Read Online The secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julie Campbell
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"You’re a little fool to let a horse run like that on such a hot day." He patted Jupiter’s sweat-soaked neck. "There, boy."
"Let him?" Trixie scrambled to her feet, rubbing a bruised hip. "He let me stay on his back, but that’s about all I had to do with it," she said sourly.
Jim grinned. "I heard a horse pounding along the path, and it sounded like a runaway to me, so I slipped into the bushes to watch. I figured that, even if it wasn’t a runaway, whoever was riding the horse was going to have a nasty spill when the horse took the downhill fork." Jupiter nuzzled Jim’s shirt. "Gee, I’d like to ride this fellow," Jim said. "Is he yours, Trixie?"
Trixie shook her head. "No, he belongs to Honey’s father. I had no business getting on his back at all. I’m just learning to ride, you see; but he’s so beautiful I couldn’t resist it."
"I don’t blame you," Jim said as he handed Trixie the reins. "Someone’s coming along the trail on horseback now. Sounds like two horses. I’ll duck into the house. Whistle when it’s safe for me to come out."
It was Regan on Strawberry, and in a minute Honey appeared on Lady. Regan looked very cross and red in the face. He paid no attention to Trixie, except to snatch Jupiter’s bridle from her, and went back down the trail without a word.
"I’ve spoiled everything," Trixie wailed. "He’s furious—he’ll never give me any more riding lessons." Honey slid off Lady’s back. "Don’t worry about Regan, Trixie," she said comfortingly. "He gets over being mad very quickly, and I honestly think he admires you for daring to ride Jupiter. He was awfully worried when he came out of the house and saw you tearing into the woods. I was, too, Trixie," she added gently. "You could have been killed."
"I guess nobody was as scared as I was," Trixie admitted. "But when I was flying through the air over Jupe’s head, all I thought of was that he might run down the hill, trip on the reins, and get a bad fall." She told Honey, then, about Jim appearing just in time, and both girls whistled bob-white! in unison.
In a minute or two, Jim came through the bushes. He patted Lady and fed her a carrot he had pulled from the garden. "I may sound like I’m boasting," he told Honey, "but I bet I could ride your father’s horse. Dad had a big black gelding like that, and I could manage him when I was only five years old.
I learned to ride bareback with nothing but a halter rope to guide him."
"If you’re smart," Trixie said ruefully, "you’ll never touch Jupe without a curb bit."
"I wouldn’t," Jim said. "Not until he got used to me, anyway. Gee, do you think you could fix it so I could ride him, sometime? I haven’t ridden anything but Jonesy’s big old farm horses since Dad died. That’s not really riding."
"I’ll fix it somehow," Honey promised impulsively. Then her hazel eyes sparkled. "I tell you how we can arrange it. Regan always has Sunday afternoons off, and Miss Trask always takes a nap after Sunday dinner. Mother and Dad are leaving tonight for Canada, so I’m pretty sure I can lead Jupe up here for you to ride tomorrow as soon as Regan leaves."
Jim’s face flushed as he said, "Gosh, Honey, that would be swell. Thanks." He turned to Trixie, then. "How’s your kid brother?" he asked. "Honey told me he was bitten by a copperhead."
Trixie shuddered. "I can’t bear to talk about it. But he’s all right now."
"It’s a good thing you know your first aid," Jim said approvingly, and Trixie realized with relief that he really had forgiven her for doubting the story he had told the day before.
"Let’s tie up Lady and look inside the Mansion some more for your uncle’s money," she said, turning toward the big house. "I just know that we’re going to find something if we try hard enough."
"That’s what I did all yesterday afternoon," Jim said. "I’ve just about given up hope."
"Well, I haven’t." Trixie determinedly led the way through the thicket. "And I’ll bet
"Let him?" Trixie scrambled to her feet, rubbing a bruised hip. "He let me stay on his back, but that’s about all I had to do with it," she said sourly.
Jim grinned. "I heard a horse pounding along the path, and it sounded like a runaway to me, so I slipped into the bushes to watch. I figured that, even if it wasn’t a runaway, whoever was riding the horse was going to have a nasty spill when the horse took the downhill fork." Jupiter nuzzled Jim’s shirt. "Gee, I’d like to ride this fellow," Jim said. "Is he yours, Trixie?"
Trixie shook her head. "No, he belongs to Honey’s father. I had no business getting on his back at all. I’m just learning to ride, you see; but he’s so beautiful I couldn’t resist it."
"I don’t blame you," Jim said as he handed Trixie the reins. "Someone’s coming along the trail on horseback now. Sounds like two horses. I’ll duck into the house. Whistle when it’s safe for me to come out."
It was Regan on Strawberry, and in a minute Honey appeared on Lady. Regan looked very cross and red in the face. He paid no attention to Trixie, except to snatch Jupiter’s bridle from her, and went back down the trail without a word.
"I’ve spoiled everything," Trixie wailed. "He’s furious—he’ll never give me any more riding lessons." Honey slid off Lady’s back. "Don’t worry about Regan, Trixie," she said comfortingly. "He gets over being mad very quickly, and I honestly think he admires you for daring to ride Jupiter. He was awfully worried when he came out of the house and saw you tearing into the woods. I was, too, Trixie," she added gently. "You could have been killed."
"I guess nobody was as scared as I was," Trixie admitted. "But when I was flying through the air over Jupe’s head, all I thought of was that he might run down the hill, trip on the reins, and get a bad fall." She told Honey, then, about Jim appearing just in time, and both girls whistled bob-white! in unison.
In a minute or two, Jim came through the bushes. He patted Lady and fed her a carrot he had pulled from the garden. "I may sound like I’m boasting," he told Honey, "but I bet I could ride your father’s horse. Dad had a big black gelding like that, and I could manage him when I was only five years old.
I learned to ride bareback with nothing but a halter rope to guide him."
"If you’re smart," Trixie said ruefully, "you’ll never touch Jupe without a curb bit."
"I wouldn’t," Jim said. "Not until he got used to me, anyway. Gee, do you think you could fix it so I could ride him, sometime? I haven’t ridden anything but Jonesy’s big old farm horses since Dad died. That’s not really riding."
"I’ll fix it somehow," Honey promised impulsively. Then her hazel eyes sparkled. "I tell you how we can arrange it. Regan always has Sunday afternoons off, and Miss Trask always takes a nap after Sunday dinner. Mother and Dad are leaving tonight for Canada, so I’m pretty sure I can lead Jupe up here for you to ride tomorrow as soon as Regan leaves."
Jim’s face flushed as he said, "Gosh, Honey, that would be swell. Thanks." He turned to Trixie, then. "How’s your kid brother?" he asked. "Honey told me he was bitten by a copperhead."
Trixie shuddered. "I can’t bear to talk about it. But he’s all right now."
"It’s a good thing you know your first aid," Jim said approvingly, and Trixie realized with relief that he really had forgiven her for doubting the story he had told the day before.
"Let’s tie up Lady and look inside the Mansion some more for your uncle’s money," she said, turning toward the big house. "I just know that we’re going to find something if we try hard enough."
"That’s what I did all yesterday afternoon," Jim said. "I’ve just about given up hope."
"Well, I haven’t." Trixie determinedly led the way through the thicket. "And I’ll bet
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