Starlight's Shooting Star
by
Janet Muirhead Hill
Smashwords Edition
ISBN: 978-0-9820893-7-8
Copyright 2010 Janet Muirhead Hill
Cover and Illustration Copyright 2003 Pat Lehmkuhl
Print edition copyright: 2003
For Dorothy Elkins Muirhead
Thanks, Mom, for your faith in me.
Published by:
Raven Publishing, Inc
PO Box 2866
Norris, Montana
www.ravenpublishing.net
E-mail: Info@ravenpublishing.net
Publishers note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to any person, place, or event is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book, text or illustrations, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Chapter One
Miranda Sevens studied the short, slightly plump teacher standing before the class of twelve sixth graders on the first day of school. She'd heard rumors about this pretty, flirty young teacher fresh out of college, but Miranda would make up her own mind.
“We are all here to learn,” Miss Hopper said that Wednesday morning, and I'm leaving it up to you to set the atmosphere for learning. You make the rules for class conduct. I will lead you in an adventure of discovery."
Sounds nice, Miranda thought. A little like she's reciting, but nice if she means it.
“We won’t be bound to any text books. We'll develop a lesson plan that will challenge your minds and hold your interest,” Miss Hopper chirped.
She asked them to suggest rules and wrote them on the board as they shouted them out. They were the usual: be courteous, respect the teacher, respect one another, don’t steal, don’t lie, be on time. Miss Hopper added a few of her own: turn in your homework on time; if you have questions, ask the teacher, not each other; no talking during tests.
“I think I’m going to like the new teacher,” Miranda told her friends, Laurie Langley and Christopher Bergman at lunchtime.
“I don’t know,” said Chris. “She sounds awfully strict to me. Dad was afraid she'd be the opposite.” Mr. Bergman served on the school board, making Chris a good source of inside information.
“I can handle strictness if she makes classes interesting,” Miranda said.
“Yeah, right,” Chris said, his freckled face breaking into a teasing grin, “I'm trying to imagine it. Obedient little Miranda saying, ‘yes, teacher, whatever you say, teacher.’”
Chris pretended to toss a ponytail over his shoulder and then ran his fingers through the short, red curls on top of his head. Miranda laughed.
“Sounds like we’ll have lots of field trips and some fun assignments,” Laurie said, her brown eyes sparkling. "More imaginative than reading a boring text book.
"She only said that because she forgot to order text books on time," Christopher scoffed.
Miranda sighed. “I'm just sorry summer vacation's over. I'd much rather be riding Starlight on a day like this—well, on any day, actually."
"We still have weekends," Laurie said. "Mom and I are going horseback riding at Shady Hills on Saturday. She wants to explore the hills and meadows above the river. We want you guys to come too. It'll be so much fun. Miranda, you can show us your cave."
"Oh, yea. I'm sure Gram will let me go. I wouldn't miss it for anything."
"I'll be there if Dad will let me have a day off," Chris said. "Mom'll help me talk him into it." His father often put him to work in the town's grocery and hardware store.
The bell rang and they ambled toward the classroom, hating to leave the sunshine and fresh air. Even though school began on a Wednesday, Miranda knew it would be hard to wait for the weekend of fun with her favorite horse and her friends.
“Are you going to Shady Hills after school?” Miranda asked her friends.
"Can't. Gotta stock shelves," Chris said.
"Dad will be home tonight," Laurie said. It was explanation enough. Laurie never wanted to miss a moment with her father, who often had to be away from home to sell farm and ranch supplies across the state.
"Maybe I can ride Elliot's bus. I'll have to call Gram and ask." When Miranda couldn't find another ride, she rode the bus to Shady Hills Horse Ranch with Elliot, the ranch owner's seven-year-old grandson. Seeing her favorite horse in the world, the black stallion, Starlight, was the high point of Miranda’s life.
Grandma didn’t answer the phone the first time Miranda tried, so she called again after school.
“No, come home on your own bus,” Grandma told Miranda. “Corey and Jolene have come to help put up the new machine shed. You can watch Cody so Jolene can help too.”
The bus pulled away from the curb just as Miranda stepped out the door of the school.
“Wait!” she shouted, waving her arms.
When it didn't stop, she dashed back into the school to phone Grandma again. There was no answer. She left a message and then began the long walk home.
Home. Although her mother was far away in Los Angeles, her grandparent's dairy would always be her home. It was where she spent the first five years of her life—and the past year and a half. While in L. A. with her mother for the five years in between, she'd missed her grandparents and the farm. Now she missed her mother, but not enough to want to go back to the city to live with her. I just wish we could all be together.
It took over an hour to walk the three miles home. As she neared the driveway, a black, bear-like creature came bounding toward her. She braced herself to keep from being bowled over.
“Hi, Bro. At least someone is glad to see me,” Miranda said, petting his big head affectionately.
Little Brother was the puppy she’d found whimpering near the county road less than three months ago. It was hard to believe he’d ever been the tiny ball of fur she’d easily held in her hands. And he was still growing. Judging from his size, shape, and thick coat, Grandpa guessed he was a Newfoundland-Labrador cross.
Little Brother walked beside her past the garage and the granary to where a big metal building was being erected. Her Aunt Jolene was just taking a sleepy toddler from the Jeep parked nearby.
“He just woke up, Miranda,” said her aunt. “Will you take him in the house and change him? He can have a snack. I left some arrowroot cookies and some apple juice in the kitchen.”
“Come to cousin, Cody,” Miranda said, smiling. “We’ll go have some fun.”
Cody smiled and held out his arms to her. Because Corey, Jolene, and Cody lived a three-hour drive away, Miranda didn’t see them often, but Cody never seemed to forget her. Miranda slept on the couch that night and Cody in the playpen beside her, so that her aunt and uncle could have her bedroom.
They left right after breakfast, heading home the same time Miranda boarded the bus to go to school. She had Grandma's permission to go to Shady Hills and see Starlight after school. She could hardly wait.
The teacher seemed a little less confident, today, referring to notes on her desk as she gave out assignments and talked about possible activities for the future. Most of the time, she just talked about herself, her college experiences, and what she didn’t agree with in the traditional school system. Not until after lunch did she give them anything concrete to work on.
“By the end of this quarter, you will each turn in a twenty page paper, which will include footnotes, a complete bibliography of at least six sources, and a title page. It must be typed in a Word document, 1 and 1/2 spaced, with a header including your last name and page numbers.” When the students groaned, Miss Hopper added, “You have almost nine weeks to complete this project, and you may choose any topic that interests you—with my approval, of course. I will be pretty lenient as long as your topic isn't trivial.”
When Miranda asked to research and write about horse racing, Miss Hopper said no, that subject was too trivial. "How to Train a Horse" was also vetoed.
“Then what isn’t trivial?” Miranda asked.
“Write about something scientific, a great moment in world history, another culture, or a career.”
“Horse racing is a career. Horse training is a career!” Miranda raved. “Don’t you know anything?”
“Miss Stevens. You will not talk to me in that tone of voice. For your disrespect, I'm giving you two days of detention. Report to the library for an hour after school today and tomorrow.”
Miranda gaped, too stunned to speak. "You can't do that!" she finally groaned. "That's mean and…and, not fair."
"I can and I just did. Keep it up and I'll make it a week."
Miranda choked back an angry retort. Sixth grade was off to a bumpy start. For Miranda, there could be no worse punishment than keeping her from seeing her horse. Feelings of hatred and contempt for Miss Hopper sprouted in Miranda’s heart.
Grandma didn’t allow Miranda to go to Shady Hills Horse Ranch after detention on Thursday or Friday. But on Saturday morning, Grandma agreed to let her go as soon as she finished her chores. Miranda, determined to make it up to Starlight by getting there as early as possible, rose before dawn to do her chores and ready. Grandma drove her to the stables after an early breakfast.
“Looks like Mr. Taylor has company,” Grandma said as they drove across the cattle guard into the Shady Hills headquarters. Miranda stared at a faded red Honda sedan with a rumpled fender and cracked windshield parked in front of Mr. Taylor’s two-car garage.
“This early? That would be a first. It doesn’t look like the sort of company Mr. Taylor invites to his house,” Miranda said.
In fact, she’d never known the elderly owner of Shady Hills to have visitors in his sprawling ranch house. He did his business with horse buyers in an office in the old barn. She looked at the Kansas license plate on the back of the little car. "Whoever it is, they're a long way from home."
Miranda's hand was on the door handle as Grandma stopped in front of the shedrow of stables.
“I'll see you tonight. Mrs. Langley will bring me home,” she said, grabbing her lunch and dashing to her horse's stall. Miranda called him hers, even though Mr. Taylor had only given her half interest. She forgot all about the mysterious visitor.
Starlight had been bred to replace Cadillac’s Last Knight, Cash Taylor’s famous Thoroughbred stallion. Knight had won his share of races before he was retired from the track to sire winning foals. People brought their mares from all over the country to the Shady Hills Horse Ranch in Montana to get a black foal from this winner of many races. Knight and a sleek black mare named Jet Stream Dream produced the foal, Sir Jet Propelled Cadillac whom Miranda called Starlight.
Mr. Taylor's dreams for Sir Jet were shattered when he tangled with barbed wire before he was two years old. The cuts were so deep, Mr. Taylor decided to have him put to sleep. Miranda just couldn't let that happen, even though she had been told to stay off Shady Hills Ranch. Determined to save Starlight, Miranda nursed him back to health and won his devotion in the process.
When Mr. Taylor saw her ride him around the racetrack faster than any horse Shady Hills had ever produced, Mr. Taylor couldn't wait to get him on the track winning races. Then Sir Jet could replace Knight, carrying on the fame and good fortune of Shady Hills Horse Ranch. But the men he hired couldn't get Starlight to do perform. He bucked and refused to run. Mr. Taylor needed Starlight’s cooperation, and to get that, he needed Miranda's help. Mr. Taylor proposed a partnership. In exchange for her cooperation he gave her half interest in Starlight with papers that said she would inherit full ownership when Mr. Taylor died. All she had to do was to get him to carry a jockey in a race without bucking him off.
“Starlight, I’m so sorry I didn’t get to see you the past three days. I missed you,” Miranda called as she ran through the stall and found Starlight grazing at the far end of his narrow paddock.
Starlight nickered, put his head down, kicked up his hind feet in a sort of twisted little jump, and trotted up to meet her. He nudged her with his nose, and she had to step backward to keep her balance. She scratched his neck and face as she reached into her pocket for a treat for him. He liked apples, celery, and carrots.
“I can tell that you missed me too,” she said. “Don’t worry. You and I are going to spend the whole day together. First we’ll warm up, then maybe do some laps on the track, but as soon as Mrs. Langley, Chris, and Laurie get here, we're going on a trail ride. You'll behave yourself won't you?” Miranda hoped her friends would get here soon, but didn't think Laurie’s mom was exactly a morning person.
Starlight seemed to like the longe (pronounced lunj) line. He ran faster and faster in an ever-widening circle as she stood in the middle feeding out the thirty feet of longe line as he trotted, then galloped around her. Then she would gradually pull him closer, until he spiraled in to stop in front of her.
The sun shone brightly and the light frost that had covered the grass that morning turned to sparkling drops. After his exercise on the longe, Miranda led Starlight to the tack shed and wrapped his lead rope around the hitching post. She brushed his glistening coat and then rubbed him down with fly wipe, before going back in to choose a saddle for the ride.
“I think I’ll use a western saddle today,” she told Starlight as she came out carrying the lightest one she could find.
Mrs. Langley’s new car pulled up in front of the stable and Laurie and Christopher piled out.
“Hurry and get your horses ready,” Miranda called. “Starlight's ready. Who are you going to ride, Mrs. Langley?”
“Cinder, I think. I’ll go find Mr. Taylor and make sure.”
“Here he comes now,” said Laurie. “Who’s that with him?”
Miranda looked up to see a slight young man striding toward them beside Mr. Taylor. Mrs. Langley went to meet them and asked about the gentle bay gelding, Cinder.
“Certainly. I had Adam bring him in for you last night. He’s in the stall next to Lady,” Mr. Taylor said.
“Would Elliot like to come with us?” Mrs. Langley asked, referring to Mr. Taylor’s grandson. Elliot had lived with Mr. Taylor since his mother died less than a year ago in England.
“No, Elliot’s going with Adam and me to Helena today, but thanks for asking.” Mr. Taylor seemed in a hurry to get past Mrs. Langley, and when she stepped aside he strode toward Miranda.
“Miranda, I want you to meet Colton Spencer,” Mr. Taylor said.
“Hello,” she said.
Why is he introducing me and not Laurie's mom? How rude! Miranda stared at Colton's narrow, pimply face, light brown hair that looked as if it hadn’t been combed, and bright blue eyes that seemed too big for his thin face.
“Colton is the young man I was telling you about, Miranda. He's here to train Sir Jet with you,” Mr. Taylor explained.
“Oh,” Miranda gasped. “I didn’t know he was coming so soon.”
In truth, Miranda had forgotten about her agreement with Mr. Taylor to work with a jockey. She didn't know how she was supposed to teach him to get the most out of Starlight and not get bucked off like the rider in his first race had.
“Well, here he is. He's getting his license from the Montana Board of Horseracing, so he’ll be able to ride in the next race.”
“But there aren’t any more races until spring,” Miranda said, “So there isn’t any hurry. I guess we could start Monday after school.”
“No more races in Montana, but we can’t wait until spring to get some wins to Sir Jet’s name. I want him ready for the race in Denver in November,” Mr. Taylor said. “We have no time to lose. I want you to start today.”
But Mr. Taylor, I was going to ride with Mrs. Langley and Laurie and...”
“They’ll have to get along without you,” Mr. Taylor interrupted. “With you in school now, I want you to spend your weekends and evenings helping Colton.”
Chapter Two
Miranda glared at the homely, awkward stranger as her friends rode off without her. Colton Spencer stared back for a few moments before looking at the ground. He scraped the toe of his worn cowboy boot in the dust.
“Sorry to interrupt your plans. Look, if you don’t want to do this today, go on with your friends. Mr. Taylor‘s gone now. I won’t tell him,” he said.
“Fine, maybe I will. I never wanted to teach a stranger how to ride my horse. But it was part of the deal. He wouldn’t be even part mine if I hadn’t agreed,” Miranda said.
“Well, I don’t exactly like a kid telling me how to do what I’ve been doing my whole life, either,” Colton said, looking her in the eye.
“No, I suppose not,” Miranda said in a softer tone. “So why did you come here?”
“It's not easy to get a job when you’re first getting started. I saw his ad in a racing journal and sent an application,” Colton explained. “Of course the ad didn’t mention I’d be working for a ten-year-old.”
“I’m eleven and a half!” Miranda informed him. “And if you don’t want to work for me, just go back to Kansas.”
“Sorry, I’m stuck. It took every dime I had to get here.”
“When did you get here? Did you stay with Mr. Taylor all night?” Miranda was curious.
“Yeah, I got here about eight. Didn't have any place else to go. I could tell he didn't like it, but he let me have the bedroom. He sleeps on a couch in his den,” Colton said with awe in his voice. “He’s kind of strange, isn’t he?”
“He’s okay.” Miranda said. She thought Mr. Taylor was eccentric and unpredictable but she had grown to respect his right to be just the way he was. “Do you think he'll let you stay in his house until you can afford to rent a place?”
“Hey, the ad said my housing would be furnished. He’s going to have to put me up. I’ll stay in his house until there’s room in the bunkhouse. Mr. Taylor said it would be two weeks.”
“What? Who’s moving out of the bunk house?”
Miranda was alarmed. Surely Higgins, the old groom and trainer, wouldn't leave. She couldn't imagine Shady Hills without him. He seemed to have recovered well from his broken hip and was back to working with the horses again..
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Mr. Taylor, I guess,” Colton said, “Shall we get started, or are you going to catch up with your friends?”
Miranda stared at Colton’s long thin nose, which turned up at the end. He looks like Pinnochio, she thought. She didn't know where to start. She decided she’d have to see what he knew about horses. If he believed as Adam Barber did, that man was master and a horse must submit, it might be a hopeless case. In Miranda's heart and mind, horses were born free spirits, and would only do their best for a human if it were their own choice. The bond of love and understanding between her and Starlight made it easy for her to ride and train him.
“I’m going to put Starlight back in his paddock. I’ll watch while you catch him,” Miranda said, leading Starlight back to the paddock.
“Why do you want to do that? You think I don’t know how to catch a horse? I grew up with horses, I’ll have you know!” Colton exclaimed angrily.
“Not Starlight,” Miranda said.
She handed Colton the halter, climbed up on the fence and then onto the roof of the stable. She sat with her arms around her knees, out of Starlight’s sight but with a good view of his paddock.
“This is stupid. I don’t like having a little girl watching me like a hawk,” Colton grumbled.
Miranda shrugged and waited for him to begin. Shaking his head, Colton put the halter behind his back and walked toward Starlight. Starlight stared at Colton as he approached. Just as the young man reached out to touch him, Starlight arched his neck, pivoted and ran to the end of the paddock. With a deep sigh and a glance at Miranda, Colton turned and followed the horse. The routine was repeated at the far end of the paddock, and Starlight ran back toward the stable. Colton saw his chance to trap him in his stall. He ran behind him, but when Starlight got to the open door, he turned to face Colton.
“Hey yaaah!” Colton shouted, waving his arms and the halter.
Starlight, snorted, pranced, and dashed along the fence past Colton to the far end of the paddock. Miranda couldn’t help laughing. When she saw Colton looking at her she tried to stop.
“All right, Smarty,” Colton said. “I suppose you can do better. I’ll get him. I just have to wear him down. He’ll get tired pretty soon.”
“Don't count on him getting tired before you do. This is a game to him, and he’s loving it.”
“Then get me a lariat and I’ll rope him.”
“Over my dead body!” Miranda exclaimed, climbing off the roof. “You won't catch him until he wants you to. And if you hurt him or scare him, I’ll make sure you get fired.”
“So what do you want me to do? Play cat and mouse with him all day?” Colton asked angrily. “I could be riding him, if you hadn’t turned him loose. That’s what I was hired to do, you know.”
“So far, I’m the only person who can ride Starlight without getting bucked off,” Miranda said. “I'd like to keep it that way, but I can't ride him in a race because I’m not old enough. That's why Mr. Taylor wants me to teach you. If you don’t like it, quit.”
Colton looked as if he’d like to strangle her. She forced herself to keep looking him in the eye, determined not to let him see that she felt like crying. As she watched him fight for control of his anger, his expression suddenly changed. He smiled and threw up his hands.
“Okay, boss,” he said softly. “What do I do now?”
“I’ll leave you alone with him while I go clean some stalls,” Miranda said. “Take your time. Talk to him. Get to know him and let him get to know you. And don’t bother about trying to hide the halter. He’s not stupid.”
Miranda went into his stall and closed the door behind her. When she finished cleaning his stall, she cleaned Queen’s and Lady’s, working as fast as she could, mainly to keep her feelings in check. But when the work was done she slumped into the corner of Lady’s stall and cried.
“Starlight,” she whispered between sobs, “if I don’t help Colton win your trust, I’ll be letting Mr. Taylor down. But if I do, you aren’t all mine anymore.”
She finally stood, wiped her nose and eyes on her shirtsleeve, and quietly climbed up on the stable roof. She saw Colton sitting on the ground in the corner of the paddock. Starlight had his head down, almost in Colton’s lap getting his face patted and his ears scratched. She watched as Colton stood up slowly, still petting Starlight.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Miranda,” Colton said with a huge grin on his face as he spotted her on the roof. “I’ve learned something new today. Who taught you?”
Miranda was surprised by the question.
“Starlight, I guess. It just makes sense to treat an animal like you’d like to be treated. I love Starlight with all my heart, and so he loves me back.”
“So, what do we do next,” asked Colton.
“Well, I always longe him before I ride.”
“Why?”
“To warm him up. I know there are other ways. Adam used the exercise wheel. But longeing is like a game for Starlight and me.”
She bit her tongue, wishing she hadn’t even mentioned it. She’d rather keep her playtime with Starlight to herself.
“We already did that this morning, so I guess we’re ready to saddle him,” she said.
Miranda chose a light English saddle and the bitless bridle that she preferred. Colton had never seen such a thing and said he’d never get away with using that in a real race. He followed Miranda down the hill to the racetrack.
“Let me show you what he can do before you try.”
Colton frowned but didn’t argue. Miranda wanted to keep Starlight to herself as long as possible, but she also needed time to think. She trotted around the race track, one with Starlight body and spirit. He responded to her slightest cues. She sat totally relaxed. When she shifted her weight forward ever so slightly, Starlight stretched into an easy lope. When she leaned over his neck and whisper, “Good boy, Starlight,” he picked up the pace until she felt like they were flying. She could barely feel when his hooves touched the ground. They made two laps around the track at this speed. She saw Colton get down from the fence as she approached the third time around. Instead of slowing down, she raised up in the saddle, her face in Starlight’s flowing black mane.
“Okay, boy. Now you can run.”
The sudden burst of speed took her breath away as it always did. The wind in her face brought tears to her eyes. This was flying. This was ecstasy.
Wide eyed, Colton slowly shook his head they finally stopped in front of him.
“I never saw a horse run so fast in my life!” he exclaimed. “I thought he was going full out the second time around the track. What stamina! Why he isn’t even breathing hard. I never saw anything like it.”
Miranda wasn't ready to let Colton ride yet.
“Here, lead him around the track to cool him down. Talk to him as you go. You have time to get better acquainted before ride.” She handed Colton the reins. Colton didn’t argue. For the rest of the day, they stayed near Starlight, talking, letting him see them together, letting Starlight get used to having Colton around.
“I'm dying to ride him like you did, but I don't want to get bucked off, either, so I'll take as much time as you think I need to.
"I think we'll know when he's ready," Miranda said, secretly hoping it wouldn't be soon.
The phone rang just as Miranda was getting into bed that night.
“Hi, Sweetie. How’s it going?” her mother asked.
“Pretty good, except I hate school, and there's this new guy at Shady Hills,” Miranda began.
“Did you see Adam, today?” her mother asked.
“No, why?”
“I need to talk to him, and I haven’t been able to reach him.”
“He went with Mr. Taylor to Helena. Why?”
So much for wanting to know about me! She only called to find out about Adam. Adam Barber had come to Shady Hills as a riding instructor for her friend, Christopher, and had stayed on to work for Mr. Taylor when his elderly groom and trainer, Higgins, was injured. Miranda had never liked Adam, handsome as he was, for he either ignored her or treated her like a baby.
She both loved and hated that he brought news that her father had been lost at sea in an attempt to save another sailor. After telling her, Adam had gone on to California to tell her mom. To Miranda’s horror, an attraction developed between them, and all too soon her mother informed Miranda that she was going to marry Adam.
“It's Margot,” Mom explained. “She's not happy here, and she isn’t doing well in school.”
Adam’s eight-year-old daughter, Margot became Adam’s responsibility when her mother was killed in a boating accident. He immediately shifted that burden to Miranda’s mother in California. He said it was so Margot could bond with her future stepmother. Miranda thought that was an excuse to get out of taking care of her.
“Is she going to come live with Adam, then?” Miranda asked.
“No, Adam is coming here. He gave Mr. Taylor two weeks notice, but I think he shouldn’t wait that long. His daughter needs him now.”
So that’s who's moving out of the bunkhouse. “Does that mean you’re getting married right away?” Miranda asked in horror.
“No. Adam has rented an apartment nearby. He wanted me to elope with him, but I want a real wedding in June. You’ll be my Maid of Honor. Margot will be my flower girl. I can’t wait for you to meet her, Miranda. You’ll love having a little sister.”
Miranda wasn’t so sure.
Chapter Three
“I can’t believe my eyes,” Mr. Taylor told Miranda as he stared at the stopwatch one day in early October. “He’s running as fast with Colton as he did with you — faster than Knight ever did.”
She watched Colton sit back and relax in the saddle. Starlight began to slow his pace. They rounded the track once before stopping in front of Mr. Taylor.
“That horse is ready, and so are you,” Mr. Taylor said to Colton. “Have you always ridden like that?”
“I probably would have made the same mistake as the other guys who tried to ride him, if Miranda hadn’t shared her secrets with me. I’ll never look at horses in the same way again. And I think I’ll have much better success with them,” Colton said, flashing a smile at Miranda.
“Well, between you and Miranda, I’m sure you can keep him in form.” Mr. Taylor said. “Colton, I realize you signed on as a jockey, but would you like to start some coming three year olds? They should have been well broke by now, but I’ve been so short handed, I haven’t had a chance.”
“Sure,” Colton answered. “I’ll be glad to have more horses to work with. Miranda had all the work done on this one. I just had to learn to let him do his thing.”
“Don't go getting hurt, though. I can’t afford to lose a good rider. Be careful, and if they give you any trouble, I’ll find someone to break them first.”
“Did you hear that?” Miranda asked Colton when Mr. Taylor went back to the house. “Why do men talk about breaking horses? Do they want them broken? Let me help you, Colton, so he won’t think he needs to hire some bronc buster.”
“Sure,” Colton said, smiling.
After Adam left, Colton not only settled into the bunkhouse with Higgins. He helped Higgins with his work.
"I want to learn all I can from the old man," Colton told Miranda. "He knows horses. He's been a jockey, a trainer, a groom. You name it. He's the horse expert around here." Colton had begun confiding in Miranda, treating her as a friend.
Their friendship helped Miranda overcome her jealously of Colton’s ability to ride Starlight. It was plain he wasn’t trying to take her place in his affections. She spent some of her time helping Colton with other horses, but made sure she didn’t neglect Starlight. And Starlight made it plain that seeing Miranda was the highlight of his day. She loved every moment spent at Shady Hills, even mucking stalls. School was a different story.
“Quiet!” yelled Miss Hopper, but no one but Miranda seemed to hear her over the din.
“Shut up!” the teacher screamed, slamming a book on her desk for attention.
Finally, the room fell silent.
“Everyone line up against the back wall,” she demanded. “When I call your name, come and take the seat I point to.”
She read the names of her twelve students alphabetically. Starting at the front of the first row of four desks, she pointed to one desk after another as the students came to her call. Miranda sat next to the back of the third row, Laurie was at the front of the middle row, and Chris sat second from the front of the first row. The class was quiet as they stared at the teacher. Her face was red and her mouth pressed in a hard thin line.
“I want order in the classroom. If you are going to behave like first graders, I’ll treat you like first graders!” she scolded. “No one speak without raising your hand and don’t get out of your desk without permission.”
“What got into her?” Miranda asked Laurie at recess.
“I heard she got called into Mr. Alderman’s office. My mom went to see him last week to complain about how rowdy and disorganized her class is. He said he'd talk to her because other parents had complained too.”
“At the parent-teacher conferences last week, Grandma told her that I said it was impossible to study in there anymore. Miss Hopper acted like she didn’t know what Gram was talking about.”
“My mom talked to her, too, but it didn’t change anything,” Laurie said.
“I don't get her. On the first day, she seemed organized and smart about teaching. She said we wouldn’t follow books, but she’s not doing anything,” Miranda complained.
The four other girls from their class joined the conversation.
“She has a boyfriend,” Lisa informed them.
“Yeah,” Kimberly said. “It’s my cousin, Jeb. That’s why she is so nice to me. She wants to talk about him all the time.”
“Don’t blame Kimberly if it seems like she’s teacher’s pet,” said Stephanie, “or the rest of us, just because we hang out together. It’s not like any of us like to hear all the stuff she tells us.”
“She tells us about her love life and then asks us about ours. She wants to know who our boyfriends are,” added Tammy. “It’s like she wants to be one of the kids instead of the teacher.”
“She treats me and Laurie and Chris like we don’t exist. When we ask her something, she tells us to figure it out, like it’s simple and we’re stupid. I think she doesn’t know the answers herself,” Miranda said.
“Believe me, I’d rather she ignored me! I hate how she asks me about my cousin all the time,” Kimberly said.
“How long do you think she’ll keep order in the class?” Laurie asked.
“About as long as she did at the beginning of school; two or three days until we figured out she didn’t mean half the stuff she said,” Lisa replied.
Miranda decided to test her. Back in the classroom after recess, she raised her hand. For a long time, Miss Hopper didn’t notice. Miranda sat stubbornly with her hand held high, until all the kids in the class were looking at her. Miss Hopper finally noticed.
“What is it, Miranda?”
“When are we going on one of the field trips you promised?”
“Field trip, well,” Miss Hopper began uncertainly. “I plan to take you to some caves when we get into our section on geology.“
“Let’s start it now,” Miranda suggested. “We aren’t doing anything else in science.”
Kimberly raised her hand and the teacher quickly acknowledged her.
“I think I could get my cousin, Jeb, to help out. He has a commercial driver’s license so he could even drive the bus,” Kimberly said.
“Well now, I think that’s a great idea. Thank you Miranda and Kimberly.” Miss Hopper looked relieved. “Let’s go to the Lewis and Clark Caverns.”
“Can’t!” Bill said, not bothering to raise his hand. “It’s closed for the season.”
“Oh, surely not,” Miss Hopper began.
“My aunt works there as a guide. I know when it closes,” Bill argued.
“I know where there’s a cave!” Miranda shouted. “It’s on private property, but I’ll ask permission for us to go.”
Miranda felt important as she led the noisy group of sixth-graders through the pasture and up the hill to the cave. Mr. Taylor had given his permission grudgingly after making the school sign a waiver releasing him from all liability.
"Will there be plenty of adult supervision?” Mr. Taylor had asked Miranda.
“There are only twelve kids in our class,” Miranda assured him. “The teacher and at least one other adult will come. That should be plenty.”
“Not half enough, if they’re all like you!” Miranda couldn't tell if he were joking or not.
Miranda soon shed her heavy jacket. The exertion of climbing kept her warm in spite of the cold breeze. She looked back at the group as she tied it around her waist by the sleeves. Miss Hopper and Jeb were far behind the rest, walking hand in hand.
As soon as they reached the cave, the boys scattered in several directions, exploring various openings in the sloping walls of the big room. Some of the girls egged them on with squeals about their bravery.
“Wait for me, Josh.” Stephanie said with a giggle. “Hold my hand so I don’t get lost.”
“Hey you guys!” Miranda called. “Wait until Miss Hopper gets here.”
“Who made you the boss, Miranda?” Kyle asked as he crawled out of a narrow hole. “That one doesn’t go anywhere, guys. Wait for me, Bill.”
Miss Hopper finally arrived, breathless.
“Where is everybody?” Jeb asked. “Hey, come back here!”
Putting his thumb and one finger to his lips, he whistled loudly. The kids came stumbling back into the main room.
“Quiet, now!” he said. “Your teacher is going to set some ground rules and give you your assignment.”
“Uh, yes,” Miss Hopper began. “Don’t anyone go off alone and check back here every half hour. Take note of anything unusual you see, like rock formations.”
“Don’t get lost!” Jeb added.
Each of the children had a flashlight. In groups of three or more, the kids set off to explore the many passages.
"Come on, guys," Chris called running toward the tallest, widest opening.
“That doesn’t go very far, Chris,” Miranda said. “Come this.”
Miranda led Chris and Laurie on hands and knees through a small opening. She had explored it far enough to know it opened into a room big enough to stand up in, with at least two passages leading farther into the cave.
“Did you see that?” Laurie asked as she came out of the short tunnel to stand beside Chris and Miranda. “Miss Hopper and Jeb went off together the way you said didn’t go very far.”
“It leads to a small room and dead ends,” Miranda explained. “I used it for a bedroom when I camped out here with Starlight.”
"When brought Starlight up here in the middle of the winter because you thought Mr. Taylor was going to get rid of him," Laurie remembered. She shook her head as she said it, but admiration and awe shone in her brown eyes.
Chapter Four
Their three flashlight beams made wavering shadows as they panned around the walls and over stalactites and stalagmites. Water dripped from the ceiling.
“Look, there’s a tunnel. Let’s see where it goes,” said Miranda as she shined her light on a tall, narrow opening.
“I hope I can squeeze through,” said Chris. “I’m not as skinny as you two.”
“You can make it,” Miranda called to him, already through the opening into a larger room. “It gets bigger.”
“I made it, but it was a tight fit,” Chris said.
“Wow, look at this!” Laurie said. “It’s creepy.”
Miranda shivered as she panned the room with her flashlight beam. The floor tilted downward from the opening they’d come through. Strange formations cast eerie shadows on the glistening walls. The distant sound of running water didn’t block out the steady drip, drip, drip near them.
“I think we should go back,” Laurie whispered. “Has it been thirty minutes yet?”
Chris checked his watch. “No, just ten, and look, this goes on. There’s another passage down there.”
Miranda started toward it. Her feet slipped. She landed on her back and slid on the wet clay that covered the sloping floor. She dug in her heels, but kept sliding. She reached out, grabbed a stalagmite and held on.
“Are you okay?” Laurie asked in alarm.
“Can you climb back up?” Chris asked.
“It’s steeper than it looks, and there isn’t much to hold on to, but I’ll try,” Miranda said. “First let me see what’s below me. Hey, it levels out down there. Just a minute, I’m going to look around.”
“Miranda, don’t...” Laurie began, but Miranda had let go and was sliding away.
“Hey this is cool. There’s a little pool down here with fish in it. No kidding!” Miranda exclaimed from the floor where she landed.
She stared in awe at the pale, eyeless fish that swam about in the clear water of a long narrow pool. She couldn’t tell how deep it was.
“I’m coming down,” she heard Chris yell.
“No. We don’t know if we can get back up again,” Laurie said. “Someone might have to go for help to get Miranda out.”
“I’ll be careful and look for hand holds along the wall,” Chris said. “Shine your light over here, Laurie, so I can put my flashlight in my pocket and use both hands.”
Miranda left the pool and focused the beam of her light on Chris too. He moved with caution, going backward, gripping indentations in the wet surface of the wall.
“Watch your step, Chris. It gets steeper right there.”
“Yikes!” Chris screamed as his feet slipped out from under him. He slid backward on his stomach.
Miranda jumped out of the way.
"Are you okay, Chris?”
“Yeah, just wet and muddy,” he said, getting up and wiping his hands on the back of his jeans. Miranda tried to climb the steep, wet bank, but the slimy clay offered no footing or hand holds.
“Should I go get help?” Laurie asked from above.
“Shhh. Listen!” Miranda said.
She heard echoing voices.
“I don’t hear anything,” Laurie said.
“It’s coming from that way,” Chris said, aiming his beam on the opening where a small underground stream trickled from the pond into the darkness.
“This must connect with another passageway!” Miranda said. “Come on down, Laurie. We’ll find the others and go back the way they came.”
“Hey, Josh! Wait up.” Chris called. “Stay where you are.”
His voice, bouncing back and forth in the narrow chamber sent prickles up Miranda’s spine. Laurie landed beside her.
“Don’t yell, Chris,” Laurie said. “It gives me the creeps.
“Their voices were fading away. I didn’t want them to go on without us,” he said quietly.
“Listen.”
The cave was quiet except for the echoes of their whispers.
“Let’s go,” said Miranda. “We’ll follow this little stream until we find them.”
They walked in silence. Laurie followed Miranda, and Chris brought up the rear.
“Did anyone bring extra batteries? My light’s getting dim,” Miranda said, stopping.
“Not me,” Chris said. Laurie shook her head sadly, her eyes full of fear.
“Let’s just use one light at a time so we don’t all run out at once,” Miranda suggested.
Chris and Laurie snapped off their lights and crowded close to Miranda. They strode on, pausing every few steps to listen. Miranda watched the floor for footprints. The corridor narrowed and the floor rose until they had to get down on their hands and knees to crawl because the ceiling was so close to the floor. The path descended sharply as the corridor widened into a small chamber. Miranda stopped.
“Which way?” she asked, shining her light on three different tunnels leading from the room.
“Look for tracks!” Chris commanded excitedly. “I bet this is where Josh and the others were when we heard their voices.”
He and Laurie turned on their flashlights and they all examined the floor carefully. Most of it was too rocky for any prints to show up.
“Here,” said Miranda. “In the mud down this tunnel. Isn’t that a footprint?”
They all examined the imprint of a shoe. Farther along, they found larger ones with a different tread, then more of each together.
“Wait a minute,” said Laurie. “How do we know if they are going back toward the entrance? I think they’re going farther into the cave. If they were headed back, we’d see tracks going both directions.”
“Um, I guess so,” Miranda said.
“Should we go back to that room and see if we can see which way they came from?” asked Chris.
“All right,” Miranda said.
Chris led the way back and they carefully examined each passageway for signs of prints, going a short distance into each one.
“Here's some." Laurie yelled.
Miranda and Chris ran to her and shined their lights on the soft ground a little way up one narrow tunnel.
“Good, let’s follow them,” Miranda said.
The passageway narrowed and the ceiling got lower as they climbed.
“Stop!” Chris shouted.
“What?” asked Laurie.
“This is the way we came. We’re following our own tracks.”
Miranda nodded. “Just what I was thinking. Well, let’s go back.”
"Let's take the other one and see where it leads," Chris said.
“Or we could take the one where we found Josh’s tracks and catch up with them. We might meet them coming back. They can tell us which one they came through so we don’t wander down the wrong one.”
“Okay,” Laurie said. “But let’s hurry. I'm getting really creeped out.”
Back in the tunnel, Miranda led the way. They stayed as close together as the narrow passageway allowed. Miranda’s light became no more than a dull orange circle and then went out completely. Chris pulled his from his pocket, switched it on, and handed it to Miranda.
“I’m surprised they haven’t come back yet,” Laurie whispered several minutes later. “Do you think they’re looking for another way out?”
“Listen,” Miranda said, stopping again.
“Sounds like a river,” Chris said.
“More like a waterfall,” Miranda said. “Maybe they’ll stop there to look at it. Let’s hurry.”
They quickened their pace until a scream pierced the air and echoed repeatedly.
Stopping dead in their tracks, they listened, not daring to breath. They heard voices and then sobbing.
Chris called and when his echoes died away, they heard Josh’s voice reverberating back to them.
“We’re here! Our flashlights died.”
“Stay where you are. We’re coming,” Miranda yelled.
In the yellow glow of Chris’s flashlight, Stephanie’s face was pale and streaked with tears as she clung to Josh’s arm.
“Where are the others?” Laurie asked.
“Didn’t you meet them?” Josh asked. “We got lost, so we split up in a small room back there. We were trying to find the way we came, but we all knew we hadn’t been in that room before. Some went back, but we thought this might lead to another way out.”
“We came into the same room from a different way,” Miranda explained. “We found your tracks so we followed them.”
“Then we can go back the way you came in and get out of here!” Josh said excitedly.
“Sorry. We came down a steep slide that’s impossible to climb. We have to find another way.”
“Oh, no. We're going to die in here, aren't we?" Stephanie asked between sobs.
“I say we keep going. There’s an underground river we’ve been following. It’s got to come out somewhere. We’re probably almost there,” Josh said.
“Maybe not,” Chris argued. “And even if it does, there might not be any way to follow it. I’m not much in the mood for trying to swim through some tunnel that might not end up anywhere but farther underground.”
“Chris has a point,” Miranda said, shivering at the thought of getting any wetter than she already was. “I say we go back.”
“But we’d never find our way out,” Stephanie said. “It’s like a maze. There’s one place that’s very slippery and you could fall a long way off the side, and there’s a tiny opening you have to crawl through on your belly. I don’t even think Chris could squeeze through.”
“Thanks, Steph,” Chris growled.
“I just mean, it was tight for me and you’re bigger. I don’t want to go back that way.”
“Well, we’d better do something,” Miranda said, snapping off Chris’s light and leaving them in blackness.
“Turn that back on,” Stephanie screamed.
“We’re going to run out of batteries just standing here. So, until we decide what we’re doing, we can stand in the dark.”
“Come on,” said Josh. “Let’s keep going, at least until we see if the way along the river opens up or narrows down. I still think we might be almost to an opening.”
Miranda didn't like it. They had been going downhill most of the way. She guessed they were far below ground level by now, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Snapping the light back on she led the way.
“Now which way?” Miranda asked as they entered another small room that split into two tunnels.
The dim yellow light faded and went out. Someone gasped. Laurie turned on her flashlight and panned the walls with its beam.
“That’s our last flashlight,” Miranda said. “We’d better keep moving.”
“Here, you take it, Miranda. I’ll follow you.”
“The river is on the left. Let’s stay as close to it as we can,” Josh suggested.
Miranda took the left passage, and they all followed closely. Soon they were forced to their hands and knees as the ceiling closed in on them. When they spoke at all, they talked softly to avoid the eerie echoes. Finally they were able to stand again as the floor of the cavern sloped downward. The light was becoming dim. Soon it faded out altogether. Stephanie started crying again.
“Now we’ll never get out of here,” she sobbed.
“The darkness is so thick, I feel like it’s pushing me down,” Laurie said.
“Me too.” Miranda shuddered as she heard tears in her friend's voice. She fought back tears of her own. “Let’s go single file, holding on to the one in front of you. We’ll go slow and feel our way.”
No one argued. Laurie gripped Miranda’s waist.
“Everyone ready?” Miranda asked.
“Yes. I’m behind Steph and she’s holding onto Chris,” Josh said.
They all shuffled forward slowly and silently for several minutes.
“Stop! Back up.” Miranda shouted.
“What’s the matter?” Stephanie squealed.
“Find me a rock or something.”
She felt a nudge to her shoulder and reached back to take the small stone that someone handed her. She dropped it and listened to it clunk, tumble, and rattle until a little splash echoed up to them from far below.
Chapter Five
The silence was finally broken by a sob.
“That could have been you, Miranda. Or all of us,” Chris whispered.
“Let’s all go back to that last big room. Be careful and stay together,” Miranda said. “I'm not going any farther in the dark. If we just wait, someone will find us.”
Feeling their way back, they stopped when the walls got so far apart they couldn’t touch both of them at once. They sat down, leaned against a wall, and huddled close together. For a while they talked quietly, trying to cheer each other.
“It won’t be long. They probably started looking when we didn’t show up after the first half hour,” said Miranda.
“Yeah, or soon after,” Josh agreed.
The darkness shushed them, and they fell silent until a long, low rumble broke the stillness.
“That was my stomach growling,” Chris said. “I’m starving.”
“Me too,” Miranda admitted. “Did anyone bring along a lunch?”
“I left mine back at the mouth of the cave. I thought we'd be back in half an hour,” Josh said, “but I brought a canteen. Anyone thirsty?”
They all wanted a drink and passed the empty canteen back to Josh.
“There’s a pretty steady drip over here. I had to move to keep it from running down my neck. I’ll put the canteen under it,” Josh said.
Miranda leaned her head on Chris’s shoulder; Laurie rested hers in Miranda’s lap. Miranda listened to Stephanie’s sobs and the light tap of Josh’s hand as he patted her.
“I’m sorry, Steph, but don’t worry. We’ll be rescued soon.” The fear in Josh’s voice did little to calm any of them.
Miranda closed her eyes and opened them again. No difference. This is total darkness! She closed her eyes. It wasn't as scary as having them open and seeing nothing. She finally dozed off and dreamed she was in a sunny meadow, running to meet Starlight, who was running toward her. She jumped on his back and they galloped together across the broad field. Suddenly, the ground dropped out from under them and they were falling together into darkness
She awakened with a start and opened her eyes. She stifled a scream as she encountered total darkness and remembered where she was. Someone snored softly. Laurie’s head was heavy in her lap. Miranda’s back and legs ached, and she shifted her weight as much as she could without disturbing Laurie. When her heart finally quit pounding she let her head sink against Chris’s chest and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. It seemed like a long time before she drifted off to sleep again.
“Hey! Are you guys all right?” came a voice behind a blinding light.
Miranda scrambled to her feet the same time Laurie did.
“Colton, is that you?” Miranda asked, shading her eyes with her hand. “Don’t shine that light in my eyes.”
“Sorry,” Colton said. “What a relief to find you. I was about to go back for more rope.”
His light beam focused on the loop of yellow nylon in his hand.
“How did you find us?” asked Miranda. “Is anyone with you?”
She'd never been so glad to see anyone in her life. All five of them crowded so close that Colton had to step back.
“I’m the only one skinny enough to get through one very narrow opening. I had to go back twice and have them pass me some more rope. Now all we have to do is follow the line back the way I came,” Colton said. “But first, I have water.”
He passed around a canteen, warning everyone to take only a few swallows at a time until they all got some. Josh picked up his own canteen, but there was hardly a mouthful in it and he spit immediately spit it out, saying it tasted like rust.
Colton asked if they were ready to follow.
“Do you have extra batteries?” Miranda asked.
“Yeah, lots of them.”
He gave some to everyone except Stephanie whose penlight needed AAA batteries. They followed Colton, happy for the extra light. Before long, Miranda heard scraping and pounding sounds.
"What's that?"
“We’re almost back to that narrow tunnel,” Colton informed them. “A couple of men have been working to enlarge it.“
“It sounds like it’s just around the corner,” Stephanie said. “I can’t wait to get out of here.”
“Sounds are deceiving in here. It’s a ways yet. But don’t worry; it won’t be long,” Colton said.
The sound faded away as they trudged uphill. They didn't talk much, and when they did it was only in whispers.
"I can't wait to get warm again," Stephanie said.
“Looks like they made it through the opening,” Miranda said, as two flickering lights blinked into view.
“There they are,” she heard Mr. Langley shout.
“Are they all there? Is everyone okay?” Miranda recognized the voice of Mr. Smythe’s.
“Daddy!” cried Stephanie.
When they finally reached the mouth of the cave, Miranda buried her face in her grandmother’s coat and Grandma hugged her tight. The sunshine was bright and hurt her eyes for a few minutes, but she was so glad to see it, she didn’t think she ever wanted to be in the dark again.
“I thought it would be dark by now. It seemed like we were in there a long time.
“It’s Friday morning, Miranda,” Grandma said. “You were in that cave almost twenty hours.”
Many of the kids’ mothers, some of the fathers, and a few other members of the community were there. They shouted out questions and outraged complaints until Mr. Smythe suggested they all take their kids home. The other six kids, who'd been found earlier, had refused to go home until they knew all their classmates were safe. Miranda didn't see Jeb or Miss Hopper.
“You kids have had enough excitement to last a long time. Get some rest. Don’t even try to go back to school today,” said Mr. Smythe.
Miranda fell asleep on the way home but woke up when Grandma stopped the car in front of the house. The phone was ringing when Miranda walked in the door.
“Miss Hopper got fired!” Laurie said when Miranda answered. “Dad was there when Mr. Smythe told her.”
“What happened?”
“Mr. Smythe was furious when he found out that Miss Hopper didn’t know where we were. She made the excuse that she had told us to choose a partner and stay together, like it was all our fault.”
“Dad said, ‘You relied on one kid looking after another in an unexplored cave?’ Then she said she told us to be back in half an hour, and we’d have been all right if we had obeyed.”
“Didn’t any of the kids come back by then?” Miranda asked.
“From what Dad and Mr. Smythe were able to figure out from her story and the other kids, stories, she wasn't there. She lost track of time and didn’t get back until after an hour had passed.”
“Wow! I’m surprised she admitted that.”
“I don’t think she meant to, but she had a hard time explaining why she and Jeb went to town in the bus without us.”
“They did? Why?” Miranda asked in surprise.
“Because when she and Jeb finally came out of that chamber, and no one was there, she thought we were trying to play a trick on her by going back to the bus. When they didn’t find us there, they drove back to town looking for us. She said she thought we’d be walking down the road.”