Hide & Seek - Alyssa Brugman [53]
Telling, not telling, dobbing, lying, hiding the truth, and fine lines – it was all so complicated. No wonder teenagers were moody!
The four girls cantered up the hill, returning to the stables.
'Man! I hope we find him soon, because my bum's sore!' Erin complained.
As they rode along the trail towards the back gate they could hear the thunder of hooves.
'Wow, they're still going nuts!' said Monica.
Soon they were out of the trees and they could see what was happening. The whole herd from the back paddock rumbled full-tilt up to the crest of the hill away from them and out of sight.
Bandit pranced and tugged at his bit.
After a moment the horses came around the side of the hill, bucking, wheeling and turning all at once, like leaves caught in the wind – some with their tails held high, others bouncing on the tips of their toes, like Pepé Le Pew. Even from this distance Shelby could see the dark patches of sweat on their necks and flanks.
Shelby watched as the buckskin colt tucked up his legs and leapt nothing at all. The mare with the scarred face, in full flight, bucked and plunged, twisting her neck towards the other mares.
There at the front, looking mighty, wild and handsome – even in his rugs – was Diablo. He raced across the paddock, tail flashing and head thrashing. He bucked and Shelby guessed all four feet must have been a metre above the ground.
'Oh, thank God for that!' Erin said, putting her hand to her chest.
'You mean he was here the whole time? After all that!' Monica groaned.
'Last time he must have gone over that fence that was down,' Shelby said. 'Lucky he didn't cut his legs or get tangled.'
'He probably jumped it,' Kim added.
'Boy, can he jump!' Erin observed.
The herd wheeled around again.
Bandit pigrooted. Shelby held on to his mane. Bandit lifted up his front feet and then pigrooted again. Shelby could feel herself beginning to slip, and so she quickly slithered to the ground – holding the lead rope around Bandit's neck. He let out a high-pitched whinny right in her ear. She could see the whites of his eyes and the sweat curling the hair on his neck.
Diablo charged towards them, ears back and teeth bared. The whole herd stampeded their way – their hooves drumming against the ground so hard that Shelby could feel the rolling, thrumming noise of it in her chest. They covered the ground quickly.
'They'll turn,' Shelby thought. They had to turn; there was a fence.
But they weren't turning. Fifty metres closed to twenty in seconds. Monica and Kim's horses panicked and bolted up the trail. The two girls shouted and tugged at the reins hopelessly.
Blue's nostrils flared, his eyes widening in terror as the stallion bore down on them. The little gelding backed away, trampling bushes and brushing against tree trunks. The stallion didn't stop. He was ten metres away, with the rest of the herd hard on his heels. Erin's face went white. If Diablo didn't stop, if he jumped the fence, he would crush them. How many of the others would follow him?
Blue reared – something he had never done before – and wheeled to the side, heading along the trail after Monica and Kim's horses.
Shelby held onto Bandit with all her might, calling, 'Whoa, whoa, whooooah!' She turned Bandit's head away, and the gelding danced on the spot, squealing, trembling and shaking his head.
At the last moment Diablo skidded on his back feet, switched directions and flew up the fence line. Like a flock of birds the herd turned, chasing Diablo. The dirt from their churning hooves sprayed into Shelby's face and she closed her eyes.
Away they soared. Shelby opened her eyes again. She had seen horses running around before, but this was something else. It was fierce and wild.
'Wow,' she whispered.
The other three girls trotted up behind her. Their horses were still spooking and shying, but were under control.
'Yeah, awesome, but how on earth are we going to catch him?' Kim asked.
'And get him back into his stable before Mrs E –'
Erin was interrupted by a shrill whistle.