Too Many Ponies by Wilkinson Sheena;

Author:Wilkinson, Sheena;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little Island

‘BUT it must have happened somewhere,’ Aidan’s mum said.

‘Lucy swears she’s only jumped him with us,’ Dad said. ‘Kitty, stop crying for goodness’ sake and eat your tea. It’s not your pony that’s hurt.’

‘But the t-t-team,’ Kitty blubbed.

Aidan munched chips, fried egg and beans, and kept out of the conversation. He might have his suspicions, but he wasn’t going to tell tales.

‘I’m fed up with this blasted team,’ Mum said. ‘It’s caused nothing but bother as far as I can see. People falling out, extra horses taking up time and space, and I hate seeing you so worried. You work hard enough. You don’t need any more hassle.’ She slid her hand across the table and touched Dad’s hand.

Dad gave a long sigh. The zizz which had affected him while the team had been going so well seemed to have deserted him.

‘You could be right, Seaneen. It was probably daft. It was just the thought of the money.’

Mum gave a little snort. ‘Didn’t you say there were dozens of teams entering? You’d have a better chance doing the lottery.’

Exactly what Aidan had always thought, but he had a special reason for not saying anything just now. Because the last thing he wanted was for Kitty to pipe up, ‘Aidan will have to ride instead.’ Not that he would – not, he admitted, that he could – but it was much safer for the words not even to be spoken aloud.

After tea, Aidan said, ‘I’m going to take Alfie for a walk.’

‘Don’t stay out too long,’ Mum said. ‘It’s nearly dark.’

‘I’ll just go up the lane a bit.’

Alfie was very much Dad’s dog, haunting his heels and regarding the rest of the human race as distinctly second-best, but he shifted his pointed grey muzzle from between his paws and trotted out happily enough at the word walk, leaving his basket empty for Bernard to sneak into for warmth.

The lanes and fields were darkening fast, and the air chilled Aidan’s face. Alfie, a leggy grey shadow in the dusk, spiralled in delight at the smells the rain had teased out. There was enough light, however, helped out by his torch, for Aidan to see what he had expected to see in the empty field.

Hoof-prints. Scattered twigs in two places, and the sort of churned up ground that can only be made by a horse jumping.

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