Chapter 2

The girls galloped all the way back to Miradero, partially because they were trying to beat the heat, but also because they were so excited by their new goal. By the time they’d reached the ramada, Al Granger was packing up his saddlebags and getting his horse’s tack ready. He looked surprised to see them. “What are you three doing up already?”

“Remember, Dad?” Pru rolled her eyes. “Sunrise trail ride?” She was pretty sure he was just pretending to have forgotten, since it had been the only thing she’d talked about all week.

“Oh right.” Al smiled to himself. “Were the sights as breathtaking as you girls hoped?”

“Even better,” replied Abigail. She swung her leg over Boomerang’s back and hopped down from the stirrup. “The sky looked just like Lucky’s shirt after that time Polly threw her mashed sweet potatoes at her! Orange splotches everywhere…”

“Sounds, uh… stunning.” Al chuckled. He hoisted up a bag and secured it to the side of his horse’s saddle. “Well, I’m glad you had fun. I’d love to stay and chat longer, but I’d better get a move on. I’ve got to get there early if I want to bid on a good horse.”

“Get where early, Mr. Granger?” Lucky asked, ears perked up. Did he just say he was going to get a new horse? New horses need to be trained! thought Lucky. Training a new horse would be way better than borrowing Kate’s horse.

“I’m heading over to the Silverlode Spring Equine Auction,” Al replied. “It’s much bigger than the one in Cannon City. I’m going to find a new draft horse for the ramada. It’ll be good to have a big, strong horse around to lend a helping hoof.”

Immediately, all three girls looked at one another. They didn’t even need to say anything to know what the others were thinking: Nevermind Tambourine—they’d find a horse of their own! “Dad! Let us tag along!” Pru begged, putting on her sweetest face. “Please?”

Al hesitated. “I don’t know, girls.… It’s a long trip and I need to stay focused on my goal.”

“We won’t be any trouble. In fact, we can help you find the best horse to bid on!” Pru insisted. She could be very convincing when she wanted to be and, as a result, Al Granger found it very hard to resist his daughter’s charms. He looked to Lucky and Abigail, raising his eyebrows, then back at Pru. He sighed and shook his head with a chuckle, defeated. “All right, you girls can come. But remember—eyes on the prize. We have a job to do.”

“We won’t let you down,” Lucky said with a smile.

The Silverlode Spring Equine Auction was bustling with activity. The last time the girls had been somewhere so crowded was when they’d visited Calliope Bay to meet Madame Gummery, the headmistress of Tides Run. Lucky was supposed to have had an interview for the academy, but kept managing to embarrass herself in front of the headmistress. It had all turned out okay in the end, but Lucky just hoped that their adventure today would go smoother than that one.

“Look at all of these beauties!” Pru exclaimed to her friends as they followed behind Al, trotting along on Chica Linda, Boomerang, and Spirit. “We’re definitely going to find you a good horse here, Dad.” Sure enough, tons of gorgeous horses of varying breeds and sizes were everywhere they looked. Most of the animals were either being groomed by their sellers or led to the auction stalls. The air was sweet with the scent of warm hay and sunshine.

Lucky, Abigail, and Pru were careful to give their own horses reassuring pats to remind them that they were only here on a mission to buy a horse, not sell one. Spirit, especially, got nervous in situations like this since he’d been wrangled himself, first by Mr. Granger’s mesteñeros, then again by Harlan Grayson. The mischievous man had even sold Spirit in the Cannon City auction, so it was understandable that he might feel a bit tense.

“It’s okay, boy,” Lucky assured him. “I won’t let anyone auction you ever again.” Spirit responded with a satisfied snort. “Now, let’s go rack up over there!” Lucky pointed to an empty horse rack standing apart from the auction stalls.

“All right, I’m gonna go survey the options,” Al said, hopping off his horse and racking up next to Chica Linda, Boomerang, and Spirit. He gave the PALs a wink. “You three stay out of trouble, now. Remember our deal, okay?”

Lucky, Abigail, and Pru nodded in unison and waved to Al as he disappeared into the bobbing sea of cowboy hats and horses. Then they took off for the covered stalls, eager to inspect all the beautiful horses for sale. Abigail also had her sights set on the popcorn stall, so they had to stop there first.

“Look at this guy,” Lucky said, drawn immediately to a sturdy stallion with a mottled brown-and-white hide. He tossed back his shiny mane and let out a friendly greeting as the girls approached him.

“He looks strong,” Abigail remarked through a mouthful of buttered kernels. “And a little like Boomerang. I like him.”

“Let’s see a little more about you, buddy,” Pru said to the horse, inspecting the handwritten stat card, which hung from a little rope on the front of his stall gate. “Just as I thought! He’s an Appaloosa. Appaloosas are known for their tractability, good sense, and remarkable stamina. Might be a good option.” Pru was taking her mission very seriously.

In the next stall, a reddish-brown mare with a cropped mane was munching on some hay and eyeing the PALs. Abigail skipped over just to see if she was as soft as she looked. “Aww, I like her. She’s perfect for Mr. Granger! Don’t you think?”

“I’m not sure.” Pru joined her and began to pet the gentle mare’s muzzle. “She’s a Morgan—they definitely have a sweet disposition and are pretty hardy. But I think my dad is looking for something even bigger.…” While Pru and Abigail debated the merits of the Morgan horse, something in the far right of the stables caught Lucky’s eye.

The stallion must have been about eighteen hands high—a full three hands higher than Spirit. He was a rich brown color, with a white blaze down the front of his muzzle. When he stomped his hooves, his furry white fetlocks swung around like giant tassels. He was magnificent. Even the shafts of sunlight seemed to stream in and illuminate his stall as if a spotlight were shining on him.

Lucky gasped in awe. “Pru! Abigail! There he is! That’s the horse we’re looking for!”

The three girls bounded over to meet the towering Clydesdale. “His name is Buster!” Lucky exclaimed, reading his stat card.

Abigail craned her neck to look up at the huge horse from below his chin. He sniffed at her and then licked a wayward piece of popcorn off her shirt. “Whoa.”

“We did it! We found the perfect horse.” Pru clapped her hands together in delight. “I’m going to find my dad. Buster is definitely the one.”

But before Pru could leave, there was a loud CRASH! Bits of dust kicked up around Buster as the noise repeated, growing even louder. Buster seemed to be standing still, but was somehow rattling the wood panels of his own stall. It was almost as if he were going to bust right out and run away. Maybe that’s how he got his name! Lucky thought.

“Look! It’s not Buster doing that.” Pru pointed to the space behind Buster’s hind legs. “It’s a tiny horse!” Suddenly, a little cream-colored muzzle appeared and quickly disappeared again. Buster whinnied. Then he spun around to reveal a small, stout, flaxen-colored horse with a blond mane jumping and kicking around in the back of the stall. The little horse kicked her hooves playfully, flinging hay into the air. Buster let out a heavy sigh. He seemed used to this routine and had little patience with it.

“Is that a pony?!” Abigail shrieked. Her smile reached from ear to ear.

“No, I’m afraid not, ma’am,” said an unfamiliar voice, causing all three girls to jump in surprise. “Not a pony. But she is a li’l devil. And if I were you, I’d stay far, far away.”