Horse Named Dragon Read Free Page B

containers that need filling.”
    “There’s so many,” sighed Benny. “I can’t fill them all.”
    “Sure you can. The trick is to start with the first one,” Bucky ran his finger up the map to the farthest X, “then fill the next and the next. Just take them one by one. Before you know it, you’ll be right back here in time for lunch.”
    Benny watched Henry climb up on Lightning and ride off across the pasture. “I really really really wish I could ride right now,” said Benny.
    “You’ll be riding soon enough,” said Bucky. “but, first …”
    “I know, I know,” said Benny, looking at all the X es on the map, “first I need to go finish my mashed potatoes.”

CHAPTER 4
Tracking the Hoofprints
    Henry raced Lightning across the ranch. He rode and rode until he saw the huge branch that had crushed the wire fence. “Whoa, boy,” he said, pulling back on the reins. Henry climbed down and tied Lightning to a tree, then went to take a look. The heavy branch had pulled down two fence posts and snapped the fence wire. The ground was littered with small brown leaves and long brown pods from the tree branch.
    A shiny new car drove up the road near the broken fence. Slim the vet was driving, and he rolled down the window and waved to Henry. “What’s all this?” Slim asked, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
    “The branch fell and broke the fence,” said Henry.
    Slim nodded. “So, that’s where Honey and Bunny escaped. Good to know they weren’t stolen. Well, I’m off to buy medicine for the horses. See you later.”
    Henry tried pulling the branch, but it was too big and heavy. Kurt drove up on a small tractor. In back were a big toolbox, rope, some fence wire, and a post digger.
    “That branch must have blown down during the night,” Kurt said. He picked up the rope and tossed one end to Henry. “Here, wrap this around the branch and I’ll pull it off with the tractor.”
    Henry went to work winding the rope around and around the branch. Jagged bark scraped his arms, and branches scratched his face. Sharp twigs snagged his clothes. The long brown pods slipped underfoot. Henry worked hard, tying the rope good and tight.
    “Ready,” he said.
    Whirrrrrr, whirrrrr. The tractor strained, slowly pulling the branch away from the fence. Dead leaves and pods fell off.
    “I’ll take this over to the burning pit,” Kurt said. “That’s where we pile the brush that needs burning. When I come back, we’ll fix this fence.” And he drove off, dragging the branch away.
    Henry patted Lightning as he leaned against the tree to wait for Kurt. Someone had carved a heart into the tree bark. Inside they’d carved TA + LM. The heart looked faded from many years of freezing winters and hot summers. There was a hole in the bark below the heart. No woodpecker made this hole. It was as big as Henry’s finger, and perfectly round. Someone drilled this hole. But why?
    He walked around the other side and found two more holes. A scrap of paper poked out of one.

    Henry reached up and pulled it out. Someone had written: Gray Arabian. Brown spotted pony. Maybe this was the way ranch hands left messages for each other, Henry thought.
    Lightning whinnied again. “Easy, now,” said Henry, putting the paper back. When Kurt returned, Henry would ask about the note, and about the heart carved into the tree.
    “Hold still!” cried Jessie.
    “I’m trying.” In the corral, Violet gripped the bridle of a white horse that kept pushing her with its nose.
    Jessie pointed the camera, trying to take a picture. “He keeps moving.”
    “That’s because he wants the whole apple.” Violet reached into her pocket and took out another piece of cut-up apple. “Get ready,” she said, holding the apple in her fist under the horse’s nose.
    Jessie aimed her camera until she could see the whole horse from its nose to its tail, and its ears to its hooves. “Ready!”
    Violet slowly opened her fingers. “Now!”
    Jessie clicked the