Read Online The secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Campbell
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arrived at the stable and had Lady and Strawberry saddled and bridled, waiting for them. "Up you go," he told Trixie cheerfully. "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 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."
"Pooh." 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 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 and 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. Would Jupiter turn there and take the down trail to the hollow and Crabapple Farm?
Trixie knew she wasn’t a good enough rider to stay on the horse’s back if he ran downhill. "I’ll be thrown over his head," she thought hopelessly, "and he won’t be able to stop, so I’ll be trampled under his feet."
They flew around a bend in the trail, and there, smack in front of them, was the almost impenetrable hedge. For one awful second, Trixie was sure Jupiter planned to plunge right through the thick underbrush, but at that moment a gamecock, on the other side of the hedge, suddenly flapped its wings and burst into a loud, triumphant crow. Jupiter shied in astonishment, planted his forefeet, and stopped dead in his tracks.
Trixie shot over his head as though she had been jet-propelled and landed in the bushes. Although she was dazed by the fall, she saw Jim slip silently from the hedge and grab Jupiter’s dangling reins. The big black horse reared once and came down dangerously close to where Trixie was sprawling, then quieted to a nervous standstill.
"There, boy," Jim was saying soothingly, "it’s all right, boy. Nobody’s going to hurt you." And without changing the tone of his voice, he added to Trixie,
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 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."
"Pooh." 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 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 and 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. Would Jupiter turn there and take the down trail to the hollow and Crabapple Farm?
Trixie knew she wasn’t a good enough rider to stay on the horse’s back if he ran downhill. "I’ll be thrown over his head," she thought hopelessly, "and he won’t be able to stop, so I’ll be trampled under his feet."
They flew around a bend in the trail, and there, smack in front of them, was the almost impenetrable hedge. For one awful second, Trixie was sure Jupiter planned to plunge right through the thick underbrush, but at that moment a gamecock, on the other side of the hedge, suddenly flapped its wings and burst into a loud, triumphant crow. Jupiter shied in astonishment, planted his forefeet, and stopped dead in his tracks.
Trixie shot over his head as though she had been jet-propelled and landed in the bushes. Although she was dazed by the fall, she saw Jim slip silently from the hedge and grab Jupiter’s dangling reins. The big black horse reared once and came down dangerously close to where Trixie was sprawling, then quieted to a nervous standstill.
"There, boy," Jim was saying soothingly, "it’s all right, boy. Nobody’s going to hurt you." And without changing the tone of his voice, he added to Trixie,
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