A Dog For Life by L. S. Matthews

Author:L. S. Matthews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780375849282
Publisher: Yearling
Published: 2008-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

EIGHT

Pinching Ponies

Where to? asked Mouse, taking up a lead position.

"I just want to get out of sight, for a start," I said. I hadn't the faintest idea where I was taking the ponies, and the sick feeling of fear was getting worse, if anything. I was realizing it's one thing not to have a Plan B, for when Plan A goes wrong; but more scary still not even to have a Plan A.

We'd better not go back in the woods, said Mouse. That's the first place they'll look and I don't think it leads anywhere useful, just back to where we came from.

"Then we can only go further along this field edge, behind the last few houses, and see where it goes," I said. "Not very undercover, except for the hedge."

I think they'll miss you, eventually, but they can't see the ponies from the house easily. They might not notice they're missing for some time. The ponies can wander in and out of the stables, too, so they'll probably assume they're in there, even if they do see the paddock is empty. I know how humans think. They're not good searchers. Keep up.

Mouse trotted on, behind the paddock, across the field it was cut from, and back toward the hedge. But the three ponies yanked on the ropes and plunged their heads down into the sweet, long, green grass, desperate after being trapped for so long in the bare paddock nearby. I would manage to pull one up, but then another would be at it. When their heads were up, they would trot ahead, pulling me nearly off my feet, and then stop again and start eating.

I began to get hot and sweaty, and the skin of my hands was sore in no time from the dragging ropes.

"It's all right for you, telling me to keep up, Mouse," I complained.

She looked back as I hauled at the gray pony's rope and managed to get its head up, while the black mare trod on my heel because I'd stopped so quickly and the bay mare put her head down.

I felt close to crying with frustration.

Now, said Mouse, we aren't going to get anywhere like this, are we? While we are in this grass, leave the two free and just lead the black one. She's the boss, they'll follow her—if you can keep her moving.

It seemed dangerous to let two go loose, but I could see the sense of it, so I tied the ropes short so the ponies couldn't trip on them, and then I let them go. They started grazing immediately, but the black mare walked on, good as gold, as if she knew what I was doing. Then the younger two saw her traveling on with us and stopped eating and trotted to catch up.

And so we followed the field's edge like this, with the younger ponies only pausing to snatch a mouthful here and there.

At the corner of the field, we came to a gateway onto the road, and we steadied for a moment.

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