answered. “Just don’t go too far. Fifteen minutes up and fifteen back ought to bring you back by the time we’ve got all these critters on the other side.”
“Okay,” answered Mr. Lake. “See you in a few.”
Walter kept on with his work.
Mr. Lake rode up to the rest of the grown-ups. “Walter says we’ve got a half hour till they’re done watering the beasts,” he said. “So I say we follow Mitch’s plan and explore the wild expanse!”
Carole didn’t say anything. But inside she wasn’t so sure about “Mitch’s plan.” What if the parents didn’t get back in time and Walter and John had to wait for them? Would the herd wait? Maybe the wranglers would have to go on ahead, and Carole and the girls would get stuck waiting for the parents.
They’re not being very considerate, she thought. Butshe was too busy with her job herding the cattle to stop and argue with her father.
The Saddlebags trotted off upstream alongside the bank of the arroyo.
A T THE BOTTOM of the arroyo Stevie and Kate had succeeded in moving dozens of cattle up toward Walter. But there were still quite a few to go. As the cows continued to descend, a calf got separated from his mother and scampered back up the first bank to try to find her.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” called Stevie as she and Stewball quickly got in front of the little thing and turned him around. “Back to Mama. She’s down here anyway.”
Sure enough, the mother looked up from her drink and started mooing fiercely for her baby to come back. That made Stevie and Stewball’s job much easier.
“There you go,” said Stevie as she reunited mother and baby.
A few minutes later there were only a few more cows waiting to come down. “Looks like we’re almost done,” Stevie called to Carole and Lisa.
“Finally,” answered Carole. “I could use a drink myself.” She pulled a small canteen off the back of her saddle and took a swig.
They all watched as Walter and John guided the last of the cows up the far bank.
“Sure took a while, didn’t it?” said Lisa.
“Yeah. It’s getting dark already,” said Kate.
Stevie looked at her watch. “It’s only three-thirty.”
“That’s weird,” said Carole.
All four looked up at the sky. Above them was a low ceiling of sinister-looking clouds.
“Wow,” Carole gasped. “I didn’t see
those
coming.”
“Uh-oh. I feel a drop,” Stevie said.
Quickly, everyone reached for their ponchos.
Just as the last girl pulled her poncho over her head, the drops started coming down faster. A moment later the heavens opened and the rain clattered down in sheets. Soon it was as if they were standing in a wall of water. The land, which had been dry and parched, was instantly flooded. The rain kept coming down, pelting the girls’ ponchos and horses. The horses just stood there, blinking under the barrage of raindrops.
“Woohoo!” cried Carole. It was as if she were standing in a waterfall. Berry started prancing nervously around. Carole adjusted her poncho to make sure it covered her saddle as well, and fixed her hood so the waterwould drain the right way off her visor. “I need a drainpipe,” she called to Lisa.
Lisa was pulling her pant legs out of her boots. “Me too,” she hollered.
“Whaaaaaat?” cried Stevie. With the rain pounding down, they could hardly hear each other.
“I can’t even see Berry’s feet anymore!” Carole shouted.
Lisa adjusted her poncho so that it covered as much of Chocolate as possible. It was pouring, and she knew if the rain didn’t let up, it would make the rest of the drive treacherous and painstaking.
The girls rode over to the top of the steepest rise and looked down.
“Wow!” cried Stevie in awe. “This is incredible!”
The tiny winding creek where they had watered the cattle was rapidly swelling upward.
“It’s coming down by the bucketful!” Kate shouted.
Stevie held cupped hands out over Stewball’s neck. They were instantly filled. “Hey, look
“Okay,” answered Mr. Lake. “See you in a few.”
Walter kept on with his work.
Mr. Lake rode up to the rest of the grown-ups. “Walter says we’ve got a half hour till they’re done watering the beasts,” he said. “So I say we follow Mitch’s plan and explore the wild expanse!”
Carole didn’t say anything. But inside she wasn’t so sure about “Mitch’s plan.” What if the parents didn’t get back in time and Walter and John had to wait for them? Would the herd wait? Maybe the wranglers would have to go on ahead, and Carole and the girls would get stuck waiting for the parents.
They’re not being very considerate, she thought. Butshe was too busy with her job herding the cattle to stop and argue with her father.
The Saddlebags trotted off upstream alongside the bank of the arroyo.
A T THE BOTTOM of the arroyo Stevie and Kate had succeeded in moving dozens of cattle up toward Walter. But there were still quite a few to go. As the cows continued to descend, a calf got separated from his mother and scampered back up the first bank to try to find her.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” called Stevie as she and Stewball quickly got in front of the little thing and turned him around. “Back to Mama. She’s down here anyway.”
Sure enough, the mother looked up from her drink and started mooing fiercely for her baby to come back. That made Stevie and Stewball’s job much easier.
“There you go,” said Stevie as she reunited mother and baby.
A few minutes later there were only a few more cows waiting to come down. “Looks like we’re almost done,” Stevie called to Carole and Lisa.
“Finally,” answered Carole. “I could use a drink myself.” She pulled a small canteen off the back of her saddle and took a swig.
They all watched as Walter and John guided the last of the cows up the far bank.
“Sure took a while, didn’t it?” said Lisa.
“Yeah. It’s getting dark already,” said Kate.
Stevie looked at her watch. “It’s only three-thirty.”
“That’s weird,” said Carole.
All four looked up at the sky. Above them was a low ceiling of sinister-looking clouds.
“Wow,” Carole gasped. “I didn’t see
those
coming.”
“Uh-oh. I feel a drop,” Stevie said.
Quickly, everyone reached for their ponchos.
Just as the last girl pulled her poncho over her head, the drops started coming down faster. A moment later the heavens opened and the rain clattered down in sheets. Soon it was as if they were standing in a wall of water. The land, which had been dry and parched, was instantly flooded. The rain kept coming down, pelting the girls’ ponchos and horses. The horses just stood there, blinking under the barrage of raindrops.
“Woohoo!” cried Carole. It was as if she were standing in a waterfall. Berry started prancing nervously around. Carole adjusted her poncho to make sure it covered her saddle as well, and fixed her hood so the waterwould drain the right way off her visor. “I need a drainpipe,” she called to Lisa.
Lisa was pulling her pant legs out of her boots. “Me too,” she hollered.
“Whaaaaaat?” cried Stevie. With the rain pounding down, they could hardly hear each other.
“I can’t even see Berry’s feet anymore!” Carole shouted.
Lisa adjusted her poncho so that it covered as much of Chocolate as possible. It was pouring, and she knew if the rain didn’t let up, it would make the rest of the drive treacherous and painstaking.
The girls rode over to the top of the steepest rise and looked down.
“Wow!” cried Stevie in awe. “This is incredible!”
The tiny winding creek where they had watered the cattle was rapidly swelling upward.
“It’s coming down by the bucketful!” Kate shouted.
Stevie held cupped hands out over Stewball’s neck. They were instantly filled. “Hey, look
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