Summer Rider Read Online Free PDF Page A

the camp-director. “I’m going to find out what’s going on, though,” she said quietly. “I won’t give up until I do.”

“I REALLY SHOULDN ’ T be doing this,” Lisa said as she tightened Major’s girth. It was Wednesday, and Carole and Stevie had just convinced her to come on a trail ride with them during the free hour between breakfast and their first morning classes. “I still haven’t finished
Jane Eyre
.” She had fallen asleep the night before trying to read the book under her covers with her flashlight. This morning the flashlight’s batteries had been almost dead. Luckily her mother had packed a spare set in her suitcase.
    “We’re doing you a favor,” Stevie replied. “All that reading can’t be good for your eyes.”
    Lisa didn’t answer. She led Major to the mounting block and swung aboard, feeling guilty about wasting this time when she could be doing something more worthwhile. Still, she didn’t want to worry her friends. Sheknew they thought she was working too hard. And she comforted herself with the thought that she could practice lengthening and shortening Major’s strides as she rode. Hadn’t one of the instructors said that every ride was a learning experience for the horse?
    The only thing Stevie was thinking about learning as she rode Belle toward the woods was Barry’s secret. “I can’t believe Barry is keeping such a low profile,” she commented. “He must know we’re on to him. But does he have a guilty conscience, or is he just shy?” Despite her best efforts, Stevie hadn’t been able to track Barry down after classes on Monday, and he hadn’t shown up for dinner. On Tuesday he had been just as scarce. He had come to lunch, but he had spent the whole time talking with Betty. There had been no chance for Stevie to talk to him alone. She had checked his office in the rec hall several times during the day, but he was never there.
    As the girls rode toward one of their favorite trails, Stevie sighed. “I even thought about trying to talk to Betty about this,” she said. “She and Barry are good friends. I thought she might know what’s going on.”
    Carole looked worried. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I know they’re friends, but if Barry hasn’t told her what’s wrong—if anything is wrong—I’m not sure it’s your place to do it for him.”
    “It doesn’t matter,” Stevie said with a shrug. “Betty is so busy these days she barely has time to say hello. When I tried to start a conversation with her yesterday, she had torun off in the middle of a sentence to help Mike the stable hand with some hay bales. It almost makes me miss the days when this place had more staff than it knew what to do with.”
    Her friends nodded. In past years, Moose Hill had been known for its large staff, which meant that campers hardly had to lift a finger to take care of their horses. This year, The Saddle Club had arrived to find that the staff had been drastically cut, even though there were more campers and horses than ever before. The girls didn’t mind a bit, since they were used to taking care of their own horses at Pine Hollow. But they knew some of the campers weren’t happy about the new system.
    “I haven’t seen that car around since Monday, have you?” Carole asked, slowing Starlight to a walk as the trail got narrower.
    “Nope,” Stevie replied. “But I’m watching for it.” She paused and frowned, glancing at Belle’s head. The mare had both ears cocked forward as if listening to something up ahead. Stevie cocked her head to one side, listening intently. “Do you hear something?”
    Carole glanced at Belle, then at Starlight, who had just cocked his own ears forward. “I don’t, but it looks like they do,” she said. “Don’t forget, their ears are better than ours.” The horses didn’t seem particularly frightened, so Carole wasn’t worried about encountering anything dangerous. “It’s probably just another group out for a trail