Secret of the Night Ponies by JOAN HIATT HARLOW

Author:JOAN HIATT HARLOW
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SCRIBNER
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

“The Hard and the Aisey”

After what seemed like hours the wind calmed, and the frightful sounds stopped. The sun was lower in the sky now, and shining on the Cliffs. My heart still beat fast and hard—and then I heard the faint sound of a boat engine. “It’s Mom and Dad! They’re coming home!” I cried out in relief, waking Clara.

“Will they come get us now?” she asked sleepily.

“As soon as the McCrumbs leave.”

We watched our boat move slowly into the barrasway. Then Dad and Mom tied up behind the McCrumbs’ boat.

Suddenly a man and a woman came rushing down the stairway to the dock. Here we go, I thought. There’s sure to be an uproar when Melloy McCrumb confronts Dad face-to-face. But Dad would take care of everything. He’d calm everyone down. It was his way of dealing with things.

It wasn’t long before the McCrumbs left. After they had been gone for a while and Dad figured it was safe, he came to get us.

Clara and I had already gathered our things from the barn and were waiting eagerly on the old dock.

“Hop on board,” Dad called as he glided carefully to the wharf. “Where’s Raven?”

“In the barn,” I told him.

“Erik and I will get her later.”

I was just about ready to burst, wanting to tell him about the hollies, but not in front of Clara. That news would have to wait.

On the way home I asked Dad all about the visit from the McCrumbs. “Just wait until we get home!” he said over the noise of the engine. “I’ll tell you all about it.”

I tried again when we landed and were tying the boat to the grump heads. “You’ll hear all about it,” Dad said, concentrating on the knots. “Be patient.”

“Patient? We’ve been on the island for hours wonderin’ what’s happenin’!” I grumbled under my breath. Dad gave me a look, so I grabbed Clara’s hand and ran up the steps and onto the path leading home. Blizzard came running to us as we approached the house and jumped up to lick my face. “You blubbery kisser,” I said, wiping my face with my sleeve.

It was getting dark, and the lanterns were lit. Flankers spat from the chimney and mingled in the darkening sky. Clara tried to keep up with me as I made a beeline to the kitchen door. “Mom’s fired up the stove,” I told her. “I’m starvin’—aren’t you?”

I raced into the kitchen with Clara and Blizzard right behind me. “What did the McCrumbs say? Do they know we have Clara?” I demanded.

Mom was busy heating up a huge pan of pea soup. Gran cut up chunks of cooked ham and tossed them into the pot. Blizzard lay by the stove on his rug and looked pleadingly at Gran, who tossed him a piece of meat.

“Won’t someone please tell me what happened today?” I begged.

Gran wiped her hands on her apron and sat down. “It was a right devilish afternoon, Jessie, let me tell. First

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.