Rescue! by Bindi Irwin Read Free Book Online Page A

later, alligator!”
    â€œWait up! I’ve got a present for you, Bindi!” Robert ran up to her, carrying something wrapped in cloth. He slipped the gift into Bindi’s saddle bag. “But you can’t open it until later.”
    â€œThanks!” Bindi was too excited about the ride to pay the surprise gift much attention. “See you all soon!”
    â€œBye, Bindi! Bye, Hannah! See you, Thabu!”
    The remaining group stood around the stable yard waving. Robert and Mpho dashed away almost immediately—they had lizards to find. Terri was going to be kept busy helping Kirsten with some repair work around the farm.
    The three horses and their riders headed out of the stables and slowly made their way into the grassland.
    Away from the farmlands, they were soon deep in the heart of the bush, surrounded by thorn trees and baobabs. The horses’ ears pricked back and forth, listening to the sound of birds and the distant calls of wildlife.
    Bindi felt a rush of excitement. The earth felt alive and she was very much a part of it.

It didn’t matter how many countries Bindi visited, she never lost her sense of wonder about being somewhere completely new.
    Here she was in Africa! The air smelled different. The water tasted different. Even the ground was different. In this part of Africa the soil was a rich red color. It was as if someone had spilled a pot of red paint and it had seeped deep into the earth.
    They rode in single file with Thabu in the lead and Hannah bringing up the back. Bindi liked being in the middle—that way she could talk to both Hannah and Thabu.
    So far that morning they had heard the calls of lots of animals but not actually seen any. They had even played a guessing game where you had to try to name the animal by its call. Thabu was the judge, as he was an expert when it came to African animals.
    Thabu held up his hand, signaling for them to stop. They had communicated a few times that morning using hand signals. Hannah had explained that the sounds of their voices could scare off any nearby animals.
    They waited, wondering what could be lurking nearby. Then, to Bindi’s disappointment, Thabu signaled for them to keep riding. Another false alarm! Bindi was beginning to wonder if there really were any wild animals living in Africa.
    â€œWhen will we see a lion, Thabu?” Bindi asked. Bindi loved lions. She especially liked their cute cubs.
    â€œWho can say, Bindi?” was all Thabu answered.
    They rode on for a little longer but the day was growing hot and it was time to rest the horses. They tied them up in the shade while they ate their lunch in a nearby hide.
    A hide was a man-made shelter that blended into the bush. It allowed you to watch animals without them seeing you. This hide was next to a water hole. If they kept quiet they would be able to see the animals up close when they came for a drink.
    The three of them sat in silence, eating their sandwiches and watching the water hole. Still no animals. Bindi cleared her throat to speak. Thabu gave her a warning look and put his fingers to his lips. “Ah-ah.”
    Bindi sighed and whispered, “I just wondered when you think we’ll see something.”
    Thabu smiled at her persistence. “The animals will come when you least expect it.”
    Hannah pressed a couple of animal-shaped biscuits into Bindi’s hand. “In the meantime you can make do with these,” she whispered with a quiet giggle.
    Bindi stared at the bright pink icing on her rhino-shaped biscuit. She wondered if it was the closest she would come to a real African animal. She bit down hard on the rhino’s leg.
    â€œShhh!” Hannah held her finger to her lips and pointed.
    Approaching the water hole was a herd of springbok. They were a native African antelope, brown and white in color, and they could run super-fast. There were about eight adult springbok and three young ones. They were very elegant. As they