Scarecrow on Horseback Read Online Free

something. You've ridden, haven't
you?”
    “Sort of, but not western saddle.”
    “So what happened? A horse throw you?” His
grin was knowing.
    Mel shrugged again. Let him think she was
scared to ride. Let Jeb think what he wanted.
    Sally assigned her two other horses meant to
be ridden by children. The horses were old, slow, and tractable
horses. When she'd finished saddling them and was fussing with
their manes and tails, she noticed that Jeb and Sally were mounted
on a pair of strong looking bays.
    “We're going to test ride these new horses to
see how they do on the trails. You could ride along with us on
Lily. We're not going far,” Jeb said.
    “No, thanks.” Mel tensed, fearing that he was
going to try and bully her into it.
    “Suit yourself,” Jeb said. “We'll be back
soon. Think you can manage to lead Lily into the big barn at
eleven? That's when we lay out our riding policy to the new guests
and match them up with horses.”
    “Sure, I can do that.”
    “Well, maybe you better practice walking Lily
around the corral. Give her some exercise anyway.” Jeb turned his
horse and led the way to the road. Sally winked at Mel and followed
Jeb.
    Mel released Lily's lead line from the
railing and clucked at the mare. Lily dipped her head gracefully,
stepping up next to Mel at once. Mel stroked her mushroom-soft
muzzle with one finger. “You are a sweetheart. I wish I could ride
you. Maybe if we end up alone somewhere and no one's watching. What
do you think? Think I'm hopeless?”
    Lily's curled lip made Mel laugh. “Obviously,
you do.”
    * * * *
    Later that morning an announcement came over
the loudspeaker that new guests were invited to attend a trail
riding orientation in the big barn. By then, Lily had become so
comfortable following Mel around the corral that Mel could drop the
lead line and Lily's head would still be at her shoulder. The
horse's trust was touching. How could the big animals have such
blind faith in the weak, two-legged creatures that fed and groomed
them? Well, Mel meant to deserve that trust. Proudly, she walked
out of the corral and across the road with Lily poking along at her
side.
    They entered the main barn and moved to the
shadows at the far end where Jeb's pointing finger directed them.
Only a few guests were in the stands on the side of the barn
opposite the doors. Mr. Davis had said that snow still blocked some
high mountain passes, but few of the riding trails were
passable.
    A family with three teenagers straggled in
and crossed the scuffed dirt floor to climb into the stands. Mel
spotted a small boy already seated up there with another set of
parents. They were all in jeans and T-shirts. Good , Mel
thought. At least she'd fit in around here clothes wise. Jeans and
T-shirts were about all she owned. She'd already grown out of the
few fancy outfits Lisa had chosen for her.
    Jeb stood in the middle of the big, empty
arena—an oval formed by the railings inside the squared off walls.
He was dressed like some ideal model of a wrangler in a white felt
cowboy hat, jeans with a big silver belt buckle, leather chaps, and
a plaid shirt with pearl buttons. Well, he was sort of
gorgeous , Mel thought. She wondered what his girlfriend had
been like. Would she return to him when she got over being angry?
Mel hoped so. He'd be easier to get along with if he weren't 'off
his feed.'
    “Now,” Jeb began, his ocean depths voice
carrying without need of a microphone, “we're going to introduce
you to your horse. We already matched you up with one according to
those forms you filled out and mailed in, so you shouldn't have any
problem, except maybe you might hit some ice on a trail. We're so
high up in these mountains it don't warm up till late June.”
    Finally Jeb said, “Now here comes Sally with
the fool horse he favors, name of Rover—the horse's name that is.
Sally may not look too sharp but he knows horses, probably got the
smarts of one. He'll demonstrate how to mount and direct