Saddlebags Read Online Free PDF

landscape.
    The first sign of parents that Stevie saw was Colonel Hanson’s black ten-gallon hat on top his head. The five parents were riding out of a patch of woods and heading toward them. Mrs. Lake, on Shoofly, was directly behind the colonel, ambling along. Stevie’s father was behind her, and as they approached, Stevie could hear him serenading the group with “Red River Valley.”
    “I can’t believe it,” said Stevie. “They get us really worried and here they are, moseying along, singing ‘Red River Valley.’ Couldn’t you just scream?”
    The girls trotted up to their parents.
    “Where have you been?” asked Carole. “We were so worried!”
    The parents exchanged a chuckle.
    “You were worried about us?” Mr. Atwood said.
    “Did you stick to the trail Walter mapped out?” Stevie demanded.
    “What’s the matter, don’t you trust us?” Mr. Lake shook his head at his daughter. “Of course we stuck to the trail.”
    “And what if we didn’t?” said Mrs. Atwood.
    Lisa shook her head. “Mom, have you ever heard of rattlers?”
    “You girls are overreacting!” Mrs. Atwood responded. “You saw how well we did yesterday, and we did just as well today. I’ll have you know …”
    As she spoke, Mrs. Atwood yanked on Spot’s reins. He kept pulling back, yawning with his mouth and trying to get the bit out of his way.
    “Mom!” said Lisa. “
Pleeease
loosen up on your reins. If you knew what you were doing, you wouldn’t be handling Spot that way.”
    “Young lady,” Mrs. Atwood began sharply, “I really don’t think you should speak to me like that.”
    Lisa noticed her mother did loosen up on the reins, though.
    “Sorry, Mom,” said Lisa, sighing with relief.
    Carole and Berry had ridden up next to Lisa. When Mrs. Atwood wasn’t looking, Carole shot Lisa a secretsmile. Lisa knew Carole was proud of her for giving her mother some instructions—even if it did mean risking her mother’s anger.
    “Let’s go back,” Lisa said. She and Carole turned and led the group back the way the girls had come.

A T LUNCHTIME THE next day, after everyone had gathered around the table, Frank Devine cleared his throat. “I have some exciting news for everyone.”
    Everyone turned toward him. Exciting news? thought Lisa. What could it be?
    “We have to move our cattle back to the south pasture,” he continued. “Right now they’re all over in one of the far northwestern ones.”
    Stevie punched the air. “Yaaahoooo! A cattle drive!”
    “Right you are, Stevie,” answered Frank with a widegrin. “I thought it’d be fun for everybody to come along.”
    “Including us Saddlebags?” Stevie’s mother asked.
    “Of course,” Frank replied.
    “Oh, that
does
sound like fun,” said Mrs. Atwood.
    Carole looked around the table pensively. Fun? She wasn’t so sure. She loved cattle drives, but they usually involved lots of hard work. Would the Saddlebags really be up to it? She tapped nervously on her water glass.
    Stevie and Lisa had grown quiet too. Carole could tell they were having similar thoughts.
    When the meal was finished, Stevie cut herself some apple pie and sat next to Carole.
    Colonel Hanson turned to his daughter. “You’re quiet, honey. Don’t you have faith in us?”
    “Well, Dad, it’s just that cattle drives aren’t as easy as they look in the movies. You’re in the saddle the whole day long, and sometimes things can happen—”
    “Carole, dear, you know we’re getting the hang of it,” Mr. Lake said.
    “We might be the Saddlebags, and we might not be ready to rope a little dogie and stay on our horse at the same time,” said Mrs. Lake, “but I’m game.”
    “What’s a little dogie anyway?” asked Mr. Atwood. “Isn’t it some kind of submarine sandwich?”
    “Daaaad!” said Lisa, turning red over her father’s pun on hoagies, which was what such sandwiches were called in some places. “A little dogie is a motherless calf! Sometimes they get separated from