Read Online Dude Ranch by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online

Stevie turned their horses around and went back to see if anything could be done for the calf. Carole got down from her horse, handing Stevie the reins. The cow eyed her dubiously. Carole gave the mother a reassuring pat on the head. Stevie brought Stewball between the cow and Carole, in case she changed her mind about Carole, but she didn’t think Carole was in danger.
    Stevie admired that about Carole. Put her on her feet in the middle of a herd of one hundred fifty cattle, and she’ll still find a way to make friends with a worried cow, Stevie thought as Carole stroked the calf’s shoulders reassuringly.
    “What’s the problem?” Stevie asked.
    “He’s gotten himself all tangled in strands of dry grass. It’s like he’s hobbled,” she said. “Did you bring a knife with you?”
    “The only thing Eli told me to bring was a pair of clean socks,” Stevie said. “But I didn’t listen to him. Sure I’ve got my pocketknife.” She fished deep into her jeans and pulled out her old Girl Scout knife. “It’s sharp, too, you’ll be glad to know.”
    She watched as Carole expertly freed the calf from the mass of twigs and grass that had entrapped him. He fussed a bit as she worked, and then tried to nibble at her shoulder.
    “Give me a break, will you?” Carole joked to the brown-and-white calf.
    The cow tired of waiting. She began to nudge harshly at Stevie and Stewball. Stevie shifted uneasily in the saddle, uncertain what to do. The cow seemed to sense her fear and increased her attack, but stopped abruptly at the sharp report of a dog’s bark. The cow backed off. Stevie looked for Eli’s dog, but she saw instead the bushy coat of a German shepherd disappearing in the dust of the herd. It looked like Tomahawk, but that didn’t seem likely. She shrugged the thought off and turned her attention to Carole’s project, which was almost done.
    In another few seconds the job was finished. Carole stood back and watched the cow and her calf. The mother eyed him curiously as he took one tentative step, then another. When she could see the calf was free, the cow nudged him forward again and they were soon trotting along with the rest of the herd.
    Carole remounted Berry, who had stood by placidly.
    “Where’s the little ’un?” Eli asked, riding up to them as they were ready to proceed.
    “Right over there,” Carole said. “He’d just gotten tangled in some grass. I cut it off his hooves. He’s fine now.”
    Eli regarded her curiously. “Didn’t the cow give you some trouble?”
    “She didn’t trust me at first, but we got along okay in the end.”
    “I guess you did,” Eli said. With that, he urged his horse into a trot and got back to the work of herding.
    “I think you just got an A-plus in roundups,” Stevie said.
    “I think you’re right. I was expecting him to say, ‘Not bad—for a
dude
.’ ” Stevie giggled.
    “What’s so funny?” Lisa asked, riding up to join them.
    “Oh, it’s just Eli,” Stevie told her. “Carole just practically saved the life of a calf, risking her own at the same time, and Eli just gives her a nod.”
    “Way to go!” Lisa said. “You must have been something to get a whole nod from Eli.”
    Carole wanted to change the subject. “Come on,” she said. “We’re going to cross the creek a couple of hundred yards ahead. That should be interesting.”
    The three girls and their horses hurried to catch up with the others, keeping a sharp eye out for strays as they went.
    Stevie could see the creek when they rounded the next hillside. Eli had warned them that some of the calves could have trouble with the water, but this was a shallow crossing. She didn’t think any of the animals would have a problem with the rocks and water.
    Like the other riders, Stevie had gotten used to the constant noise of the cattle. It sounded a bit like a traffic jam at rush hour. The moos were like honkinghorns, all indistinguishable from one another, all just part of the general