Stray Horse by Bonnie Bryant Read Free Book Online Page B

claims him first,” said Stevie.
    “Nobody’s called yet,” said Lisa. “And CARL has advertised and called several vets. Maybe his owner didn’t want him and never will claim him. I mean, what kind of sane person would let something like this happen to their horse?”
    It wasn’t a bad question. The girls took the bathing and grooming equipment back into the main building and picked up their book bags.
    “Any response to the ads?” Lisa asked Anita.
    “Not a word,” she said. “And these just came from the printer. Want to post some?” She held up a thick batch of small posters showing a photograph of PJ with information about his rescue. Anyone who knew anything about him was urged to call CARL.
    Stevie wasn’t surprised to see Lisa almost recoil from the stack of posters. She’d clearly fallen in love with this wounded horse, and the idea that anybody else had ever owned him or ever would was painful to her. Stevie was afraid that her friend was in for a big disappointment. Under all the dirt and scratches was a good and probably valuable horse. It was clear that something had happened and the horse had gotten separated from its owner. Maybe PJ’s owner hadn’t seen the ad yet; maybe he hadn’t heard from his vet yet. But he would. Stevie felt sure that this horse would be claimed, and Lisa would be hurt. Shehoped she and Carole would be able to help her see that PJ belonged with his owner, but that was going to be hard.
    Finally Lisa took a couple of posters and the girls headed over to Pine Hollow.
    “PJ’s sick now, but he’s getting better, and when he’s all healed, if his owner hasn’t shown up yet, he’s going to need a place to stay,” Carole said.
    “Do you think?” Lisa asked, reading her mind.
    “Well, I don’t know. What do you think, Stevie?”
    “It won’t be easy,” Stevie said.
    They were all wondering the same thing: Would Max let PJ stay at Pine Hollow? That would make it easier for the girls to look after him. Although Max often worked with CARL, trying to help out when he had extra space in the stable for a temporary visitor, he usually asked for something in return, and that something was more work around the stable.
    “He’s going to expect us to clean every piece of tack in the tack room,” Stevie said.
    “And all the stuff he’s got stored in the loft,” Carole added.
    “And the manure pile,” Lisa said. “He’s going to want it moved.”
    “Ugh,” said Stevie.
    “But it’s for PJ!” Lisa reminded her.
    “Yes, but it’s
our
backs and hands,” Carole said.
    “To say nothing of our weekends,” Stevie added.
    “We’ll still be at Pine Hollow,” said Carole, looking on the bright side.
    “And PJ would be there,” said Lisa.
    “All right,” Carole consented.
    “Count me in,” said Stevie, suspecting that this would be more for Lisa than for PJ, but nonetheless willing.
    Lisa was grinning by the time they arrived at Pine Hollow. She confidently led her friends into Max’s office.
    “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Max asked, glancing up from a pile of papers. He was looking wary already.
    “Why, Max!” Stevie said. “Don’t you trust us?”
    “Not with
that
look on your faces. The last time the three of you came in here looking like that, I ended up hosting a herd of goats for a week.”
    “Nice goats,” Stevie reminded him.
    Max stifled a snort. “If you say so, Stevie. Okay, so what’s up now?”
    Lisa told him about PJ.
    “Oh, right, the stray that Judy mentioned. Tangled with a bobcat, I guess. I hope his owner shows up soon,” Max said. “They can’t keep a horse at CARL for very long.”
    “Well, that’s just the thing,” Stevie said. “He’s going to need a place to stay.”
    “Yes, he is,” Max agreed.
    The girls didn’t say anything. They just looked at Max.
    He returned their stare.
    Finally he sighed. “This is the sort of favor I can only do for my most responsible students,” he said.
    Stevie sighed, too.