Rodeo Rider by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant [Bryant, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82489-9
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-09-25T14:00:00+00:00

THE EVENING WAS still and quiet. As far as Lisa could see in the twilight desert, all the world was open space, mountains, and sky. There was no wind. It was still, silent.

“When I see a place like this, it always makes me wonder why man invented civilization,” Lisa remarked.

“So somebody would have the opportunity to come up with a recipe for marshmallows, because they are absolutely critical to s’mores,” Stevie informed her.

“So’s a fire and we haven’t had much luck with that,” Lisa countered.

All five of the girls were sitting at a campsite on a hillside near a cave. The horses were bedded down for the night by the creek at the bottom of the hill. It had taken a lot of begging, and not a few phone calls, to get permission to ride to this campsite to spend the night. As far as Lisa was concerned, if absolutely nothing else went right during their whole trip, this, at least, was as it should be.

“Come on, I’ll show you how to get a fire going,” Christine said. She began piling dry wood and brush in the fireplace that had been used by previous campers.

“Is this an old Indian way?” Stevie asked.

“Only if you think using newspapers and a butane lighter constitute tribal customs.”

Stevie laughed. She remembered how she had expected Christine to be like Indians she’d seen in movies, involved with mysterious rituals, hidden treasures, and that sort of thing. That was before the girls had gotten to know each other. Once they’d become friends, Stevie realized how dumb those expectations had been. Christine was a modern American girl, just like Stevie was. Now that she knew better, Stevie and Christine sometimes joked about it. Stevie knew, however, that Christine wouldn’t think the jokes were funny if Stevie didn’t know better. Only close friends could joke about important things. Christine’s Native American heritage was important.

“Here we go,” Christine said, lighting the papers. Soon the fire was glowing brightly and burning well. The large logs on top of the kindling crackled, confirming that the fire was now safely lit.

Stevie speared a marshmallow with a stick and held it toward the campfire.

“Dinner first!” Lisa protested, a little appalled that Stevie would be eating s’mores before hamburgers.

Stevie shook her head in disagreement. “I have a new motto,” she said. “It goes like this: ‘Life is uncertain—eat dessert first!’ ”

“Well,” Lisa said, “if you put it that way—” She, too, took a long stick and pierced a marshmallow. After all, she told herself, they were on a camping trip, not a nutrition trip.

Soon, five marshmallows were toasting in the fire.

“I found an open space where we can practice tomorrow,” Kate said.

Carole leaned forward to look closely to check her marshmallow. “But what are we going to do for barrels?” she asked.

“We don’t need them in this place,” Kate said. “See, it’s completely open except for three big spiny cactus plants. Those big prickles will keep us from riding too close. It’ll be perfect!”

“If only our riding could be!” Lisa groaned.

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