The Island Horse by Eric Z. Lucas

Author:Eric Z. Lucas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781412224666
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Published: 2006-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THE DISCOVERY

It took almost half a day to tell the story correctly. So the story was not complete until sometime the next day around lunchtime. Janna and Alex sat on the picnic table, in the sun, as Alex put the last finishing touches on his wonderful story.

“If I had wrapped the rope around the tree trunk, instead of the branch for strength, I’d have that horse today,” Alex said with characteristic sureness. He was feeling much better today.

“You could have been killed,” Janna said in horror. Her feelings were sincere.

“Nonsense,” said Alex. “I calculated that one of the outcomes could be falling from the tree. That’s why I picked those trees. The ground there is kind of spongy and the long grass adds kind of a cushion.”

“You mean that’s why you’re not dead,” Janna said again. Alex s story had violated her sense of self-preservation.

“You’re just a girl,” he said stubbornly. “You’ll never understand.”

“Just don’t go off alone again,” Janna insisted. Her voice came out much stronger than she intended and Alex noticed it too. “Promise me?” She demanded.

“I promise,” Alex said as he crossed his fingers behind his back. But Janna did not see.

Janna and Alex spent a great deal of time together for the next few days. Grandma was keeping a close eye on them again. Janna’s grandmother was

secretly beginning to think that having the boy spend his camp time at the Inn instead of sending him home, might be a mistake.

But, as all adults seem to forget from time to time, it is not possible to keep a kid from doing what he or she wants to do if they are absolutely determined to do it. All an adult can hope is that the kid exercises the good sense they were raised to have, if any, when that fatal time arrives.

Alex was constantly revising his plan. He worked on the timing. He knew that he had to wait before he tried again. He needed to be sure that Grandma’s eyes were not so vigilantly watching or he’d not get two feet from the house. He also knew he needed another trap. The rope idea had too many flaws. He now realized that, no matter what, holding onto a rope trying to control an animal of that size was not possible, at his size. Besides, he had forgotten that when cowboys rope another animal, they have their own horses there to help provide them with strength and sheer mass.

Alex knew he needed another tool. It had to be something that could be operated remotely, or at least would not involve him in a physical struggle with the horse.

Then one day, while he was helping Walter clean out a shed, he saw the answer to his prayers.

“What’s that?” he asked Walter.

“What?” Waller answered in that sow way of his.

“That big metal contraption?” Alex asked again.

“Oh that…” Walter said pointing.

“Yes,” Alex replied.

“That’s just an old bear trap.” Walter said.

“Can you show me how it works?” Alex inquired excitedly.

“It’s kind of dangerous,” Walter responded wisely.

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