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Authors: Julie Campbell
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looking for him right now, and why wouldn’t the Mansion be the most obvious Place?”
“That’s right,” Trixie agreed. “It’d be horrible if Jonesy should sneak up there at night and catch Jim in his sleep. But what worries me is that even if
his uncle does get well, he may not be any nicer to Jim than Jonesy was. Oh, ginger,” she interrupted herself, “that reminds me. I forgot to ask Dad last
night how Mr. Frayne was.” 74 “I figured you’d forget in all the excitement,” Honey said, “so I called the hospital the first chance I got this morning,
saying I was a neighbor. The nurse who answered the phone wouldn’t say anything except that the patient’s condition was unchanged. I guess that means he’s
still unconscious, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so,” Trixie said. “I hope he doesn’t die without telling somebody where he hid his money.”
“I wish I was as sure as you are,” Honey said doubtfully, “that there is some money. It must be terrible to be poor and not have a father or mother or anybody
to care about you.”
Regan was exercising Jupiter when they arrived at the stable and had Lady and Strawberry saddled and bridled, waiting for them. “Up you go,” he told Trixie
cheerfully. “And, unless I don’t know a natural-born rider when I see one, you’ll learn how to post a trot this very morning.”
Regan’s prediction turned out to be true. Although Trixie was jostled about a lot the first few minutes and almost lost her stirrups again, she found to
her delight at the end of the lesson that she could grip with her knees and rise up to meet Lady’s gait almost as rhythmically as Honey. She was trotting
around the field with Regan beside her on Jupiter when he was called into the 75 house to answer the phone. Regan dismounted and handed Honey Jupiter’s
reins. “You two just walk the horses till I get back,” he said.
“Boy,” Trixie cried when Regan had gone, “I’m dying to ride Jupiter, Honey. Couldn’t I just walk him around the field once while you lead Lady, instead?”
“I wouldn’t,” Honey said cautiously. “He’s got an awfully strong mouth, Trixie, and Regan’s only got a snaffle bit on him today. If he started to run, you’d
never be able to stop him. Even Dad won’t ride him outside of the corral without a curb bit.”
Oooh.” Trixie slipped out of her saddle. “He’s as gentle as a lamb, and I won’t let him out of a walk. I just want to know how it feels to be on the back
of such a
beautiful creature as Jupiter.”
“Well, I guess you’ll be all right.” Honey reluctantly transferred the reins. “But I’d feel safer if they’d finished fencing in this field.”
While Trixie was mounting, Jupiter stood perfectly still, but the minute she was in the saddle he tossed his head, and, as she was bending forward slightly,
he hit her hard in the face. Blinded with tears of pain, Trixie gathered up the reins too quickly, and Jupiter stepped right out into a fast trot. Trixie
jerked at the leather, trying to pull him down to a walk, and Jupiter broke into a 76 canter. Too late, Trixie realized that she had about as much hope
of controlling this horse as she would a steam engine. Faster and faster, he raced around the field, and as Honey, shouting, “Whoa, Jupe, Whoa!” tried
to cut him off, he swerved sharply an4d galloped out of the corral and up the path to the woods near the old Mansion.
The stirrups, which had been adjusted to Regan’s long legs, swung free, but the big horse’s gallop was so smooth Trixie managed to keep her seat by leaning
forward slightly and gripping his sides tightly with her legs and knees. Branches whipped against her face, and a spray of pebbles flew out from under
the horse’s feet. Trixie was so frightened she couldn’t do anything but hang on and wonder what was going to happen when the trail ended at the hedge around
Miser’s Mansion.
“That’s right,” Trixie agreed. “It’d be horrible if Jonesy should sneak up there at night and catch Jim in his sleep. But what worries me is that even if
his uncle does get well, he may not be any nicer to Jim than Jonesy was. Oh, ginger,” she interrupted herself, “that reminds me. I forgot to ask Dad last
night how Mr. Frayne was.” 74 “I figured you’d forget in all the excitement,” Honey said, “so I called the hospital the first chance I got this morning,
saying I was a neighbor. The nurse who answered the phone wouldn’t say anything except that the patient’s condition was unchanged. I guess that means he’s
still unconscious, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so,” Trixie said. “I hope he doesn’t die without telling somebody where he hid his money.”
“I wish I was as sure as you are,” Honey said doubtfully, “that there is some money. It must be terrible to be poor and not have a father or mother or anybody
to care about you.”
Regan was exercising Jupiter when they arrived at the stable and had Lady and Strawberry saddled and bridled, waiting for them. “Up you go,” he told Trixie
cheerfully. “And, unless I don’t know a natural-born rider when I see one, you’ll learn how to post a trot this very morning.”
Regan’s prediction turned out to be true. Although Trixie was jostled about a lot the first few minutes and almost lost her stirrups again, she found to
her delight at the end of the lesson that she could grip with her knees and rise up to meet Lady’s gait almost as rhythmically as Honey. She was trotting
around the field with Regan beside her on Jupiter when he was called into the 75 house to answer the phone. Regan dismounted and handed Honey Jupiter’s
reins. “You two just walk the horses till I get back,” he said.
“Boy,” Trixie cried when Regan had gone, “I’m dying to ride Jupiter, Honey. Couldn’t I just walk him around the field once while you lead Lady, instead?”
“I wouldn’t,” Honey said cautiously. “He’s got an awfully strong mouth, Trixie, and Regan’s only got a snaffle bit on him today. If he started to run, you’d
never be able to stop him. Even Dad won’t ride him outside of the corral without a curb bit.”
Oooh.” Trixie slipped out of her saddle. “He’s as gentle as a lamb, and I won’t let him out of a walk. I just want to know how it feels to be on the back
of such a
beautiful creature as Jupiter.”
“Well, I guess you’ll be all right.” Honey reluctantly transferred the reins. “But I’d feel safer if they’d finished fencing in this field.”
While Trixie was mounting, Jupiter stood perfectly still, but the minute she was in the saddle he tossed his head, and, as she was bending forward slightly,
he hit her hard in the face. Blinded with tears of pain, Trixie gathered up the reins too quickly, and Jupiter stepped right out into a fast trot. Trixie
jerked at the leather, trying to pull him down to a walk, and Jupiter broke into a 76 canter. Too late, Trixie realized that she had about as much hope
of controlling this horse as she would a steam engine. Faster and faster, he raced around the field, and as Honey, shouting, “Whoa, Jupe, Whoa!” tried
to cut him off, he swerved sharply an4d galloped out of the corral and up the path to the woods near the old Mansion.
The stirrups, which had been adjusted to Regan’s long legs, swung free, but the big horse’s gallop was so smooth Trixie managed to keep her seat by leaning
forward slightly and gripping his sides tightly with her legs and knees. Branches whipped against her face, and a spray of pebbles flew out from under
the horse’s feet. Trixie was so frightened she couldn’t do anything but hang on and wonder what was going to happen when the trail ended at the hedge around
Miser’s Mansion.
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