“I’m headed off to CARL now. We’ve got an injured skunk that I think is just about ready to have babies. But first, do you have any questions?”
Polly Giacomin shot up her hand. “What else can we do to help you?” she asked. Several people nodded their heads in agreement. After seeing the slides, all of the Pony Clubbers wanted to help.
“I think what you’re doing now is pretty wonderful,” Doc Tock said. “Your drill will raise awareness about CARL as well as raise money for us. Beyond that, make sure you treat your own animals with love and care. Neuter and vaccinate your pets, and if you know of an injured or helpless animal, be sure to give us a call.”
Doc Tock held up a warning finger. “That’s important, so I ought to stress it. Be sure to give us a call. Don’t attempt to rescue the animal yourselves. Injured animals often lash out at people, and you could be hurt by them or hurt them worse by trying to restrain them. We’re trained to do it, so leave the rescuing to us. Okay?”
“Okay,” everyone said.
“You’ve really been a super group,” she said. “Thank you very much!” As she left the room, Horse Wise applauded her vigorously.
“Well,” said Max, “I don’t think anything I can say right now could top Doc Tock’s excellent presentation. I do still need to discuss the logistics of next weekend with all of you. But it’s well past noon, and I’m starving. Let’s break for lunch and meet back here in one hour. Horse Wise, dismissed!”
Lisa sat still while everyone else jumped to their feet. She had hardly heard Max—she was so deeply touched by Doc Tock’s presentation. “After all the good they’re doing,” she muttered, “all that we’re doing for them is marching some horses around?” Suddenly, despite what Doc Tock had said, she didn’t feel that it was nearly enough.
“Come on.” Carole grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet. “Whatever you’re thinking about, it can wait until we get to the back pasture.”
“Back pasture?” Lisa, thinking only about CARL, was confused.
“Time for lunch,” said Carole.
“Time,” said Stevie, “for a Saddle Club meeting.”
THE THREE GIRLS took their sack lunches to a grassy hillside overlooking the ring where they had just practiced their drill. It was one of their favorite places to sit and talk at Pine Hollow.
“Okay, Lisa,” Stevie began, unwrapping her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, “tell us what’s bugging you. Why didn’t you hear Max say it was time for lunch?”
Lisa sighed. She didn’t know quite how to begin. “It’s not that I’m not glad we’re doing the drill,” she said. “I am. I think it will be a nice drill, but it seems like—I don’t know—such a drop in the bucket. Such a small thing, compared to what CARL really needs. I mean, we’re only asking for donations. How much are people going to pay just to watch some Pony Clubbers do a drill?”
“It’ll be a very good drill,” Carole replied. “Now that we’ve gotten rid of Veronica—”
“No matter how good, it isn’t going to be good enough,” Lisa insisted. “I’d like to do something else for CARL—something that would really make a lot of money.” She opened her lunch and pulled out a sandwich. “What do you think?”
Carole smiled warmly. “I think it’s a good idea,” she said. “I’m sure the three of us can think of something.” They lay back on the warm grass and watched the clouds chase one another across the sky. Lisa had a thermos of homemade lemonade that she shared with Carole and Stevie.
“Here’s an idea,” Stevie said, sitting up excitedly. “We could start a horseback messenger service, like the Pony Express, only we could run messages for the businesses in Willow Creek. Carole on Starlight and me on Belle—”
“—and me on Prancer,” said Lisa, laughing. “I’d be the fastest messenger of all.”
“It would be a lot of fun,” Carole said, tugging at Stevie’s hair, “but I think everyone has fax machines these days, and no matter how fast we were, I think that they’d be faster. Why don’t we have a bake sale?”
“Oh, sure,” Stevie answered, grinning. “I hate to remind you, Carole, but so far the only thing we’ve baked successfully has been Rice Krispie treats. I don’t think Rice Krispie treats alone qualify as a bake sale.” She flopped back on the grass. “Maybe a makeup make-over booth. Like at the mall, where they show you how spectacular you’d look with eye shadow and lip gloss—”
“I hate to remind you, Stevie,” Carole replied, “but I believe you once turned your own hair green.”
“I don’t think we could take people’s money and then turn their hair green,” Lisa said. “But anyway, I’m glad we have some ideas. We’ll think of something. I’m glad you guys want to help CARL too.”
“You bet,” said Stevie. “We’re behind you.”
“One hundred percent,” said Carole. She added, “There’s another person I wish we could help, and that’s Jessica Adler.” Briefly she told them about Jessica’s trouble untacking Penny, and how lost and lonely Jessica had seemed. “She’s a latchkey kid, and I think it’s hard on her,” said Carole.
“I was kind of a latchkey kid,” Stevie objected. “Both my parents always worked, and it wasn’t hard on me.”
“I’m sort of a latchkey kid now, and so is Carole,” said Lisa. “But we’re a lot older than Jessica. Think about what you did when you were her age, Stevie. Who took care of you?”
Stevie frowned, considering. “Michael was still pretty little, and anyway, with me and Alex and Chad always playing tricks on each other, my parents would never have left us alone. They used to hire college students to watch us every day after school, and then they’d hire another student to take care of us during the summer. We did all the normal stuff—went swimming, played with the neighbors. My brothers were all in Little League, and I rode. I could always walk to Pine Hollow if I wanted to.” She took a long sip of lemonade. “It’s not that I didn’t notice that my parents weren’t there, but they made sure we were well taken care of. We always had plenty of stuff to do.”
“That’s the problem with Jessica, I think,” explained Carole. “She doesn’t have neighborhood kids to play with, and she doesn’t have anything else to do. She comes here once a week to ride, plus she’s joined Horse Wise. That’s all she has. I think we should try to be nice to her, and help her make some friends.”
They all agreed. “Poor kid,” Carole continued, “she seemed so upset about Veronica too.”
“Speaking of Veronica,” Lisa cut in, “you know how Michael Grant seemed entirely oblivious of her presence in class?”
“Uh-huh,” said Stevie. “I took it as a sign of true intelligence. It’s about time we got some decent boys around here.”
“Not so fast,” said Lisa. “I’m afraid he wasn’t as oblivious as he seemed.” She described her conversation in the tack room. When she mimicked Michael, saying, “It’s just as easy to love a rich girl as a poor girl,” The Saddle Club hooted with laughter.
“That’s rich,” gasped Carole. “I’m out of the running, then. I spent most of this month’s allowance on polo wraps for Starlight.”
“And I,” said Stevie, “don’t have any snap left in my wardrobe!” She waved her ragged shirttail at her friends, and they all howled again. Stevie liked to wear old jeans and battered cowboy boots when she rode, and no one had ever seen her in designer clothes.
“I decided that Michael and Veronica might actually deserve each other,” Lisa said.
“Well, I hope Veronica doesn’t get him,” Stevie said, suddenly fierce. “She’s so lazy and stuck-up that she shouldn’t ever get anything she deserves—not even a dweeb like Michael Grant. First she was mean to Jessica, then she pulled that stunt, pretending to fall off, then she left Garnet tacked up in her stall! She didn’t even loosen the girth!”
Carole flinched. Veronica’s first horse, Cobalt, whom Carole had loved, had died because Veronica had jumped him carelessly. “She’ll cause another accident,” Carole said.
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“I wish she’d have an accident, like in front of a speeding truck,” Stevie said. “She makes me so mad. I’d like to teach her a lesson.” The others nodded in agreement.
They spent another pleasant half hour basking in the sunshine and watching some of the horses turned out in the paddock nearby. Carole had brought some of her father’s chocolate chip cookies, and Stevie split her orange three ways. When they saw May Grover come out of the stable and wave her arm at them, they knew it was time for the Horse Wise meeting to resume.
Max started by going through a list of all of the equipment they would need to bring with them for the drill next weekend. “Red will bring the horses in the van,” he said. “And I think it would be best to ship them with their saddles on, to save confusion at the start of the parade. Fly sheets on over the saddles, halter, and lead ropes—we’ll bridle them after they’re unloaded, okay?”
Carole, to Stevie’s and Lisa’s amusement, was taking notes. She could be very organized where horses were concerned.
“I don’t know what the facilities for water will be,” Max continued. “So, to be on the safe side, we’ll want all our five-gallon jugs filled and in the van. This means water buckets too, and I think you riders should bring something to drink for yourselves as well. You might get pretty thirsty after the parade. We’ll have several hours between the parade and the drill, so you’ll have plenty of time to walk around the fairgrounds and enjoy the rest of Founders’ Day.”
Lisa noticed a ripple of excitement pass through the younger riders. It’s all starting to feel real to them, she thought. Before this it was just hard work, but now they’re beginning to think it will be fun. She saw May nudge Jackie and giggle. Jackie giggled too, and without thinking nudged the rider next to her, who happened to be Jessica Adler. Jessica giggled and nudged Jasmine, who was sitting next to her.
Lisa nudged Carole and pointed toward the giggling, squirming girls. Carole smiled. It was the first time she’d seen Jessica look entirely happy. “That’s better,” she whispered to Lisa. “That’s what she needs, to feel like she belongs.”
“We’ll help her,” Lisa said. “We’ll think of something.”
“Let’s discuss this parade,” Max said, turning a stern face toward May and her friends. “I don’t want any of you giggling there!” He shook his finger at them solemnly, and it set them off giggling again. Max relaxed his stance and smiled. “Seriously,” he said. “I want you all to conduct yourselves as though you were at a horse show or a Pony Club rally. You don’t have to look like you’re riding in a funeral procession, but I don’t want you goofing off either. Also remember that the crowd or unexpected noises—a fire engine, a balloon popping—might make some of the horses nervous. Be prepared. Ride well, don’t act like tourists. Okay?”
“Okay, Max,” they chorused. Even the little girls were paying attention now.
“Remember that asphalt is slippery,” he continued. “Don’t ride any faster than a walk. We’ll form a sort of procession at the start, and I want you to maintain it as best you can. I want you looking good—your best show turnout, Pony Club pins in your helmets, hair neatly braided or up in a net, Stevie Lake—”
Stevie raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.
“—and, incidentally, heels down, backs straight, hands quiet. That goes double, of course, for the drill.”
Max then passed out a timetable for the following Saturday and went over it in detail. “That’s all,” he said at last. “Thank you for your attention during this long meeting. Don’t forget our special meeting on Tuesday to finish up the drill. Horse Wise, dismissed!”
As the room emptied, Lisa noticed a pile of brochures sitting on Max’s desk. They were about CARL; Lisa remembered Doc Tock saying she would leave some behind. Thoughtfully Lisa picked one up. She put it in her backpack to read later.
JUST AS SCHOOL ended on Monday, the assistant principal found Lisa to tell her that her mother had called. Lisa, fearing trouble, hurried to the phone.
“Oh, no, dear,” her mother said calmly. “It’s just that poor Miss Adams has the flu, and she’s canceled your ballet class this afternoon. And the store just called to ask if I could come in and work for someone else who has the flu. I’m leaving now, so I won’t be home when you get there. I wanted to let you know.”
“That’s fine, Mom. Thanks.” Lisa hung up the phone pleased to have an unexpected free afternoon. She didn’t mind ballet because she thought it would improve her balance for riding, but she didn’t love it either, and she certainly didn’t mind missing class. She walked down the hallway to look for Carole, but Carole had already left on the bus that would take her to Pine Hollow. Carole went to see Starlight nearly every day.
And Stevie, Lisa thought with a sigh as she started to walk home, had an orthodontist appointment right after school. She wouldn’t be able to do anything either. Still, Lisa felt like she ought to spend the afternoon doing something special. It was a beautiful day, bright and clear, and she shouldn’t waste it by staying inside. With a flash of inspiration she dug into her backpack and pulled out the brochure Doc Tock had left behind. Where exactly was CARL?
The address and a map were printed on the back page. It was a little far for walking—two miles—but she could easily ride her bike there. Doc Tock had said that they could visit anytime.
Lisa hurried home. She dropped her books in her bedroom, ran a comb through her ponytail, and scribbled a note for her parents, Back for dinner. Then she went out to the garage and dusted off her bike. She didn’t ride it much anymore, now that she rode horses.
The trip to CARL, along winding back roads, was quick and peaceful. A small wooden sign marked the driveway, and the building looked just as it had in Doc Tock’s slide. Lisa parked her bike and walked in the main door.
A receptionist looked up at her and smiled. Before Lisa could speak, a big brown and yellow dog came around the desk to meet her. “Champ!” said Lisa. She bent to pet him, and his tail beat furiously against the floor.
“Have you been here before?” the receptionist asked.
“No,” said Lisa, “but I heard all about Champ. I’m Lisa Atwood. I’m a member of Horse Wise Pony Club, and Doc Tock came to talk to us. She said we could visit anytime.”
“I’m Letty,” the receptionist said, “and Dr. Takamura is the vet working here today. Wait just a sec and I’ll get her for you.”
When Doc Tock came in, Lisa began to introduce herself again, but Doc Tock held up a hand. “You’re with the Pony Club, right?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m Lisa Atwood,” Lisa said again.
“I remember your face,” Doc Tock said. “Would you like to see the place?” Lisa nodded. “I’ll be happy to show it to you, but let me finish up this one job first. Come on in.” She stepped into one of the treatment rooms, and Lisa followed.
Inside, on a stainless-steel examining table, was a large cardboard box. Inside the box, nestled on a white towel, were three baby raccoons. Lisa exclaimed with delight.
“I’m vaccinating them for rabies,” said Doc Tock. “Put on a pair of these gloves and you can hold them for me.”
The raccoons were the cutest babies Lisa had ever seen—all bright eyes, long noses, and long-fingered paws. They sniffed Lisa’s fingers busily while she held them, and one of them tried to catch hold of her hair. “They’re so adorable,” said Lisa. “I’d love to have one for a pet. Are they up for adoption?”
“No,” said Doc Tock, capping the last of the syringes and throwing it away. “No, Lisa. These are wild animals, and we never put wild animals up for adoption. They aren’t meant to be pets. They’re cute and easy to care for now, but they grow up to be big raccoons with wild raccoon instincts. They’re much happier in the wild—what we want to do is be sure they are healthier in the wild too.” She picked up the box and carried it out of the room, motioning for Lisa to follow.
The next room was long and bright and filled with many different types of animal cages. Do
c Tock settled the baby raccoons back into their own cage, and they immediately began to romp and play.
“On this side,” Doc Tock explained, “we keep cages just for animals that come in for neutering. We run a low-cost spay and neuter clinic, and we’ve always got some clients.” Lisa peered into some of the cages. A dog, evidently recently back from surgery, blinked sleepily at her, and a cat arched its back against the cage door.
Farther down the room Lisa met some of the animals who were recovering from accidents that had brought them to CARL. In one pen she saw the baby skunks that Doc Tock had predicted would be born on Saturday. “Were they really born on Saturday?” she asked.
“You bet. Just a half hour after I returned here. Not that I really needed to do anything, but since the mother is slightly injured, I thought someone should be around in case there were problems. There weren’t, though, and the whole family will be released to the wild just as soon as the mom can make it on her own.” Doc Tock checked the mother skunk over briefly as she talked.
“Are they really better off in the wild?” Lisa asked. “I mean, they were hurt in the first place in the wild. They wouldn’t be here otherwise.” She still wished she could have one of the baby raccoons.
“Well, no,” said Doc Tock, pausing to consider Lisa’s question. “No, that’s not exactly true. They’re usually here because of human interference with their life in the wild—they were hit by cars, wounded by hunters, that sort of thing.
“These really aren’t domestic animals, Lisa. In most cases they can’t be trained, the way horses can, and in some cases they can’t even be tamed.” She smiled and patted Lisa’s shoulder. “I can see you really care about them,” she said. “Trust me. They’re happier with their freedom.”
They continued outside to the dog runs. “Domestic animals, on the other hand, sometimes suffer from too much freedom. This friendly dog is a perfect example.” Doc Tock opened the first pen and she and Lisa stepped inside. A big yellow dog leapt toward them. It jumped up and down under Lisa’s nose, wagging its tail with delight.
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