Puzzle: The Runaway Pony Read Free

mentioned theCM club,” Alice said, looking over to the school. “I wonder what it is?”
    “I don’t know, but if Sasha’s in it,” Rosie muttered, “I doubt it’s very nice.”
    The Pony Detectives watched Bex and Jade altering the poles while Sasha pointed and barked orders. Then she cantered round on her pony before starting to jump the huge fences. The Colonel was slick over them, but as he jumped he swished his tail round and round, his ears back.
    “He doesn’t exactly look happy, does he?” Rosie commented quietly as they stood and watched for a moment.
    “A bit like everyone else around here,” Charlie said, frowning.
    She took Wish’s reins as Mia ducked into the office to find the entry forms. Tom had quickly put Casper away and followed Mia in there, looking red and flustered.
    “Mrs Compton,” he said as the woman behind the desk pointed out the forms to Mia. Mialingered, slowly counting out her handful of forms so that she could eavesdrop. “I want to report a problem…”
    “Yes, well, Tom, you’re from the Under 16s yard, aren’t you?” Mrs Compton said, glancing up at him then back down to her paperwork. “So you know how this all works. You have to talk to my daughter Sasha if you have any problems. She’s in charge of your yard.”
    “But it’s about Sasha…” Tom started, sounding frustrated.
    “Like I said, all complaints go through Sasha,” Mrs Compton cut in, peering over her half-moon glasses. “If she can’t deal with it, then she’ll talk to me. Now, I’m very busy.”
    Mrs Compton waved her hand, dismissing Tom in an instant. He rolled his eyes as he turned and stomped out. Mia followed him, thinking that however nice Compton Manor looked from the outside, it was the least friendly yard she’d ever set foot on.

Chapter Two
    “I CAN’T believe I ever thought for a second about stabling Wish there!” Mia said as they rode back up the drive and out onto the lane.
    “What?!” Rosie asked, alarmed. “Did you really want to leave Blackberry Farm?”
    “No, of course not, not seriously,” Mia laughed, “but it did look totally amazing when I saw it online.”
    “Exactly – I mean, everything looks perfect, and you’d think anyone would be over the moon about being there,” Alice agreed, “but instead they’re all miserable.”
    “I guess all you need is the people in charge to be horrible,” Charlie said, “and it has a knock-on effect on everyone.”
    “Just like Blackberry Farm,” Alice joked.
    “That’s it, Alice Hathaway, you’re out!” Rosie laughed. “Right, let’s go home!”
    As they all turned their ponies onto the lane, heading back in the direction they’d come from, Charlie jogged Pirate to the lead.
    “If we turn down this little side lane, rather than carrying on along the main one,” she said, pulling the scrap of paper on which she’d drawn the route to Compton Manor from her pocket, “we should find a bridleway a bit further up on the left, leading into the woods. It looks like a good one, so we can have a really fast canter to warm up! It’s just up here, I think…”
    At that moment a gust of wind flapped the paper out of Charlie’s gloved hand, spooking Pirate, who danced sideways in a clatter of hooves. They all watched as it fluttered furiously out of sight.
    “Not to worry,” Charlie said uncertainly as her teeth started to chatter. “I’m sure I can remember the way.”
    Silently, the four turned their ponies down the narrow, dank lane. The ponies’ hooves were the only noise as they clopped alongside the thick woods which lined the lane to their left. Rosie pointed out that the raindrops had started to fall more frequently, specifically the ones going down her neck. Charlie saw a narrow gap into the woods and frowned.
    “I reckon this must be the path,” she announced, peering through the gloomy archway of trees. “If we gallop along this bit, we might even make it home before the rain really comes