Read Online Beginner's Luck by Alyssa Brugman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alyssa Brugman
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she thought they would wonder what she was
up to. It was heavy work. The branches were tightly
wedged and she was grateful for the frequent rests.
The first time, Shelby stood there like a chump, but
she decided that looked suspicious, so after that, every
time somebody rode past she would lift up one of Blue's
hooves and pretend to be inspecting it for stones.
Eventually she made a space big enough for Blue
to step through and, having checked that nobody was
looking, she led him inside.
There were still pools of water along the floor of
the tunnel, giving off a dank, nasty smell, but they
were shallow – not even halfway up her boots.
At the end of the tunnel she looked down into The
Pocket. It was much steeper than she remembered.
The water had worn the ground away so that there
was only about a metre now between the concrete
edge of the tunnel and the steep drop into the pool
below. She put out one foot, gingerly testing the
surface. It held firm.
'Either this is much more dangerous than it used to
be, or I've got more wussy. Which do you think?' Blue
twitched his ears. 'Shall we give it a go?' He chomped
on his bit, as though he was considering his options.
'I don't really want to either,' she told him.
Shelby stepped out onto the narrow shelf and then
turned left, holding out her hands in front of her to
keep steady on the slippery slope. Blue placed one
hoof on the ledge, his ears pricked forward and his
nostrils blowing nervously. He put the other front
hoof out. So far so good.
Blue swung his body around so that he was
sideways on the ledge, and suddenly it started to
collapse beneath his weight. He bounded forward.
Shelby let go of the reins as he scrambled across the
slope beside her. With each step his hooves plunged
deep into the crumbling soil and then it slid away
beneath him. He was in front of her, and his churning
legs kicked sods into her face. She closed her eyes and
dug her hands into the ground, trying to hold onto the
clumps of clay for balance. She opened her eyes and
watched as Blue lurched and staggered across the
steep slope. The reins were flinging sideways and with
each stride the ground fell away, down into the pool
below. She could hear the fragments splashing as they
hit the water.
Shelby scrambled upwards like a rock-climber. She
reached the top, where there was a small lip before the
fence on the shoulder of Gully Way. Car tyres rushed
past her face. She looked down over her shoulder. Blue
had reached the flatter ground to the side and was
standing still between a few blackberry bushes. Even
from here she could see his sides expand and contract
as he breathed heavily. She crawled sideways along the
ledge for a few metres and then headed back down
again where it was flatter.
When she reached Blue she put her arms around
his neck. 'See? I told you it was more dangerous than
before.' Shelby looked back towards the mouth of the
tunnel. It seemed to jut out now. She wasn't sure if she
would be able to climb up there, and she had hands.
How was Blue supposed to do it?
The only way available to them was down into
The Pocket.
'We'll take the photo and worry about getting out
after that,' she told Blue.
The camera. She hadn't felt it digging for ages. She
patted all around her waistband. It wasn't there.
She must have lost it when she fell.
She remembered stepping out from behind the
cable spool. Lindsey had been putting something in
her saddle rug's pocket – something small and rectangular.
The pocket had been empty when they set out
together. Shelby remembered looking at it.
Her mouth opened. Shelby had been worrying
about being deceitful to Lindsey, and all the time Lindsey was the one being sneaky. It was mean and
spiteful – not at all like the friend that she knew.
'She took my camera, Blue. Why would she do
that?'
14 Waltzing Matilda
Shelby led Blue between the vigorous blackberry
bushes, down the slope, through the shaded glade and
into the clearing. It seemed pretty much
up to. It was heavy work. The branches were tightly
wedged and she was grateful for the frequent rests.
The first time, Shelby stood there like a chump, but
she decided that looked suspicious, so after that, every
time somebody rode past she would lift up one of Blue's
hooves and pretend to be inspecting it for stones.
Eventually she made a space big enough for Blue
to step through and, having checked that nobody was
looking, she led him inside.
There were still pools of water along the floor of
the tunnel, giving off a dank, nasty smell, but they
were shallow – not even halfway up her boots.
At the end of the tunnel she looked down into The
Pocket. It was much steeper than she remembered.
The water had worn the ground away so that there
was only about a metre now between the concrete
edge of the tunnel and the steep drop into the pool
below. She put out one foot, gingerly testing the
surface. It held firm.
'Either this is much more dangerous than it used to
be, or I've got more wussy. Which do you think?' Blue
twitched his ears. 'Shall we give it a go?' He chomped
on his bit, as though he was considering his options.
'I don't really want to either,' she told him.
Shelby stepped out onto the narrow shelf and then
turned left, holding out her hands in front of her to
keep steady on the slippery slope. Blue placed one
hoof on the ledge, his ears pricked forward and his
nostrils blowing nervously. He put the other front
hoof out. So far so good.
Blue swung his body around so that he was
sideways on the ledge, and suddenly it started to
collapse beneath his weight. He bounded forward.
Shelby let go of the reins as he scrambled across the
slope beside her. With each step his hooves plunged
deep into the crumbling soil and then it slid away
beneath him. He was in front of her, and his churning
legs kicked sods into her face. She closed her eyes and
dug her hands into the ground, trying to hold onto the
clumps of clay for balance. She opened her eyes and
watched as Blue lurched and staggered across the
steep slope. The reins were flinging sideways and with
each stride the ground fell away, down into the pool
below. She could hear the fragments splashing as they
hit the water.
Shelby scrambled upwards like a rock-climber. She
reached the top, where there was a small lip before the
fence on the shoulder of Gully Way. Car tyres rushed
past her face. She looked down over her shoulder. Blue
had reached the flatter ground to the side and was
standing still between a few blackberry bushes. Even
from here she could see his sides expand and contract
as he breathed heavily. She crawled sideways along the
ledge for a few metres and then headed back down
again where it was flatter.
When she reached Blue she put her arms around
his neck. 'See? I told you it was more dangerous than
before.' Shelby looked back towards the mouth of the
tunnel. It seemed to jut out now. She wasn't sure if she
would be able to climb up there, and she had hands.
How was Blue supposed to do it?
The only way available to them was down into
The Pocket.
'We'll take the photo and worry about getting out
after that,' she told Blue.
The camera. She hadn't felt it digging for ages. She
patted all around her waistband. It wasn't there.
She must have lost it when she fell.
She remembered stepping out from behind the
cable spool. Lindsey had been putting something in
her saddle rug's pocket – something small and rectangular.
The pocket had been empty when they set out
together. Shelby remembered looking at it.
Her mouth opened. Shelby had been worrying
about being deceitful to Lindsey, and all the time Lindsey was the one being sneaky. It was mean and
spiteful – not at all like the friend that she knew.
'She took my camera, Blue. Why would she do
that?'
14 Waltzing Matilda
Shelby led Blue between the vigorous blackberry
bushes, down the slope, through the shaded glade and
into the clearing. It seemed pretty much
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