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Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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Stevie!” he exclaimed. “I never would have thought of it. I’m not sure you’ll really be able to pull it off—I mean, the thirty thousand bucks. But if you want my help, I’m definitely your man. It’s worth a try, right? And by the way, you can put me down right now for a three-thousand-dollar loan if Barry wants it.” He shrugged. “I wish it could be more, but that’s all I’ve got in my savings account.”
“Great,” Stevie said. To her friends’ astonishment, she pulled a small calculator out of her shorts pocket and punched in some numbers. “That means each rider needs only
ten
sponsors at three dollars a fence.”
“Where did you get that?” Carole asked.
Stevie held up the calculator so that Carole could see the number at the top. “It’s right here on the calculator, see?”
“I know,” Carole said. “I meant, where did you get the calculator?”
Stevie grinned. “I’ll never tell.” She winked at Phil. “You didn’t really think I figured out all those numbers in my straight-C-plus head, did you?”
T HE NEXT MORNING , Stevie spent every spare moment on one of the pay phones in the rec hall, calling everyone she knew who might sponsor her. She also did her best to spread the word about the fund-raiser to as many campers as possible. Most of them were horrified at the thought of Moose Hill closing and promised to do what they could to help. But to Stevie’s annoyance, some people seemed downright disinterested in the whole thing.
“Can you believe it?” she fumed to Carole when she ran into her in the tack room between classes. “I just talked to that girl Arianna from Cabin Two, and she said she couldn’t care less whether Moose Hill gets bulldozed.”
Carole shook her head as she hung Starlight’s bridle on a hook on the wall. She had received one or two similarresponses herself. “Luckily, she’s in the minority,” she said. “Most of the people I told are dying to help.”
“Good.” Stevie grabbed the saddle soap and started to clean Belle’s saddle as quickly as possible. “How many sponsors do you have so far?”
“Not many,” Carole said. She leaned against the wall and started ticking off the list on her fingers. “Just my dad—he said he wants to sponsor you and Lisa, too, by the way—and his secretary, and my relatives in Florida. Oh, and I called Pine Hollow, and Red said he’d sponsor The Saddle Club as a group.”
“Great,” Stevie said. Red O’Malley was the head stable hand at Pine Hollow. “But you’ve got to get more sponsors.”
“I will,” Carole promised. “My dad is going to call my relatives in Minnesota, and he’ll also talk to some of our neighbors and his friends at work. And I’ve got a list of friends from school that I have to call.”
Stevie nodded. “I already talked to Max, and he and Deborah are sponsoring all three of us for five dollars a fence.” Deborah was Max’s wife.
“Fantastic,” Carole said. “If everyone is that generous, we’ll have more than enough money before all this is over.”
“Keep your fingers crossed,” Stevie said. She gave the saddle one last swipe with her rag and stood up. “I’ve got to run. I have a free period next, and I want to make some more calls.”
Carole nodded. “Lisa has a free period now, too,” she reminded her. “Maybe you two can coordinate your efforts. As for me, I’ve got an unmounted class. So I guess I’ll see you at lunch.”
The two parted ways, and Stevie hurried out of the stable, patting her pocket to make sure the calling card her parents had given her was still there. But she stopped short at the sight that greeted her just outside. Lisa was riding Major toward the jump course that was set up at one end of the meadow.
“What are you doing?” Stevie cried, running toward her. “I thought you had a free period now.”
“I do.” Lisa glanced down at her friend from Major’s back. “I’m going to go through the course a few times and
“Great,” Stevie said. To her friends’ astonishment, she pulled a small calculator out of her shorts pocket and punched in some numbers. “That means each rider needs only
ten
sponsors at three dollars a fence.”
“Where did you get that?” Carole asked.
Stevie held up the calculator so that Carole could see the number at the top. “It’s right here on the calculator, see?”
“I know,” Carole said. “I meant, where did you get the calculator?”
Stevie grinned. “I’ll never tell.” She winked at Phil. “You didn’t really think I figured out all those numbers in my straight-C-plus head, did you?”
T HE NEXT MORNING , Stevie spent every spare moment on one of the pay phones in the rec hall, calling everyone she knew who might sponsor her. She also did her best to spread the word about the fund-raiser to as many campers as possible. Most of them were horrified at the thought of Moose Hill closing and promised to do what they could to help. But to Stevie’s annoyance, some people seemed downright disinterested in the whole thing.
“Can you believe it?” she fumed to Carole when she ran into her in the tack room between classes. “I just talked to that girl Arianna from Cabin Two, and she said she couldn’t care less whether Moose Hill gets bulldozed.”
Carole shook her head as she hung Starlight’s bridle on a hook on the wall. She had received one or two similarresponses herself. “Luckily, she’s in the minority,” she said. “Most of the people I told are dying to help.”
“Good.” Stevie grabbed the saddle soap and started to clean Belle’s saddle as quickly as possible. “How many sponsors do you have so far?”
“Not many,” Carole said. She leaned against the wall and started ticking off the list on her fingers. “Just my dad—he said he wants to sponsor you and Lisa, too, by the way—and his secretary, and my relatives in Florida. Oh, and I called Pine Hollow, and Red said he’d sponsor The Saddle Club as a group.”
“Great,” Stevie said. Red O’Malley was the head stable hand at Pine Hollow. “But you’ve got to get more sponsors.”
“I will,” Carole promised. “My dad is going to call my relatives in Minnesota, and he’ll also talk to some of our neighbors and his friends at work. And I’ve got a list of friends from school that I have to call.”
Stevie nodded. “I already talked to Max, and he and Deborah are sponsoring all three of us for five dollars a fence.” Deborah was Max’s wife.
“Fantastic,” Carole said. “If everyone is that generous, we’ll have more than enough money before all this is over.”
“Keep your fingers crossed,” Stevie said. She gave the saddle one last swipe with her rag and stood up. “I’ve got to run. I have a free period next, and I want to make some more calls.”
Carole nodded. “Lisa has a free period now, too,” she reminded her. “Maybe you two can coordinate your efforts. As for me, I’ve got an unmounted class. So I guess I’ll see you at lunch.”
The two parted ways, and Stevie hurried out of the stable, patting her pocket to make sure the calling card her parents had given her was still there. But she stopped short at the sight that greeted her just outside. Lisa was riding Major toward the jump course that was set up at one end of the meadow.
“What are you doing?” Stevie cried, running toward her. “I thought you had a free period now.”
“I do.” Lisa glanced down at her friend from Major’s back. “I’m going to go through the course a few times and
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