl and she was about their age!
“Are you an
Indian?
” Lisa asked. The awe was clear in her voice.
“Sure,” Christine answered, laughing gently. “You a paleface?” She dismounted and held Arrow’s rein loosely.
“Oh,” Lisa said, embarrassed. “I didn’t mean it that way.…”
“I know,” Christine said. “People never do. Say, what are you doing up at this hour? I thought all dudes were asleep at least until lunchtime.”
“Actually, we were waiting for you,” Stevie confessed. “I saw you yesterday morning and the day before. I was curious.”
“So that’s why Tomahawk barked,” Christine said. “I was wondering.”
“He knew me already,” Stevie explained. “We met in town the other day. He was at the bank robbery. Were you there, too?”
“Watching the McClanahan gang try to steal the payroll?” Christine said, laughing. “No, I was just running an errand at the jewelry store. Tomahawk got lost in the crowd.”
“Does he always come when you whistle?” Stevie asked.
“Always,” Christine said.
“How come you go out for a ride so early in the morning?” Stevie asked.
“I like it. You have a problem with it?” she challenged.
“No, you can ride whenever you want,” Stevie said quickly. “We just wondered if there was some special reason why it had to be so early.”
“Yeah, like if it’s some sort of ritual,” Lisa added.
“You know, to protect the spirits of your ancestors,” Carole said.
“Or the treasure hidden from the marauding settlers,” Stevie said.
“Give me a break,” Christine said. “I ride at this hour because I
like
to ride at this hour. So does my horse. And it’s cooler at this time of day—in case you
dudes
hadn’t noticed it.”
“You don’t have to get so upset,” Stevie said. “We were just wondering.”
“Well, wonder about somebody else,” Christine said. “I’m not some kind of freak who does rain dances in the moonlight or sprinkles mustard seeds on sacred hunting grounds.”
She remounted her horse and turned to leave the girls.
Stevie had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She realized that their dumb guesses about Christine’s dawn riding had really hurt the girl’s feelings, and she hadn’t meant to do that at all.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Stevie said. “We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. We were just curious—”
“Well, go be curious about whether the clothes you’re wearing are fancy enough or if your hat is eight or ten gallons or whether you can talk the wrangler into taking care of your horse for you!”
With that, Christine turned Arrow back the way she had come. The horse picked up a
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