Runaway Pony by Susannah Leigh

Author:Susannah Leigh [Leigh, Susannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781409554936
Publisher: Usborne Publishing

7

ASH HILL HORSE SALE

“It was awful, Rosie.” Jess walked along beside her friend, telling her about the visit to Belinda’s house. It was Thursday morning, the day of the Ash Hill sale, and the pair were on their way to the bus stop to meet Belinda. It was the first time they had been properly together since Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Jess’s mother had put her foot down and reminded Jess of her other responsibilities. And when her mother was in one of her organising moods it was, Jess knew, best to obey her. Especially since she wanted to visit Tom in hospital that afternoon too.

Nick had caught Jess yesterday morning as she was leaving Sandy Lane and told her that Tom wanted her to go and see him in hospital. Nick was rather mysterious about it, but was gone before Jess could ask any more.

Now Jess filled Rosie in about what had happened at Belinda’s house.

“There I was looking at this photo of Golddust and I could see it wasn’t the same pony I helped to catch the other morning,” she explained. “The palomino I saw was pure gold, but I could see from the photo that Golddust has a circle of white hair on her forehead.”

“So what did Belinda say?” Rosie was curious.

“She asked me if I was sure and then she just sat there very quietly and didn’t really say much. Which made me feel pretty miserable. I thought I could help Belinda find Golddust. Now Belinda has no idea if Golddust has been stolen, has run away, or is lying dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Well at least you know it’s not your fault Golddust has disappeared, but what a mystery,” Rosie said. “I wonder what happened to the palomino pony you saw then. I wonder where it came from.”

“I wish I knew,” Jess replied. “I went to the police station again this morning...on my own this time. I cycled all the way there. And I told them that I made a mistake...that I hadn’t seen Belinda’s pony after all.”

“What did they say?”

“I saw a different policeman this time. He didn’t say much, but he raised his eyebrows a lot and shook his head and wrote everything down in a big book and asked me to sign my name. Oh Rosie, is all this pointless? Going to Ash Hill, I mean...trying to help Belinda find Golddust.”

“We said we’d help her look, so we must,” Rosie reasoned. “Watch out, here’s Belinda now,” she said, seeing the tall girl waiting at the bus stop.

“Hello,” Belinda said quietly.

“Hi,” Rosie said. “Jess has just been telling me about Golddust not being Golddust. It’s very odd.”

“Isn’t it?” Belinda said as the bus appeared and they clambered aboard. “Strange that two palominos should be running loose on the same day.”

Rosie didn’t know what to say. They rode in silence for the rest of the way. Jess reached up to ring the bell and the bus shuddered and stopped. The doors swished open and the three girls jumped off.

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