Read Online Horseshoe by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page A

upset, she could hardly ride.” Stevie pulled some carrots out of the pocket of her show coat and fed one to her mare. She handed the rest to her friends to give to their horses too.
    “We saw how you took care of her,” said Carole. “Typical Stevie—in five minutes Veronica was gone and Jessica was laughing! It was great!”
    “Yeah—and I even managed to put in a good word about our Goodluck Horseshoe booth.” She repeated what Veronica had asked about “matters of the heart.” Lisa and Carole covered their mouths and shrieked.
    “Well,” said Lisa, the first to recover, “I really wish we could do something permanent to help Jessica. I wish she had a friend near her home.”
    “Or a pet,” said Carole.
    “A big, friendly pet,” agreed Lisa. “Hey!” Her face lit up. “Like maybe a big friendly dog that needs a lot of attention?”
    Carole and Stevie stared at her.
    “Yeah,” said Stevie.
    “Yeah,” said Carole.
    Stevie held up her hand. “Wait,” she said. “I’m beginning to get an idea.…”
    After a few minutes of planning, The Saddle Club returned to the task of making their horses comfortable. To their surprise, their three Pony Club “little sisters,” Jessica, Jasmine, and May, came over to help.
    “We know you’re doing a fortune-telling booth,” May announced. “You’re probably in a hurry to go, so we thought we’d help you for a change.” She went matter-of-factly to Lisa’s side. “Want me to get Delilah some water?”
    “Thanks,” Lisa said. May grabbed a bucket and headed for the spigot.
    Jessica took Starlight’s lead rope from Carole. “I can tie him for you,” she offered. “Remember, you showed me how.”
    With their help, The Saddle Club was soon ready to go. They headed for the parking lot on the other side of the grounds. They had packed Stevie’s brother’s tent and the rest of their gear into the back of Colonel Hanson’s station wagon. Lisa pulled out the box of scarves and decorations. “Wow. This is heavier than it looks. Where should we set up?”
    Stevie pointed. “How about there—right acrossfrom the CARL booth?” Lisa and Carole exchanged grins.
    “Perfect.”
    T HEY PICKED OUT a great spot underneath a maple tree, not far from the van that had come from CARL. “Before we get set up, let’s go see what the CARL booth is about,” Stevie suggested. They piled the tent on top of their boxes and walked across the dirt road that separated their spot from CARL’s van.
    “Judy!” Carole was the first to recognize Judy Barker, the Pine Hollow vet, sitting in a chair near the van. Carole had been on rounds with Judy many times.
    “Carole—and the rest of The Saddle Club!” Judy stood up, obviously glad to see them. “Did you enjoy riding in the parade?”
    “Sure,” said Stevie. “I think we’ll enjoy this afternoon’s drill even more. In the meantime, we’re going to tell people’s fortunes—we’re donating the money to CARL.”
    Judy beamed. “That’s a great idea,” she said. “I’ll be sure to steer customers your way.”
    “And we’ll steer them yours,” Lisa promised. “What’s CARL doing here today?”
    “Well, since your Pony Club is having the drill forus, we thought we should be on hand to distribute literature about CARL and about animal care. I’ve brought along a few of our dogs and cats that are ready for adoption, too, in case we get some interested families.”
    “Trump?” Lisa asked excitedly.
    “Yes, Trump, among others. Come say hello.” She led The Saddle Club to the other side of the van, where a few traveling cages sat on the grass in the shade. Trump couldn’t jump up and down inside his smaller cage, but he wagged his tail hard and wiggled his body. The Saddle Club petted him enthusiastically.
    “He’s wonderful,” said Stevie. “How much would it cost to adopt him?”
    Judy thought for a moment. “Our adoptive families don’t have to pay for the animals,” she said, “but we do