small rocks and twigs. It was perfectly fine for walking or trotting, but going at a faster gait would be asking for trouble. “I don’t think so. It wouldn’t be safe.”
Marguerite twisted around in her saddle and gave Lisa a disgruntled look. “What do you mean?” she said. “It’ll be fine. My friends and I gallop all the time. Come on, let’s have some fun.”
Lisa shook her head firmly. “It’s not safe,” she said. “The horses could break a leg.”
“Oh, please.” Marguerite rolled her eyes and rode on for a moment in silence. “Okay,” she said suddenly. She twisted around again to look at Lisa. “If you won’t gallop, let’s have a walking race. Side by side. The first one to break stride loses.”
Lisa hesitated. But then she shook her head again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I don’t think the trail is wide enough to ride side by side. There are a lot of branches hanging down—”
“Fine,” Marguerite interrupted with a frustrated sigh. “We’ll just ride along single file at a plain old trot. What a thrill.” She urged Amber forward and was soon trotting far ahead.
Lisa sighed. Marguerite had been goofing off ever since they had started their ride half an hour before. First she had wanted to jump a pasture fence instead of going through the gate. Next she had wanted to ford a small but rapidly rushing river, while Lisa had insisted on crossing at the bridge she had spotted a little farther downstream. Lisa was starting to feel like Marguerite’s parent, or maybe a strict riding instructor. But she wasn’t about to let the horses—or herself—get hurt because Marguerite was too flighty to enjoy the simple pleasures of a trail ride.
“Hang in there, Tiny,” Lisa whispered, giving her horse a pat. “She’ll probably get bored soon and want to go back and hang out with all those exciting friends she keeps talking about. Then you can have a nice snack and a rest, and I can go home.”
Tiny nickered and continued trotting heavily after the fleet-footed Amber. Lisa patted the horse again, then glanced at the sky. She urged Tiny forward, calling to Marguerite.
“What is it?” Marguerite asked, pulling Amber to a halt. Her irritation seemed to have passed, and she smiled at Lisa. “Hey, I have an idea—”
“Hold it,” Lisa interrupted. She pointed at the sky. “Have you noticed those clouds? They’re getting worse by the minute. Maybe we should turn back before we get caught in the rain.”
Marguerite glanced up and then shrugged. “Theydon’t look that bad yet,” she said. “Besides, we’re only a ten-minute ride from the stable.”
Lisa bit her lip. She wasn’t really worried about the rain—Marguerite was right, the clouds didn’t look too bad yet—but she really wanted to end this ride as soon as possible. If she was lucky, maybe she would be able to meet Carole and Stevie at Pine Hollow before they left for TD’s.
Marguerite trotted off down the path. “Come on,” she called to Lisa. “You know how crazy the weather’s been lately. It probably won’t rain at all.”
“Probably,” Lisa muttered, too quietly for Marguerite to hear her. “That would be just my luck.”
The only answer was a sympathetic snort from Tiny.
T EN MINUTES LATER , Lisa was about to suggest turning back again when Marguerite brought Amber to a stop. “Check it out,” the girl said.
Lisa followed her gaze. A narrow, overgrown trail led off at a right angle from the one they’d been following. “What is that?” she asked. “It looks like a deer track or something.”
“It’s one of the old trails,” Marguerite said. “My friends and I saw it last time, but we didn’t have time to follow it. We think it leads into the state park.”
“Oh.” Lisa glanced at her watch. “We probably should start heading back soon, don’t you think?”
Marguerite didn’t seem to hear her. She was staringeagerly at the tiny trail. “Let’s check it out,” she said.
Marguerite twisted around in her saddle and gave Lisa a disgruntled look. “What do you mean?” she said. “It’ll be fine. My friends and I gallop all the time. Come on, let’s have some fun.”
Lisa shook her head firmly. “It’s not safe,” she said. “The horses could break a leg.”
“Oh, please.” Marguerite rolled her eyes and rode on for a moment in silence. “Okay,” she said suddenly. She twisted around again to look at Lisa. “If you won’t gallop, let’s have a walking race. Side by side. The first one to break stride loses.”
Lisa hesitated. But then she shook her head again. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I don’t think the trail is wide enough to ride side by side. There are a lot of branches hanging down—”
“Fine,” Marguerite interrupted with a frustrated sigh. “We’ll just ride along single file at a plain old trot. What a thrill.” She urged Amber forward and was soon trotting far ahead.
Lisa sighed. Marguerite had been goofing off ever since they had started their ride half an hour before. First she had wanted to jump a pasture fence instead of going through the gate. Next she had wanted to ford a small but rapidly rushing river, while Lisa had insisted on crossing at the bridge she had spotted a little farther downstream. Lisa was starting to feel like Marguerite’s parent, or maybe a strict riding instructor. But she wasn’t about to let the horses—or herself—get hurt because Marguerite was too flighty to enjoy the simple pleasures of a trail ride.
“Hang in there, Tiny,” Lisa whispered, giving her horse a pat. “She’ll probably get bored soon and want to go back and hang out with all those exciting friends she keeps talking about. Then you can have a nice snack and a rest, and I can go home.”
Tiny nickered and continued trotting heavily after the fleet-footed Amber. Lisa patted the horse again, then glanced at the sky. She urged Tiny forward, calling to Marguerite.
“What is it?” Marguerite asked, pulling Amber to a halt. Her irritation seemed to have passed, and she smiled at Lisa. “Hey, I have an idea—”
“Hold it,” Lisa interrupted. She pointed at the sky. “Have you noticed those clouds? They’re getting worse by the minute. Maybe we should turn back before we get caught in the rain.”
Marguerite glanced up and then shrugged. “Theydon’t look that bad yet,” she said. “Besides, we’re only a ten-minute ride from the stable.”
Lisa bit her lip. She wasn’t really worried about the rain—Marguerite was right, the clouds didn’t look too bad yet—but she really wanted to end this ride as soon as possible. If she was lucky, maybe she would be able to meet Carole and Stevie at Pine Hollow before they left for TD’s.
Marguerite trotted off down the path. “Come on,” she called to Lisa. “You know how crazy the weather’s been lately. It probably won’t rain at all.”
“Probably,” Lisa muttered, too quietly for Marguerite to hear her. “That would be just my luck.”
The only answer was a sympathetic snort from Tiny.
T EN MINUTES LATER , Lisa was about to suggest turning back again when Marguerite brought Amber to a stop. “Check it out,” the girl said.
Lisa followed her gaze. A narrow, overgrown trail led off at a right angle from the one they’d been following. “What is that?” she asked. “It looks like a deer track or something.”
“It’s one of the old trails,” Marguerite said. “My friends and I saw it last time, but we didn’t have time to follow it. We think it leads into the state park.”
“Oh.” Lisa glanced at her watch. “We probably should start heading back soon, don’t you think?”
Marguerite didn’t seem to hear her. She was staringeagerly at the tiny trail. “Let’s check it out,” she said.
Similar Books
