Horse Spy Read Online Free

responsibility,” he began.
    “What’s the big deal about looking after two more horses?” Stevie asked.
    “It’s more than looking after,” Max said. “I have to continue the training so that this pair can be in top condition for the horse show. This is an important show by any standard and extremely important for the two riders. Ribbons here could make the difference in their futures. I have to have the horses totally ready.”
    “Can we watch?” Lisa asked, remembering the conversation she’d had with her friends the night before.
    “Well, one of you can at a time,” he said.
    “Just one?” Stevie asked.
    “The other two will be riding,” said Max.
    “We can watch and ride at the same time,” Carole assured him. “And we’ll keep our horses out of the way, too.”
    “That’s not what I mean, Carole,” Max said. “These horses are used to being ridden by young girls, not much older—or larger—than you three. I’m going to need riders, and their owners aren’t here. Do you think you can give me some extra time between now and when Lucy and Ellen arrive? Can you ride, follow instructions, and help with the training?”
    “Us?” Lisa asked.
    Max pretended to look behind The Saddle Club. “No, not you, the girls standing behind you,” he teased.
    “Are you kidding?” Carole asked.
    “I never kid about horses,” said Max.
    “Count us in,” Stevie said.
    “It’s hard work,” said Max.
    “But it’s horses,” said Carole.
    “It’s a lot of time,” said Max.
    “It’s going to be fun!” said Lisa.
    “And I was afraid I was going to have trouble talking you into this,” said Max. “Okay, look,” he said, showing them the schedule. “It’s going to mean being here before and after school almost every day.”
    “Can you talk to our parents?” Lisa asked him.
    “Yes, I’ll do that,” Max promised. “I’m going to need their help and cooperation, too, getting you here and all that. I know they’re going to ask each of you to promise that—”
    “Don’t worry, we’ll keep up on our schoolwork,” Lisa said, anticipating his concern.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    “Can we start now?” Carole asked.
    “No, these guys have had a long drive and they’re tired. They get some time off. But tomorrow. At six-thirty—”
    “That’s dinnertime,” Stevie started to say.
    “ A . M .,” Max said.
    Stevie grimaced. Morning wasn’t her favorite time.
    “Don’t worry. She’ll be here,” Carole promised.
    Max dismissed them then, asking them to give his new student, Frieda, a hand with untacking and grooming before they put their own horses away. They were practically walking on air as they left his office.

W EDNESDAY MORNING at six-thirty, Stevie stumbled into Pine Hollow—in the cheery, wide-awake manner she now reserved for that hour. The truth was, it wasn’t very cheery or very wide-awake, but it was a manner she had perfected over the past couple of days. Secretly, she was almost getting used to the early hour, but she wouldn’t admit that to anyone.
    “Where am I?” she asked Lisa, who tended to be more genuinely wide awake and cheerier at early-morning hours.
    “You’re at Pine Hollow,” Lisa told her. “Just where you’re supposed to be, and where you’ve been the last two mornings. Now go put on a riding helmet so we can get to work.”
    Robotlike, Stevie followed Lisa’s instructions, and a few minutes later, she was on board Polaris, remembering exactly where she was—Pine Hollow’s schooling ring—and what she was doing—working hard.
    Lisa was riding Blue, and Carole was leaning against thefence, making notes on a clipboard for Max about all the exercises the horses were doing and the progress they were showing. Max was standing next to her.
    “Polaris’s stride is longer today,” Carole told Max, stuffing the measuring tape back into her pocket.
    Stevie was pleased. She’d been working on the length of the horse’s stride, and it was nice