“Charles!” Lizzie said, pulling Sally over to the fence that ran around the riding ring. “Where’s Rascal?” From up on the horse, she looked down at her brother. He looked very small — and his face was very white.

“I — I don’t know,” Charles admitted. “I got tired of holding him, and he was being pretty good. You were busy riding, but Kathy said I could tie him to the fence.” He pointed to a fence post near the gate. “I went to watch Maria riding over in the other ring, and — now he’s gone!”

Lizzie could tell that Charles felt awful. “It’s not your fault,” she told him.

By then, Kathy was at Charles’s side. “Don’t worry,” she said, putting an arm around his shoulders. “We’ll find Rascal.” She looked up at Lizzie. “I think our lesson’s over for today,” she said. “Want help getting down?”

Lizzie shook her head. “That’s okay,” she said. She knew how to dismount by now. She pulled her right foot out of the stirrup and slid off Sally’s back.

“I’ll bring Sally back into the barn,” Lizzie said. “Maybe Rascal’s in there. I think he liked all the horses.”

“Good,” Kathy said. “You look there. Charles and I will start checking some other places.”

As she led Sally away, Lizzie found herself wishing she would hear Rascal’s bark. It seemed as if the stable was the only place he was quiet. She hadn’t heard him bark once since he arrived. If only he were barking now, they could find him!

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the stable. She led Sally to her stall. “Wait here,” she told the mare. “We’ll come back and get your saddle off in a minute, as soon as we find that bad little puppy!”

She gave Sally’s neck a pat and closed her stall door carefully. Then she headed down the aisle, checking each stall to see if Rascal had wriggled underneath the door for a visit. He wasn’t with Willie, or Jasper, or Treasure. Minx was alone in her stall, and so was Jet.

Lizzie listened for the booming sound of Sir Galahad’s kicks, but the barn was quiet.

“What’s going on?” Maria asked, hurrying up the aisle. She was still wearing her helmet. “I just heard that Rascal is missing!”

Lizzie nodded. “I’m checking the stalls,” she said. She started walking fast toward the end of the aisle. Rascal had been interested in Sir Galahad before. What if he had gone into the big horse’s stall? Why was the grouchy horse’s stall so quiet?

Maria saw where she was going. “Oh, no!” she said. “Do you think —”

“I sure hope not,” Lizzie said.

Both girls hurried down to the last stall. “Empty!” Lizzie said when she looked inside. Rascal wasn’t there — and neither was Sir Galahad!

“Galahad’s out in the paddock,” Wayne said, coming up behind them. “I figured he needed some exercise and fresh grass, since he was so bored.”

“I wonder if that’s where Rascal is, too!” Lizzie said.

“The dog is missing?” Wayne asked. He followed Lizzie and Maria as they ran outside and around the back of the barn to the paddock.

They arrived at the fence at the same time as Charles and Kathy.

“There’s Sir Galahad,” said Maria, pointing. The big horse stood grazing calmly in the shade of a tall tree.

“And there’s Rascal!” said Lizzie. She couldn’t believe her eyes. The puppy was lying in the shade right next to one of Sir Galahad’s big hooves. He looked completely contented and relaxed. Lizzie had never seen him that way before!

“He’s all tuckered out,” Kathy said.

“But he might get kicked!” Charles said.

“I doubt it,” Wayne said slowly. “Sir Galahad looks pretty happy to have him there.”

Lizzie thought she better call him, anyway. “Rascal!” she shouted. The one thing she had taught the puppy to do was to come when he was called. Sure enough, he jumped to his feet and began to trot over to the crowd at the fence, trailing his leash behind him.

Sir Galahad looked up at the puppy. He took one more bite of grass and then trotted after Rascal. Lizzie saw Kathy and Wayne look at each other in surprise.

The horse and the dog arrived together at the fence. Rascal jumped up to put both front feet on the railing near Lizzie. He poked his nose through and gave her a lick on the cheek when she bent down to pick up his leash.

Hi! Hi! Hi! Rascal was so happy to see his old friend. He wondered how she liked his new friend! This place was the best place Rascal had ever been. He loved it here! He licked the girl again, to thank her for bringing him here.

Meanwhile, Sir Galahad was gently nosing at the pocket of Kathy’s coat. “Is this what you want?” she asked, pulling out a carrot. She gave it to him and he took it gently. His ears were standing up straight as he nickered and nodded in thanks.

“Wow,” Kathy said to Wayne. “I haven’t seen him so happy since —”

“Since Pepper was around,” Wayne said, finishing his wife’s sentence. “Why didn’t we realize it before? He just missed his friend, that’s all. That’s why he was so cranky!”

Wayne reached down to scratch Rascal on the head. “You’re a good little guy,” he said softly.

Lizzie looked at Charles with her eyebrows raised. He nodded. So did Maria, who understood what Lizzie was thinking.

“Go for it,” urged Maria in a whisper.

Lizzie took a deep breath. “You know,” she said to Kathy and Wayne, “Rascal seems really happy here at the stable. He may never have great inside manners, but he behaves well when he has plenty of room and lots of interesting things to do and see.”

Kathy was nodding. Lizzie saw her reach out to take Wayne’s hand. Wayne looked over at Kathy before gazing down at the puppy again.

“So —” Lizzie went on, “would you like to adopt him?”

She didn’t even have to wait for the answer. She saw the smiles on their faces as they both knelt down to pat Rascal.

The troublesome little puppy had found a home — the best home in the world for him.

Lizzie felt a little twinge of sadness. Rascal may have been a handful, but she had gotten attached to his cute face and wild ways. Would she always have to say good-bye to the puppies they fostered? Or would one of them finally come to stay? Lizzie hoped that someday she and Charles and the Bean would have a dog of their very own. But for now she just had to be happy that they had found the very best place for Rascal.