trot and then a lope. As she rode away, the long, familiar whistle trailed behind her.
Tomahawk, who had been sitting at Stevie’s feet, stood up and ran after Christine.
The girls remained still and watched while the young girl, her horse, and her dog crossed the open land toward the darker horizon to the west, returning home.
“What a funny girl,” Lisa remarked. “I guess we hurt her feelings.”
“And I guess she hurt ours,” Stevie grumbled. “She sure has a lot of dumb ideas about dudes.”
“And I guess we had a lot of dumb ideas about Native Americans,” Carole reminded her.
“I guess the dumbest idea was getting up at that hour to meet him—I mean her,” Stevie said.
“No,” Carole said pensively. “I think it was worth it. I just wish it had gone differently.”
The girls turned and retreated to their bunkhouse. The sun had reached the eastern mountaintops and the sky was brightening. In the darkness of the west, a few pale stars were still visible as a reminder of the night gone by. In the east, the streaks of daylight reminded the girls of the challenge of the day that lay before them.
“Hey, we’re going on a roundup today!” Stevie howled with excitement.
“Yippie ki yi yay!” Lisa exclaimed.
“
Don’t
let Eli hear you saying that!” Stevie said.
“Only dumb dudes say it, huh?” Lisa said.
Kate nodded, trying to look serious. “The kind that wear eight-gallon hats and get wranglers to take care of their horses for them.”
“Okay, then, how about tallyho?” Lisa suggested.
“
Much
better,” Kate said, giggling.
The girls decided to set aside their uncomfortable memories of their meeting with Christine Lonetree and concentrate on the fun they just knew they were going to have on the long-awaited roundup.
I T TOOK THE riders more than half a day to reach the most distant point of their ride. The group was comprised of nine people. There were two wranglers, Eli and Jeff. Then there were the four girls, one of the older couples who were staying at the ranch, and Frank Devine. Stevie suspected that Eli and Jeff could probably manage the roundup all by themselves, but she was still glad to be along. After all, there was an awful lot to learn.
As Eli had predicted, they’d seen a number of strays on their way out. The strays were grazing in the green pastures near the creeks or hanging out under the shade trees. The girls had even spotted a very young calf with its mother. It was cute as could be, with long knobby-kneed legs.
“Kind of reminds me of Samson,” Carole remarked.
“All baby animals remind you of Samson,” Stevie teased. “But then, all baby animals are cute, just like Samson is.”
“Did you ever see a baby rhinoceros?” Lisa asked. The girls told her they hadn’t. “Only a mother could love it,” she told her friends. “It wouldn’t remind you of Samson at all.”
“All right, but that calf there
did
remind me of Samson,” Carole said.
“Hey, the dog seems excited,” Stevie observed. Eli’s dog began circling playfully, alertly. It was as if it could tell that the fun was about to begin. “What’s over the hill?”
“I have this picture of spotting the pretty rust-and-white markings on the animals as they graze,” Carole remarked.
“And
I
thought we’d hear the gentle lowing,” Lisa added.
“You’ll hear the lowing when we start driving them,” Kate said. “But there’s nothing gentle about it. These animals make a real racket! The cows moo to call to their calves. They don’t want to be separated.”
Eli and Jeff were leading the riders. Their horses picked up speed as they approached the herd, sniffing the dusty air as if anticipating the familiar smell of cattle.
The Saddle Club members all sped up their horses as well. Stevie thought she could feel Stewball’s excitement. His breath quickened. His stride lengthened. His ears perked straight up and then twitched alertly.
The horses carried their riders to the
Tomahawk, who had been sitting at Stevie’s feet, stood up and ran after Christine.
The girls remained still and watched while the young girl, her horse, and her dog crossed the open land toward the darker horizon to the west, returning home.
“What a funny girl,” Lisa remarked. “I guess we hurt her feelings.”
“And I guess she hurt ours,” Stevie grumbled. “She sure has a lot of dumb ideas about dudes.”
“And I guess we had a lot of dumb ideas about Native Americans,” Carole reminded her.
“I guess the dumbest idea was getting up at that hour to meet him—I mean her,” Stevie said.
“No,” Carole said pensively. “I think it was worth it. I just wish it had gone differently.”
The girls turned and retreated to their bunkhouse. The sun had reached the eastern mountaintops and the sky was brightening. In the darkness of the west, a few pale stars were still visible as a reminder of the night gone by. In the east, the streaks of daylight reminded the girls of the challenge of the day that lay before them.
“Hey, we’re going on a roundup today!” Stevie howled with excitement.
“Yippie ki yi yay!” Lisa exclaimed.
“
Don’t
let Eli hear you saying that!” Stevie said.
“Only dumb dudes say it, huh?” Lisa said.
Kate nodded, trying to look serious. “The kind that wear eight-gallon hats and get wranglers to take care of their horses for them.”
“Okay, then, how about tallyho?” Lisa suggested.
“
Much
better,” Kate said, giggling.
The girls decided to set aside their uncomfortable memories of their meeting with Christine Lonetree and concentrate on the fun they just knew they were going to have on the long-awaited roundup.
I T TOOK THE riders more than half a day to reach the most distant point of their ride. The group was comprised of nine people. There were two wranglers, Eli and Jeff. Then there were the four girls, one of the older couples who were staying at the ranch, and Frank Devine. Stevie suspected that Eli and Jeff could probably manage the roundup all by themselves, but she was still glad to be along. After all, there was an awful lot to learn.
As Eli had predicted, they’d seen a number of strays on their way out. The strays were grazing in the green pastures near the creeks or hanging out under the shade trees. The girls had even spotted a very young calf with its mother. It was cute as could be, with long knobby-kneed legs.
“Kind of reminds me of Samson,” Carole remarked.
“All baby animals remind you of Samson,” Stevie teased. “But then, all baby animals are cute, just like Samson is.”
“Did you ever see a baby rhinoceros?” Lisa asked. The girls told her they hadn’t. “Only a mother could love it,” she told her friends. “It wouldn’t remind you of Samson at all.”
“All right, but that calf there
did
remind me of Samson,” Carole said.
“Hey, the dog seems excited,” Stevie observed. Eli’s dog began circling playfully, alertly. It was as if it could tell that the fun was about to begin. “What’s over the hill?”
“I have this picture of spotting the pretty rust-and-white markings on the animals as they graze,” Carole remarked.
“And
I
thought we’d hear the gentle lowing,” Lisa added.
“You’ll hear the lowing when we start driving them,” Kate said. “But there’s nothing gentle about it. These animals make a real racket! The cows moo to call to their calves. They don’t want to be separated.”
Eli and Jeff were leading the riders. Their horses picked up speed as they approached the herd, sniffing the dusty air as if anticipating the familiar smell of cattle.
The Saddle Club members all sped up their horses as well. Stevie thought she could feel Stewball’s excitement. His breath quickened. His stride lengthened. His ears perked straight up and then twitched alertly.
The horses carried their riders to the
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