Something Suspicious in Sask Read Free

back home. Printed in neat white letters on it were two words: Harvest Header.
    â€œMargaret!” Gram dropped to her knees.
    Katie crouched beside her. Just visible beneath the tractor was a pair of brown leather boots.
    â€œMom?” a metallic voice echoed from underneath.“Margaret.” GJ put his hand on the red metal side and bent to peer underneath. “Are you all right?”
    â€œYes,” the voice hesitated, “but I’m sort of stuck.”
    On her knees, Katie crept closer. Attached to the boots, a pair of jean-clad legs lay on top of hay stubble between the two high front wheels. Not much else showed of Aunt Margaret other than a scrap of green plaid shirt. Her arms were lost somewhere up under the header.
    â€œIs your arm caught?” GJ called.
    â€œNo, Dad, don’t worry. The sleeve of my shirt got hung up under the cutter bar. It’s all tangled in there, and I can’t pull it loose.”
    â€œWe need a couple of jacks,” Cliff sounded agitated. “We’ll have to lift the windrower.”
    Katie turned and squinted up at him. His face was black against the bright sun behind him. “What’s a windrower?”
    Cliff shifted his weight from one leg to the other and didn’t seem to hear Katie. But Megan, who was leaning against the truck bumper hugging her arms around her bony body, rolled her eyes impressively. She stepped quickly out of the way when Cliff started toward the truck at a run.
    â€œI’m going to get a jack, some rope, and…”
    â€œWhy don’t I just wriggle under and cut her sleeve loose?” Katie asked.
    But no one answered; they were too busy worrying about Aunt Margaret and making hasty plans.
    â€œI’ll go with you.” GJ hurried toward Cliff. “I’ve got a good jack in my truck, and we’ll need some blocks. I think…”
    Gram jumped up. “Katie’s right!” she shouted, her voice loud in the still air.
    Both men stopped as if they had slammed into an invisible wall. They swung around, mouths open in identical, round circles of surprise.
    â€œThere’s room for someone small like Katie to squirm under and cut Margaret’s sleeve free. If you’re going to do any jacking up, you’d better wait until my daughter is out of there!”
    Cliff rubbed his hand over his whiskers and glanced at GJ, who nodded agreement. “It’s worth a try,” he said.
    â€œI don’t suppose anyone has a pair of scissors?”
    Gram asked.
    For a silent moment everyone looked at everyone else. Then Rusty said, “Here, take my Swiss Army knife.” He pulled the closed knife from his shorts’ pocket and handed it to Katie.
    â€œBe careful, Katie,” Gram said.
    Katie lay down on the sharp remains of cut hay. It felt like a thousand sharp sticks poking into her back as she wormed her way between the big wheels and wriggled up close toward the header beside her aunt. A horde of mosquitoes must have been hiding in the hay, because suddenly they were everywhere, landing on her face and bare arms and legs. She did her best to ignore them. “Hi, Aunt Margaret,” Katie said to the plaid-clad shoulder. “I bet you were glad to hear us coming.”
    â€œYou’re not kidding! If I had to lie here much longer I’d be nothing but one massive mosquito bite.”
    â€œSo, do you do this sort of thing often around here?”
    Aunt Margaret laughed. “Only when I’m expecting company. It’s my way of avoiding cooking.”
    â€œWell, I hate to break the bad news, but all this rescuing is gonna give everyone a huge appetite.”
    Aunt Margaret made an odd sound in her throat and muttered something about Megan.
    â€œWhich sleeve is caught?” Katie asked.
    â€œThe left one, closest to you. If you can wriggle just a little farther forward you should be able to reach up and cut it loose.”
    Katie opened the knife