terrified gallop to a ground-eating canter that left the muerto miles behind.
After they were far enough away, Alexis gradually slowed the pace, using her voice to slow the loose horses.
"Steady, steady. Trot, guys, just trot." The pack horses, showing the whites of their eyes with fear, dropped into a trot.
"Julie, can you tighten your cinch from the saddle?" Beth asked.
"Are you kidding?"
"You need to have Dad teach you how." Beth stopped Mist well away from the loose horses. The loose horses blew out their nostrils, dripping sweat and nervously pinning their ears back. A few snaps and squeals were exchanged.
The girls ignored them.
"That was beyond stupid." Alexis brought Patch around so she could talk to Julie and Beth. "Really, Julie, what's the matter with you?"
"Nothing." Julie caught Toby, checked her packs and tightened the girth.
"Riding double could've killed Mist," Alexis lectured. "Or what if Beth hadn't seen you? Then where would you be?"
Julie's face turned bright red. "Sorry. Thanks for saving me, Beth."
"Be more careful, okay?" Beth felt Alexis was being tough on Julie, but she was right. Stupid mistakes could get them all killed.
"Is Mist okay?" Alexis asked.
Mist was breathing hard. Sweat lathered her neck and shoulders, but she had her head up and ears forward, scanning for trouble. She snorted several times, shaking her mane. When Julie's pack horse got too close, Mist bit the filly's rump, making her squeal.
Beth smiled, then stepped down. "Tell her, girlfriend. Mist was so brave. She stood her ground until Julie got on, then she kicked the crap out of them."
"The fillies suck at this." Alexis looked at the pack horses. "Not a half a brain between them."
"I know. But they'll learn," Beth said.
"Either that, or the stinkers will get them."
Beth's eyes flickered to Julie. "This is rougher than hunting. I'm going to give Mist a break. I'll walk for awhile."
"Don't. It's not safe." Alexis looked Mist over. "She'll be fine. She's tougher than you think."
Alexis watched Dani catch the pack horses. Julie's pack horse was still showing the whites of it's eyes.
"Julie's pack horse is causing a lot of trouble." Alexis grumbled. "I'm sorry we brought that filly along."
"I've never seen a horse give her so much trouble." Beth shook her head.
"Hey, Julie, you ready?" Dani had both lead ropes.
"Take the pack horse until she settles down," Alexis said to Beth. "Julie can take point for awhile."
"Okay," Beth took the lead rope from Dani. Mist was the filly's mother. Hopefully having mom so close would settle the young horse down.
"You take point," Alexis said to Julie. "Beth has the pack horse. I've got drag." Alexis dropped to the back of the group. "We need to get farther ahead of those stinkers. Alternate the pace for the next hour."
"Got it." Julie set the pace at a long walk.
Muerto could walk as fast as a living person. The horses had just loped two miles in fifteen minutes. At a trot, the horses could be eight miles farther ahead in another hour.
The pack horses settled down.They no longer had energy to spare for silliness. As they walked, Mist recovered from the gallop.
Mid-afternoon, they came to a place where the road widened.
A sign said "Welcome to Cooperstown."
"Cooperstown?" Dani looked at Julie. "What are we doing here?"
"Beth, you said we'd go around!" Julie looked back, fear in her eyes.
Dani said, "You had point. You're the one who missed the road."
"Hey! Shit happens," Julie snapped.
"Then don't blame Beth."
"Shut up. Both of you," Alexis ordered. "We need to get back on track."
The sniping sisters' horses continued walking, Alexis and Beth held their horses back. Beth pulled out her map, putting her finger on the intersection. "We missed the left turn about a mile back."
"We're in trouble," Alexis said loud enough for only Beth to hear.
"Our back trail is clear," Beth said, just as quietly. "We can go back."
"We don't have time to go back." Alexis shook her
After they were far enough away, Alexis gradually slowed the pace, using her voice to slow the loose horses.
"Steady, steady. Trot, guys, just trot." The pack horses, showing the whites of their eyes with fear, dropped into a trot.
"Julie, can you tighten your cinch from the saddle?" Beth asked.
"Are you kidding?"
"You need to have Dad teach you how." Beth stopped Mist well away from the loose horses. The loose horses blew out their nostrils, dripping sweat and nervously pinning their ears back. A few snaps and squeals were exchanged.
The girls ignored them.
"That was beyond stupid." Alexis brought Patch around so she could talk to Julie and Beth. "Really, Julie, what's the matter with you?"
"Nothing." Julie caught Toby, checked her packs and tightened the girth.
"Riding double could've killed Mist," Alexis lectured. "Or what if Beth hadn't seen you? Then where would you be?"
Julie's face turned bright red. "Sorry. Thanks for saving me, Beth."
"Be more careful, okay?" Beth felt Alexis was being tough on Julie, but she was right. Stupid mistakes could get them all killed.
"Is Mist okay?" Alexis asked.
Mist was breathing hard. Sweat lathered her neck and shoulders, but she had her head up and ears forward, scanning for trouble. She snorted several times, shaking her mane. When Julie's pack horse got too close, Mist bit the filly's rump, making her squeal.
Beth smiled, then stepped down. "Tell her, girlfriend. Mist was so brave. She stood her ground until Julie got on, then she kicked the crap out of them."
"The fillies suck at this." Alexis looked at the pack horses. "Not a half a brain between them."
"I know. But they'll learn," Beth said.
"Either that, or the stinkers will get them."
Beth's eyes flickered to Julie. "This is rougher than hunting. I'm going to give Mist a break. I'll walk for awhile."
"Don't. It's not safe." Alexis looked Mist over. "She'll be fine. She's tougher than you think."
Alexis watched Dani catch the pack horses. Julie's pack horse was still showing the whites of it's eyes.
"Julie's pack horse is causing a lot of trouble." Alexis grumbled. "I'm sorry we brought that filly along."
"I've never seen a horse give her so much trouble." Beth shook her head.
"Hey, Julie, you ready?" Dani had both lead ropes.
"Take the pack horse until she settles down," Alexis said to Beth. "Julie can take point for awhile."
"Okay," Beth took the lead rope from Dani. Mist was the filly's mother. Hopefully having mom so close would settle the young horse down.
"You take point," Alexis said to Julie. "Beth has the pack horse. I've got drag." Alexis dropped to the back of the group. "We need to get farther ahead of those stinkers. Alternate the pace for the next hour."
"Got it." Julie set the pace at a long walk.
Muerto could walk as fast as a living person. The horses had just loped two miles in fifteen minutes. At a trot, the horses could be eight miles farther ahead in another hour.
The pack horses settled down.They no longer had energy to spare for silliness. As they walked, Mist recovered from the gallop.
Mid-afternoon, they came to a place where the road widened.
A sign said "Welcome to Cooperstown."
"Cooperstown?" Dani looked at Julie. "What are we doing here?"
"Beth, you said we'd go around!" Julie looked back, fear in her eyes.
Dani said, "You had point. You're the one who missed the road."
"Hey! Shit happens," Julie snapped.
"Then don't blame Beth."
"Shut up. Both of you," Alexis ordered. "We need to get back on track."
The sniping sisters' horses continued walking, Alexis and Beth held their horses back. Beth pulled out her map, putting her finger on the intersection. "We missed the left turn about a mile back."
"We're in trouble," Alexis said loud enough for only Beth to hear.
"Our back trail is clear," Beth said, just as quietly. "We can go back."
"We don't have time to go back." Alexis shook her
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