What are we going to do?” Abigail, Pru, and Lucky were meeting while Julian rushed around the barn, calling Oliver’s name.

“I don’t think he’s in the barn,” Pru said, piecing her thoughts together. “I’m starting to think Oliver’s just been pretending he wanted to ride Spirit, knowing no one can ride him except Lucky. In fact, I think he’s afraid of horses! I bet he threw that apple so he wouldn’t have to hand it to the horses like Stella did!” She put her hand on her head as it all became perfectly clear. “That’s why he sat under the tree, even after the jig was up with Julian. He wouldn’t participate in the O-Mok-See because he was scared!”

Lucky considered that. Certainly he hadn’t ridden another horse, but was he scared? She had seen him interact with the horses only once. “He washed the horses with Julian.”

“With Julian,” Pru repeated. “But he didn’t get wet. I don’t think he helped much at all.” Lucky nodded. She’d noticed that Oliver’s shirt was completely dry while Julian’s was wet. Pru went on: “That kid wants so desperately to be like his brother, if Julian said ‘go swim in the creek,’ he’d try to turn into a fish.”

Lucky sighed. “I guess I never really had a shot at changing him, did I?”

Pru shook her head with a supportive look. “Nope. But I didn’t want to ruin your dreams.”

Abigail was catching on. “If he wants so desperately to be like Julian, do you think he went to Dusty Dan’s grave site on his own? To try to impress him?”

“I think we should check it out,” Lucky said. “The other kids didn’t want to go with Julian, so maybe Oliver wanted to prove to Julian that he was still his biggest fan.” Lucky whistled for Spirit. “Abigail, you’re a genius!”

“Uh, hello…” Pru pointed to herself.

“Also a genius,” Lucky agreed. Spirit was ready to go to Dusty Dan’s grave site, when Julian came out of the barn, leading Malu.

“We have to go to Dusty Dan’s,” he said, preparing to climb into the saddle.

“Dusty Dan?” Snips stuck his head into the conversation. “But we agreed to finish the O-Mok-See.” He whined. “We voted.”

“Democracy is a complicated work in progress,” Stella moaned. “It’s a sad day when voting doesn’t mean anything.”

Lucky climbed onto Spirit. “Abigail and Pru can continue with the O-Mok-See,” she told the campers. “Julian and I will search for Oliver.” She looked out in the direction he would have gone. “He can’t be that far on foot.”

“We aren’t staying back,” Pru said, with a determined expression. “You might need us, and I doubt that city-boy Julian is the handiest on horseback.” Pru paused and turned to speak to the campers. “Listen up! Looks like we’re all going on a treasure hunt after all. There’s only one thing on the list: Oliver! He’s—uhh—hiding, so we can find him!”

“Let’s go find my friend Ollie!” Snips cheered. “Tomorrow, he’ll be on our team, and we will beat you all!”

“Except that Ollie doesn’t ride,” Pru whispered to Lucky.

She thought about that. “Maybe… we’ll see…”

“See what?” Pru asked, but Lucky was already busy getting the campers on their horses.

There was a mighty cheer from the kids, and they began to chant, “Ollie! Ollie! Ollie!”

As soon as everyone was ready, Lucky and Spirit led the way from the stables toward the path to Dusty Dan’s. “Yee-haw!” She pressed into Spirit’s flank and he began to gallop.

Julian pulled up beside her. “A treasure hunt, eh?”

“You were the one who convinced Oliver they were boring,” Lucky said.

“I see that might not have been the best idea,” Julian said. He was hiding it, but Lucky could clearly tell that losing Oliver had shaken him up. “I wish I’d encouraged him to look for horse bridles and pinecones,” Julian admitted. “Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.” He bit his lip. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll find Oliver,” she said, “then you’ll do your best to convince him that PALs Camp is plenty exciting.”

Julian agreed, nodding.

She pressed Spirit even faster, ready to make the turn for the creek, when Pru called out, “Lucky! You’re going the wrong way!”

“Dan’s grave is over here,” she called back, sensing Chica Linda slowing behind them.

Pru had not only changed directions; she was leading the campers on a new path—away from Dusty Dan’s grave!

Lucky and Spirit swung around. Julian and Abigail followed.

“What’s going on?” Lucky asked Pru when she caught up. “Why’d you stop?”

“Oliver wasn’t going to Dusty Dan’s,” Pru answered, climbing down from Chica Linda.

“You can’t stop now,” Julian told her. “Get back on the horse. Oliver needs me.” He corrected, “I mean, he needs us.”

Pru had more experience in tracking than the others. She ignored him and said, “We need to go on more than a hunch.” Taking a handful of dirt, she let the sand sift through her fingers. “Oliver didn’t go to Dan’s grave.”

“Of course he did,” Julian countered. “He wanted treasure.”

Lucky realized something then. “If he wanted the treasure, he’d have taken the shovel to dig. I saw it before we left! It was still by the fence.”

“He also didn’t know the way and wouldn’t be able to get there without Julian guiding,” Pru went on.

Abigail looked at Julian and asked, “You didn’t take him there before today, did you?”

“No,” Julian admitted.

“Okay, campers,” Lucky announced. “Who has an idea how to find Ollie?”