Katie and the Mustang, Book 4 Read Online Free PDF Page A

money.
    After we crossed, we followed the parties we could see in the distance ahead and turned southwest for a time, heading through barren hills toward Fort Bridger. I will never forget that part of our journey because a wonderful thing happened. Miss Liddy and her partners began to practice their show every evening that they had the strength to do so.
    The first evening, they caught us all off guard. The sound of Miss Liddy laughing as loud and hearty as any man ever did made Mrs. Kyler and me turn to look. Miss Liddy was sprawled on the ground.
    â€œOh dear,” Mrs. Kyler said. “Is she all right?”
    I nodded. “She’s laughing. I think she just stumbled or something and...” I trailed off because I noticed the big mare cantering away—no, not really away. She was cantering in a circle. Miss Liddy stood up, brushing off her trousers. She whistled and the mare slowed, then stopped and turned to face her. As usual, there was no tack at all on the mare. Miss Liddy made a gesture with her right hand, and the mare cantered back toward her again. “That’ll teach me to keep up my work better!” Miss Liddy called to the men.
    Mrs. Kyler and I were nearly done cleaning up supper and we stood side by side, neither of us speaking as the mare passed Miss Liddy and Miss Liddy whirled to run along beside her, leaping onto her back.
    I blinked, not quite sure how it had happened. Miss Liddy had been on the ground one second, then, the next, she was riding, her knees bent at a hard angle, her bare feet set firmly on the mare’s broad back—standing up.
    The mare had a slow, collected canter, and she veered into in a wide, easy circle. Miss Liddy stood for a long moment, then dropped to her knees, straddling the mare, but with her legs bent backward so she was more or less kneeling. Then she stood again, spreading her hands wide, gathering herself. All at once she leapt backward, turned a summerset in midair, and landed on her feet.
    There was a scattering of applause, and I realized we weren’t the only ones watching. Miss Liddy bowed grandly and called out, for all to hear, “Thank you all very much. You’re all welcome to come to our first show in Oregon City. I make all my mistakes in practice, of course.”
    Everyone laughed. I grinned at Mrs. Kyler, then turned to watch Miss Liddy go through the routine a second time. I was breathless. It was like watching an eagle fly high like they do sometimes, without flapping its wings. It looked impossible. I had never seen anything so wonderful in my life.
    The next evening, we rushed around and finished our chores, both of us keeping one eye on Miss Liddy’s wagons. She rode the big mare for a while more, practicing the summerset a few more times, then Mr. Le Croix took a turn.
    He didn’t do the summerset trick. He rode backward and sideways and leaned down off the mare to pick up a stone off the ground. He turned on his side and pretended to be asleep while the big, wide-backed mare cantered in her smooth, balanced way.
    While Mr. Le Croix rode the mare, I saw Miss Liddy standing with Mr. Dillard and Mr. Swann. The men were holding odd club-shaped objects that made no sense until they began to toss them up in the air.
    â€œThat’s called juggling,” Mrs. Kyler said in a hushed voice, as though she might somehow startle the men if she spoke too loudly. “Have you ever seen it before?”
    I shook my head, then realized she wasn’t looking at me, she was staring at Mr. Swann and Mr. Dillard as the wooden clubs flashed between them, faster and faster.
    â€œNo,” I whispered, astounded. How did people learn to do such things? Who in the world had ever figured out how to do it in the first place?
    Mr. Swann changed the rhythm, and Mr. Dillard followed perfectly. They reached high above their heads, then low, then spun around between catches. It was beautiful, like a dance. Mr.LeCroix dismounted and