beautiful country reenacting this wonderful piece of history!”
“Well, yes,” Lisa agreed. “And apparently we’re the only females on this wagon train who aren’t complaining about it.”
“Right!” said Stevie. “See how much better things are already? And we won’t have to deal with that jerk Gabriel for the rest of the day! He’ll be out of our hair until the campfire tonight, and that’s the most wonderful thing imaginable!”
The girls hopped out of the wagon to find that the day was sunny and bright. The night’s rain had washed the mugginess out of the air, and everything sparkled as if it were brand new. They ate their mush for breakfast, then broke camp with everyone else. Stevie hitched up Yankee and Doodle more smoothly than she ever had before, and Carole found Nikkia’s trot a lot easier to sit. And though Lisa was sore from her night underneath the wagon, Veronica seemed well rested and had caught on to the fact that she was supposed to walk with them instead of wandering around the plains munching grass.
The Saddle Club moved up one place in line and headed west. With Gabriel scouting ahead of them and bratty Eileen remaining with her own family, they had a good morning. Stevie and Lisa switched jobs once,and Lisa was about to trade off driving with Carole when Jeremy halted the train for lunch.
“Thank goodness!” said Lisa as she pulled Yankee and Doodle to a stop. “I was just hoping we would break for lunch.”
Carole glanced over at her friend and noticed dark circles underneath her eyes. “Lisa, you’re looking a little tired,” she said. “Why don’t you take a nap after lunch? Stevie and I can handle your share of the chores, and I’ll volunteer to milk Veronica for anybody who would like some fresh milk.”
Lisa’s mouth fell open. “Where did you learn to milk a cow?”
“Oh, it’s part of Marine Corps basic training,” Carole replied, then burst out laughing at Lisa’s astonished expression. “Actually, I learned on my aunt’s farm in Minnesota. They have a holstein named Cora Mae.”
Lisa smiled in gratitude. “Carole, that would be wonderful. I could use a little extra sleep.”
“And I bet some of these pioneers could use a glass of milk!”
After lunch Stevie helped clean up while Lisa retreated to the wagon for a nap. Though Carole’s own arms and legs ached from riding and driving, she tied Veronica to one of the few trees growing nearby and sat down on a milking stool beside her. A small crowd of pioneers gathered around to watch.
“Okay, Veronica,” Carole said to the cow, which turned and gave her a dubious look. “Let’s show these people what you can do.”
Hoping that she hadn’t forgotten all the milking skills she’d learned in Minnesota, Carole placed a bucket beneath the cow and gave one of her udders a pull and a squeeze. Veronica shifted once on her feet; then suddenly a stream of white milk began to clatter into the bucket. A cheer went up from the crowd.
“Wow, Carole,” said Polly Shaver. “That’s neat.”
“Yeah,” a man agreed. “We didn’t think you could really do it.”
Carole smiled. “Actually, Veronica’s the one doing most of it. I’m just sort of at the right place at the right time.”
“Can I have a taste?” a little boy asked.
“Sure,” said Carole. “Let me get this bucket a little fuller.”
Veronica gave a half bucket of milk. Everybody who wanted some got some.
Awhile later Lisa climbed out of the wagon, looking rested and refreshed. “Did Veronica do okay?” she asked, looking at the cow, which had again wandered off to browse in the grass.
“She was the hit of the day.” Carole grinned.
“Thanks for helping me out like that, Carole,” said Lisa. “I feel so much better.”
“Well, that’s what The Saddle Club is all about,” said Carole.
“Maybe that’s what the pioneer spirit is all about, too,” said Stevie, who had just finished the milk she’d scooped from
“Well, yes,” Lisa agreed. “And apparently we’re the only females on this wagon train who aren’t complaining about it.”
“Right!” said Stevie. “See how much better things are already? And we won’t have to deal with that jerk Gabriel for the rest of the day! He’ll be out of our hair until the campfire tonight, and that’s the most wonderful thing imaginable!”
The girls hopped out of the wagon to find that the day was sunny and bright. The night’s rain had washed the mugginess out of the air, and everything sparkled as if it were brand new. They ate their mush for breakfast, then broke camp with everyone else. Stevie hitched up Yankee and Doodle more smoothly than she ever had before, and Carole found Nikkia’s trot a lot easier to sit. And though Lisa was sore from her night underneath the wagon, Veronica seemed well rested and had caught on to the fact that she was supposed to walk with them instead of wandering around the plains munching grass.
The Saddle Club moved up one place in line and headed west. With Gabriel scouting ahead of them and bratty Eileen remaining with her own family, they had a good morning. Stevie and Lisa switched jobs once,and Lisa was about to trade off driving with Carole when Jeremy halted the train for lunch.
“Thank goodness!” said Lisa as she pulled Yankee and Doodle to a stop. “I was just hoping we would break for lunch.”
Carole glanced over at her friend and noticed dark circles underneath her eyes. “Lisa, you’re looking a little tired,” she said. “Why don’t you take a nap after lunch? Stevie and I can handle your share of the chores, and I’ll volunteer to milk Veronica for anybody who would like some fresh milk.”
Lisa’s mouth fell open. “Where did you learn to milk a cow?”
“Oh, it’s part of Marine Corps basic training,” Carole replied, then burst out laughing at Lisa’s astonished expression. “Actually, I learned on my aunt’s farm in Minnesota. They have a holstein named Cora Mae.”
Lisa smiled in gratitude. “Carole, that would be wonderful. I could use a little extra sleep.”
“And I bet some of these pioneers could use a glass of milk!”
After lunch Stevie helped clean up while Lisa retreated to the wagon for a nap. Though Carole’s own arms and legs ached from riding and driving, she tied Veronica to one of the few trees growing nearby and sat down on a milking stool beside her. A small crowd of pioneers gathered around to watch.
“Okay, Veronica,” Carole said to the cow, which turned and gave her a dubious look. “Let’s show these people what you can do.”
Hoping that she hadn’t forgotten all the milking skills she’d learned in Minnesota, Carole placed a bucket beneath the cow and gave one of her udders a pull and a squeeze. Veronica shifted once on her feet; then suddenly a stream of white milk began to clatter into the bucket. A cheer went up from the crowd.
“Wow, Carole,” said Polly Shaver. “That’s neat.”
“Yeah,” a man agreed. “We didn’t think you could really do it.”
Carole smiled. “Actually, Veronica’s the one doing most of it. I’m just sort of at the right place at the right time.”
“Can I have a taste?” a little boy asked.
“Sure,” said Carole. “Let me get this bucket a little fuller.”
Veronica gave a half bucket of milk. Everybody who wanted some got some.
Awhile later Lisa climbed out of the wagon, looking rested and refreshed. “Did Veronica do okay?” she asked, looking at the cow, which had again wandered off to browse in the grass.
“She was the hit of the day.” Carole grinned.
“Thanks for helping me out like that, Carole,” said Lisa. “I feel so much better.”
“Well, that’s what The Saddle Club is all about,” said Carole.
“Maybe that’s what the pioneer spirit is all about, too,” said Stevie, who had just finished the milk she’d scooped from
Similar Books
