Chapter Nine
By Wednesday Maggie's ankle was almost back to normal. She was outfeeding calves when Tim and Jodi's car drove in.
They ran over, and Jodi pointed at Maggie's purple ankle. "Whathappened?" she asked.
"The horses knocked me down," Maggie said with a sigh. "And now Dad'sgoing to sell them."
"But Molly is your friend," said Tim.
"Yes," said Maggie, "but Mom never wanted Dad to buy them. When I gothurt, he said he would sell them."
"How soon will they go?" Tim wondered.
"Soon," said Maggie. "Mr. Croon already said he wants to buy them."
"Then we have to ride Molly today," Tim whispered.
"Children!" Tim's mom called. She and Maggie's mom looked excited."Aunt Betty says the blackberries are ripe. Let's all go pick some forsupper."
Maggie looked at Tim and made a face. Normally she liked to pickblackberries, but not today.
"Do we have to?" asked Tim. "Maggie said her ankle hurts." Maggiewondered what he was talking about. He added, "And you know how whinyJodi can get."
"I don't whine," Jodi protested. But then she caught on to what Timhad in mind. "Well," she added, "maybe I would with the mosquitoes andsticker bushes and all."
"Why don't you two go by yourselves?" said Maggie.
Aunt Jane frowned. "We can't leave you kids alone for the whole day."
"Uncle Fred can watch us," said Tim.
"Sure," Maggie agreed. "He said he's going to be greasing machinery inthe machine shed today."
"Well ..." said Aunt Jane. "... maybe that would be okay. But you kidsstay close to home. Do you hear?"
Three heads nodded solemnly. She didn't say how close, thought Maggie.
So the women set off for the woods with their berry buckets lookingvery happy. The minute they were out of sight Maggie gave Tim a pat onthe back.
"Good work," she said. "That bit about my leg was really smart. Justlet me lock Corky in the house, and we can get going."
They slipped into the barn by the back door so Maggie's dad wouldn'tsee them. Tim took Molly's bridle, and Maggie filled her pockets withoats. Then they cut through the cornfield instead of going up the lanein plain sight.
"How's your ankle?" asked Tim as they hurried through the tall greenstalks.
"I'll be fine," she assured him.
At first the horses seemed to be hiding. They weren't in the meadow orunder the oak tree. They weren't in the brushy spot along the southfence row. That meant they were probably in the small trees next tothe neighbor's wood lot. But where?
Maggie saw a flash of white in a thicket next to the fence andstopped.
"What the matter?" asked Jodi.
"Shh," said Maggie. "There's a cow lying in there. She's all byherself, and she could be sick or something. You guys stay here, andI'll check on her."
Maggie crept forward until she could see the cow more clearly.
"Is she okay?" Tim whispered from right behind Maggie. Jodi was rightbehind him.
Maggie turned and scowled at them. "You were supposed to stay backthere," she said crossly.
Tim shrugged, and Maggie looked back at the cow. It was Splash, one oftheir best milkers. Maggie wondered why she was here all by herself.Cows usually liked to stay together.
Then the answer was clear. A pair of tiny ears and a darling littlewhite nose appeared from behind the resting cow. Splash had a newcalf.
Maggie turned to tell Tim and Jodi, but then she froze. Corky wasbouncing toward them. In a flash, Maggie remembered other mother cowscharging after dogs. She and her cousins were in the way. They couldget trampled.
"Get back!" she shouted.
Sure enough, as Corky got closer, he began to bark. Splash lurched toher feet, and swung her head from side to side searching for thedanger.
"Run!" yelled Maggie, pushing her cousins back. "Run to the fence."
The three kids sprinted toward the fence as Corky barked with delight.He nipped at the cow's nose, and she charged at him.
"Yip!" Corky cried. He put his head between his legs, raced after thechildren, and passed them.
Splash crashed out of the brush toward the dog and the children. Thefence wasn't far away. They just might make it.
But just then Maggie's bad ankle gave out and she fell. She knew she'dnever get up in time. The cow was coming fast. Maggie shut her eyesand prepared to be attacked.
Chapter Ten
Maggie pulled her body into a tight ball and waited for the pain. Butinstead she felt the ground shake and heard an unearthly squeal.
Opening her eyes, she saw Molly run full speed into Splash. Before thecow could hurt Maggie, she was shoved away. Splash stumbled and almostwent down. When the cow regained her feet, she shook her head andstared at Molly. Molly stood over Maggie, and Splash went back to hercalf.
Maggie shuddered. At first she was too shaky to get up, and Mollysniffed her anxiously.
"Wow," Tim exclaimed as he slid back under the fence to join Maggie."That was like something you see on TV."
"We thought you were a goner," Jodi added.
Just then Dad arrived looking very angry. "What the heck is going on?"he demanded. "Don't you know that a cow with a calf can be dangerous?"
Maggie was so surprised to see him that she was speechless.
After catching his breath, Dad continued. "I never expected you kidsto leave the yard. When I realized you were gone, I let Corky out tofind you. What were you thinking?"
"Corky started all the trouble ..." Maggie began.
"Oh, no!" Dad shot back. "You kids started the trouble when you leftwithout telling me. I am going to give you guys such a spanking."
And he did. When Mom and Aunt Jane got home, the kids were standing indifferent corners of the kitchen with tear-stained faces.
"Mom," wailed Jodi. "Uncle Fred spanked us."
"Why would he do that?" Aunt Jane asked, looking upset.
"Because they almost got themselves killed," said Dad. Then heexplained what had happened.
Mom crossed her arms and scowled at Maggie. "I told you to stay closeto home. You disobeyed me."
"I'm sorry," Maggie sniffed. "But Dad is going to sell Molly, and Iwanted to ride her before she leaves."
"Ride Molly??" cried her mother. "By yourself? She already hurt yourleg. She could have killed you this time."
"Molly wouldn't hurt me," said Maggie. "I sometimes ride her in thepasture." She was sorry the moment she'd said it.
"You do?" Dad shouted. "How could you be so foolish? Thank goodnessLarry Croon is buying those animals. He's coming after them tomorrow."
"Good," said Mom. "The sooner the better."
"But you can't sell Molly now," Maggie protested. "She saved my life."
Dad sighed. "Yes, she did," he admitted. "But she'll be better offwith Larry. He understands horses better than I do."
Tim and Jodi went home not long after that. Mom and Dad wanted toground Maggie, but she convinced them she needed to thank Molly.
Maggie hugged Molly and said, "Thank you for being so smart and sobrave. I'm sorry Dad still wants to sell you, but maybe you'll behappier with Mr. Croon."
* * * * *
Maggie told herself she wouldn't watch Molly leave, but she couldn'tjust stay in the house. Mom and Dad were already watching Molly climbinto the truck when Maggie got there.
"Wait, please," called Maggie. "I have to give her one more hug."Molly put her head down so that Maggie could get her arms around thehuge neck. Maggie even cried a little.
"Good-bye, girl, and be good," Maggie sniffed. "I'll come to see youwhen I can."
As Molly nuzzled Maggie's neck, Mr. Croon said, "Yes, Maggie, be sureto come and visit her."
Then it was time for Molly to go. The men closed the door of the truckand it pulled away. Maggie stood there with a big empty spot in herheart.
Finally she gave a huge sigh and turned toward the house. But sheheard a motor, and a little red pick
up drove into the driveway. It wasChuck.
"Sorry I'm late," he said. "Is the team gone already?"
"Yup," said Dad, "and I'm glad you're here. I can see Maggie'slonesome for horses already."
"Maggie," said Mom, "come and see what's in the pickup. I don't thinkyou'll be disappointed in what Dad bought this time."
Maggie allowed herself to be led to the pickup. She looked in. Andthere was ... her pony! It was the same color as Molly, but much, muchsmaller.
"Oh, it's beautiful," gasped Maggie.
"Her name is Honey," said Chuck. "Because she's a honey of a littlehorse."
"Awesome!" said Maggie. "Wait until Tim and Jodi see her. And Kelly.Even she will want to ride a pony."
Maggie hugged her mom and dad. Then she hugged Honey and led her tothe barn.
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