Moxie Wyoming left Misty with the herd and spent the next few hours following Dizzy around the shelter. Many different kinds of animals were living there, with plenty of space for all of them.
“Hey, Dizzy. If animals keep coming here, when do you run out of room?”
“Never.”
“How come?”
“Just one more reason this place is special.” Dizzy’s eyes twinkled. “Come on. There’s more to see!”
In one woodsy area, Moxie counted eight baby foxes, known as kits, chasing each other up and down a huge mound while the mamma fox sat on top of the earthen hump watching over them. The mound was the root ball of a gigantic fallen tree, and Moxie saw that it made a nice den for the fox family.
“A farmer in New Jersey wanted to get rid of those foxes because he was worried they’d kill his chickens,” Dizzy said. “That’s why they’re here.”
“They came all the way from New Jersey?” Moxie said, amazed. “That’s so far away.”
“Our animals come from everywhere!” Dizzy told Moxie with pride. “Come on.”
The two hiked to a clearing with a hut near the edge of the trees. A spotted fawn was prancing around a white duck and a brown rabbit. When they saw Moxie and Dizzy, all three scrambled into the hut.
“Let’s get closer,” Dizzy said to Moxie. As they approached the hut, four heads peered out to stare at them. A beagle with big floppy ears had joined in.
“Who are they?” Moxie asked.
“The beagle is Pumpkin. She’s from a pound in North Carolina. The little fawn is Janie. She was an orphan found in a field in Michigan.”
Dizzy kept walking while she explained. “The rabbit is Benjamin. He was left behind in a closed-up pet store in Tennessee. And the white duck is Dora. She just showed up one day.”
A fifth head, that of a black Labrador retriever, stood out protectively above the group. “And that’s Fizz! She was found locked in a shed in Oregon, starving and afraid of people,” Dizzy said. “But look at her now!”
The girls stood by the opening of the hut and watched Fizz stretch out on the ground. The others lay as close as possible to her. Moxie and Dizzy giggled while Fizz licked and cuddled and kissed Pumpkin, Janie, Benjamin, and Dora.
“Fizz greets all the animals who come here, and she makes it her business to especially take care of the babies and the ones who show up alone.” Dizzy’s voice was filled with great tenderness.
The two youngsters continued walking through the woods until they came to another clearing. Moxie found herself staring at a big wall that looked gray and leathery. She touched it, and suddenly a leg stomped and caused the ground to rumble. She jumped back, looking up at massive ears and a long trunk swaying back and forth.
“That’s Herman.” Dizzy laughed. “He came from a circus in Mexico, where he was getting too old to perform.”
“Wow!” Moxie’s eyes were huge as she looked up at the enormous elephant. “How’d you sneak him up here? He’s ginormous!”
“Yep, he was a tough case, getting him here from south of the border,” Dizzy said. “Actually, Misty helped us on this one.”
“She did?” Moxie said in awe, wondering how.
~~~~~
The girls sat by a brook, enjoying a picnic of tasty cinnamon rolls and apple juice. Afterward, Moxie and Dizzy played hide-and-seek with some of the younger residents of the shelter. The group included a golden retriever puppy, a thoroughbred foal, a Siamese kitten, a brown bear cub, a coyote pup, a gosling—or baby goose—and three Rhode Island Red chicks.
The little ones formed a circle and closed their eyes while Dizzy and Moxie found hiding places. After the seekers had stood still as long as they could, the puppy barked three times, and the group scattered to search.
No matter where the girls chose to hide, it never took more than thirty seconds for some of the small creatures to sniff them out. Then the entire group would tumble and swarm over the girls, causing fits of laughter. Finally, the animals dropped to the ground, tired from their game.
The girls also stretched out on the ground and gazed up at the sky. Moxie Wyoming counted clouds. “Hey, Dizz, if other people can’t see the shelter, how come I can?”
“You’re wearing the pink boots.”
“You mean if I didn’t have them on, I couldn’t see this place?” Moxie pushed herself up on her elbows.
“Right,” Dizzy answered. “And maybe you’ve already found out—no pink boots, no flying on Misty.”
“Yeah,” Moxie agreed. “I tried one day in my brown boots, and it didn’t work.” Then she sat up all the way. “How come Misty can fly?”
Dizzy sat up, too. “I can’t explain it, but Misty definitely has the power.”
“Guess I’d better take really good care of Misty and these boots so I can come back and visit.”
~~~~~
Moxie and Misty stood in the midst of the wild Mustangs, saying their goodbyes. Fizz, the black Lab, and her animal friends ran among the newly arrived herd, welcoming them. The friendly dog kissed and nuzzled the foals, who scampered around in a tizzy.
“Now, Moxie, you and Misty can visit any time you miss Rocky and the herd.” Dizzy squeezed Moxie’s shoulder.
“Thanks. I know we will, won’t we, girl?” Moxie looked at her mare, who snorted in approval. “And we’ll want to see the other animals, too. And you!”
“I have an idea.” Dizzy said with a gleam in her eye. “How’d you like to help us? You know, when an emergency comes up with other animals that need rescuing?”
“Absolutely, positively!” Moxie exclaimed. “Misty and I for sure want to help!”
“I’m going to make you official by having you recite the oath for a small club we have. The other club members help us when we have animal emergencies.” Dizzy’s eyes crinkled. “Are you ready?”
Moxie got serious and stood up tall. “Yep, I’m ready.”
Fizz the Labrador and the other animals all stood in a line next to Dizzy. Moxie and Misty stood opposite them. The Mustang herd created a circle around the group, and other animals made an even larger circle around them.
“Repeat after me,” Dizzy said. “I, Moxie Wyoming, promise to help any animals that need to be rescued from danger, hunger, or abuse.” Moxie said the words slowly and clearly.
“I may bring animals in need to the shelter,” Dizzy continued, “but I will never, ever tell anyone about this place.”
Again, Moxie recited the words slowly and clearly, and added, “I swear on puppies and peanut butter. Wa-hoo!”
“You are now an official member of our club!” Dizzy said.
Misty neighed, while Moxie and Dizzy bounced together in a circle, hugging each other and giggling.
Fizz barked, Pumpkin howled, Dora quacked, and all the horses joined in Misty’s neighing.
“This is a big honor, Dizz,” Moxie said. “Thank you. But how will I know when you need us to help you?”
“Believe me, you’ll know,” Dizzy said. “Plus you’ll get a secret password.”
Chapter Twenty
As Moxie Wyoming and Misty rode back through the secret tunnel and came out the opening in the cliff, the mare snorted with excitement, threw her head around, and flicked her tail every which way.
“Happy, girl?” Moxie asked, stroking her mare’s neck. “Now Rocky and the Mustangs will be safe. And they’ll have fun with all their new friends!”
Misty pranced, launching Moxie into a giggle-fest. “Are you ready to go home?”
The little horse twirled in circles and let out the loudest neigh Moxie had ever heard.
In the distance, she heard another horse neighing in response. “Who’s that?”
And then a chorus of neighing rose over the entire area. Misty’s ears twitched in every direction, and she kicked up her back legs. “Ooops, Misty! Was that a little happy bucking?”
Moxie clung to the saddle’s horn while off in the distance, the neighing continued. “Are those your buddies
from the Darwin Ranch?”
Moxie gave a slight nudge, and her horse dashed into the aspen trees. “Whoa, Misty. Slow down! We’ll get there soon enough.”
She grabbed her mare’s mane as they loped along a well-worn dirt path. Clearly Misty had galloped down this trail many times before.
As rider and horse entered a meadow, horses galloped in from the other side, led by a light-brown version of Misty. That has to be Bandit, Moxie decided, Misty’s son. His face looked the same, and he rode fast like Misty but didn’t have his mother’s extreme swayback.
When they all met up in the middle of the field with lots of snorting and snickered greetings, Moxie quickly understood her little mare had reunited with friends and family. Thinking of one of her letters from Grandpops, Moxie recognized many of the other horses, too.
Misty ran straight over to a very dark brown draught horse and nuzzled his neck. He was gigantic. “You must be Hector!” Moxie exclaimed. “I heard all about you, how you threw off a very big man who was a guest at the Darwin.” She giggled. “And then everybody started calling you Hector the Ejector!”
The two horses, one so huge and one so small, stood next to each other. “But mostly I know that you’re Misty’s protector, and that she loves you very much.”
On the outer edges of the herd was the cutest little butterscotch pony with a blond mane and tail. The pony was kicking up a storm. “Now you cut that out, Heber!” Moxie shook her finger at the small horse. “Stop being such a show off.”
Heber stopped and looked at the girl sitting on top of Misty. “That’s right, I’ve heard all about you, too, that you’re very spoiled by all the guests,” Moxie said. Heber trotted up to Moxie for a scratch behind the ears.
Misty and Hector walked among the rest of the horses, so that Moxie, still in the saddle, could meet the herd. The horses included: Bishop, Monica, Deanza, Felicia, Quarter, Murray, Chaps, Nickel, Peanut Butter, Alice, Sage, Dusty, Vanessa, and Spot—all of Misty’s old buddies.
Then Bandit walked up to his mother. “Oooh, you are so cute!” Moxie cooed. “I can’t believe I’m meeting your son, Misty!” She leaned over from her saddle to rub Bandit’s neck.
The three horses—Bandit, Hector, and Misty—walked at the front of the herd and then loped as they started the familiar ride back to the Darwin Ranch. Misty and Moxie Wyoming galloped into the lead, and Moxie hollered, “Misty, you’re still queen of the herd!”
~~~~~
After splitting off from Bandit, who led the Darwin horses back to their ranch, Misty and Moxie pushed off to fly home. Moxie had to rush to get back before anyone missed them. Misty seemed to understand this and flew faster. She and Moxie streaked through the sky, heading for the Moose Creek Ranch.
As they approached the foothills of the Snowies, Moxie’s curiosity got the better of her. “Misty, let’s check out the secret corral and see what’s going on down there. I hope the sheriff got my message from Mary Lou, since Jeb and Frank probably rounded up a lot of other Mustangs. At least they didn’t get Rocky and his herd.”
The two sailed down the canyon and came to the corral, where Misty circled above. Moxie saw wild horses impatiently moving around within the crowded enclosure. Two huge trucks with horse trailers were parked near the corral.
“Look, Misty, the sheriff did get the message.” From her bird’s-eye-view up high, Moxie watched the sheriff and his deputies quietly come up the road, some on horseback and others in vehicles. Without waiting for Moxie to ask, Misty quivered and twitched her ears, and Moxie knew they were invisible to those on the ground, just in case anyone looked up at the sky.
As the sheriff got close to the corral, one of the Jenkins crew realized they were about to be arrested and yelled to the others. The five gang members quickly jumped on their horses and galloped up the canyon trail, making a fast getaway.
“Yikes, Misty! Look at them go!” Moxie held on tight as Misty flew up the canyon. “The sheriff might not catch those guys if they hide up in the mountains. How can we help so they don’t escape?”
Moxie and Misty soon soared over and past the Jenkins gang. Misty quivered again, and Moxie knew they could now be seen.
“I’ve got an idea, and it’s hanging around my neck,” Moxie said, as she touched the gold chain. “Look, land over there. That’s the perfect spot!”
She pulled out the gold whistle on the end of the chain, while Misty gently helicoptered down. The second they landed on a grassy spot next to the trail, Moxie blew on the whistle as hard as she could.
Way down the path, Moxie Wyoming saw the first gang member come around a bend. She blew a second time on the whistle.
The rest of the gang came into view. Even though the five were still a ways from her, Moxie could see that Jeb and Frank Jenkins were in the lead. She couldn’t tell who the others were, but they were riding hard, so she blew the gold whistle a third time.
As they got closer, Jeb and Frank came to a fast stop, which caused a chain reaction as the others pulled up on their reins, too.
“What’s the problem? Why don’t we keep going?” Jake from the rodeo hollered from the back.
“Frank, it’s that girl with the whistle again!” Jeb looked nervously around the area, peering into the trees.
“Who is that girl, and why does she always show up and get in our way?” Frank growled to himself. But just like last time, Moxie could hear every word.
“Why are you so nervous, Jeb?” Jake asked. “You’re looking around like you’re expecting someone.” He glanced back down the path. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not waiting for the sheriff to get here.” He looked at the other two gang members. “You coming?” They nodded, and the three of them started moving. Misty and Moxie watched and listened.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Jeb warned them.
“Come on. It’s only a little girl on a scrawny nag.” Jake rode by the brothers. “We’ll just blow right past her.” The three continued toward Moxie and Misty.
“Big mistake,” Frank warned, but he and Jeb followed.
Moxie Wyoming and Misty stood their ground. The young rider sat up very straight in the saddle, looking confidently at the gang as they got near. She could now see all five riders clearly, Jeb, Frank, and Jake, but not Jamie or Sam Bingham. Instead there were two cowboys she’d never seen before.
“Misty, the Binghams are not here,” Moxie said, keeping her voice down. “I was wrong about them being part of this roundup, but they sure did seem suspicious.”
Misty pounded the ground twice in agreement.
“I guess Mr. Bingham is just a grumpy rancher who hates Mustangs. And maybe Jamie really does like wild horses, you know, the way I do.”
Without warning, when the five riders were fifty-feet from her, they came to a sudden stop, frightened looks on their faces. Moxie smiled sweetly at them.
Jeb looked at Frank and said, “I’d rather take my chances with the sheriff. What about you?”
“I’m with you.” Frank turned his horse at the same time as Jeb, and the two kicked their horses into an immediate gallop. The other three did the same, and they all raced down the path. Moxie was amazed that she and Misty could scare them away so easily.
By the time the Jenkins gang reached the bend, Moxie saw the sheriff and some of his deputies arriving. All the members of the gang stopped and put up their hands to surrender.
Moxie turned Misty to ride into the trees so the deputies wouldn’t spot her. And that was when she discovered the real reason the gang had taken off so fast. The grizzly bear with the notched ear sat on a huge boulder close by.
“It’s about time, Grizz. That’s what I’m calling you, by the way.” Moxie grinned. “I thought maybe you were going to be a no-show.” She rode by him, and Misty batted her eyes at the bear. Grizz got down from the boulder and ran alongside the horse and rider.
“No wonder those guys looked so scared and rode straight to the sheriff,” Moxie went on. “I’m not exactly fe
rocious like you.” The three of them moved into the trees with Moxie Wyoming chattering nonstop to her new friend.
After saying goodbye to Grizz, Misty and Moxie rode directly home. Once at the barn, Moxie dismounted.
As the two silently walked into the back of the building, she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 8 a.m.! They had left very early, a little after 4:45. How could she and Misty have traveled so far and done so much in only three hours? Was that even possible?
Misty whinnied softly, as if she knew her rider’s thoughts.
Moxie pulled off the saddle and hung it on a peg outside the stall, the little mare’s eyes following her. “Maybe you get it, Misty, but I don’t.”
She filled the glitter bucket with water and brought it to her horse. “The important thing is that we saved Rocky and the Mustangs. Wait ‘til I tell Pickle how we helped the sheriff catch the bad guys!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Moxie Wyoming wandered into the kitchen for breakfast, yawning as if she’d been sleeping in and had just awakened. She found Pickle sitting at the table, while Moxie’s mother poured orange juice into glasses. Her father, talking on the phone, mixed batter in a bowl. Then he handed the bowl to her mom, who ladled the batter into a pan to make the pancakes. With the phone propped between his shoulder and ear so he could listen, Moxie’s father hunted for a pen.
“Morning, Moxie. Pancakes?” her mom asked. Rubbing her eyes and pretending to still be sleepy, Moxie nodded, sat at the table, and gave her best friend the stare.
“You sure look grouchy! Why are you giving me the evil eye?” Pickle asked. “My parents are busy with a sick cow, so your mom invited me—”
“Shhh,” Moxie whispered, motioning to her dad who was still talking.
“…what time did the sheriff pick them up?” he asked into the phone. “Clem Brown, too? I can’t believe it.” Stretching, Moxie cautiously peered through half-open eyelids at her dad.
“Uh-huh…yeah.” Her father listened. “Near the Deer Crossing turnoff…Really? Hmmm.” Her dad scribbled on a pad. “How’d they find out?”
A Wild Ride: The Adventures of Misty & Moxie Wyoming (Girl Detective & Her Horse Mystery Story Ages 6-8 & 9-12) Page 9
