Endurance Ride by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant [Bryant, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82569-8
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

STEVIE LET BELLE have a longer rein. They had taken a slower pace ever since the first vet check, and Stevie was really enjoying the ride. They’d walked up the rocky part and slid down the slide—which had seemed scary to Stevie but hadn’t seemed to bother Belle. The gnats in the woods had been annoying, but they were finally past them, and in the woods it was cooler than it had been in the open sun. Now they were trotting slowly but steadily, and it felt as if Belle could trot forever.

Best of all, Stevie was really enjoying riding with Phil and Mr. Baker. Since the check, Phil had quit making rude comments and was back to being his usual funny, talkative self. Mr. Baker was surprisingly funny as well. Stevie had two new knock-knock and six grape jokes to add to her repertoire.

“Have you heard the one about the foal with laryngitis?” Mr. Baker asked.

“I’m not sure …,” Stevie said.

“I have,” Phil answered. “He was just a little hoarse.”

Stevie groaned appreciatively. “I’ll have to save that one for Carole’s father.”

“Carole might even like that one,” Phil said.

“Maybe. Her dad’s the one with the weird sense of humor.”

“You consider that weird?” Mr. Baker asked. “How about, What’s purple and stuffed with sage dressing?”

“Tell us,” Stevie said.

“The Thanksgiving grape.”

Stevie snorted appreciatively.

They rode on through the peaceful woods. After a while, however, Stevie began to worry. It was a little too peaceful. “Mr. Baker,” she said, “I’m not surprised we haven’t been seeing the riders in front of us, because we’re going more slowly. But why aren’t we seeing any riders behind us? Why isn’t anyone passing us?”

Mr. Baker looked concerned. “I was just starting to wonder about that myself. Have you see a trail marker lately?”

“A trail marker? No—but we have to be on the trail. It’s as clear as daylight.” They were able to ride three abreast along the path. “This must be right,” Stevie said.

Phil’s smile faded. “I haven’t been looking for trail markers, either,” he said. “I guess I just assumed we were right.”

“Me too,” Mr. Baker admitted. “But now I’m not so sure. We should have seen someone in the last few miles. And by now we should be getting close to the second vet check.”

They rode on, looking closely now for the orange tape tied to the trees. Usually the trail was only marked every hundred yards or so; as Chloe had told them at the start, when you’re marking fifty miles of trail, you can’t leave a ribbon every six feet. Only where the trail turned or was hard to follow was it marked closely.

“We should have seen something by now,” Stevie said at last. “Do you think we’re lost?”

“Maybe,” said Mr. Baker. “But I’ve also heard of markers being taken down before, by hikers who mistook them for litter. Let’s go on a bit yet. This still seems awfully clear-cut not to be the real trail.”

Finally Phil pointed and said, “Look! There’s something!” A piece of pink tape fluttered from a branch.

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