Buckskin Bandit (6 page)

For the rest of the morning Dad and I raided junkyards, which Dad called “discovery centers.” We found hoses and showerheads, not to mention dead raccoons and live skunks.

Dad kept up a steady stream of dialogue. “Did you know, Winnie, that in the 1500s, whole families bathed in a single tub of water? The man of the house got to bathe first. Then he left his water for his wife's bath. When she finished, the children took turns in order of their ages. Last, the baby was given a bath. Hence the expression ‘Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.' We have come a long way, but you and I are about to bring the American family the rest of the way.”

Back in the workshop, Dad kept me busy cleaning showerheads. He answered all phone calls. We didn't even break for lunch. Lizzy and Geri brought in lime milk shakes and fried-egg sandwiches.

It wasn't until Dad was wedged behind the shower stall, blowtorch in hand, that I was able to escape the workshop. The phone rang, and I dashed out to get it before he could stop me.

“Hello?”

“Winnie! Where have you been? And how can you not have an answering machine?”

“Kaylee? I've been waiting for you to call. How's—”

“Me? You were supposed to call
me
back! I've been waiting all day. Didn't your dad tell you?”

“He's so into this invention stuff he must have forgotten.” But I knew Dad hadn't told me on purpose. “I'm sorry, Kaylee. Go on! What happened at Happy Trails?”

“Winnie, it was awful!” Kaylee broke down. I could hear her choking on her tears. “Bandit wasn't there. And, Winnie, they said the buckskin never existed!”

Kaylee's words echoed over the receiver:
“They said the buckskin never existed.”

“W-wait,” I stammered. “Who said Bandit didn't exist?”

“The big man with the honking nose!”

“Leonard?” I asked, remembering what Pat had said about Lazy Lenny.

“He's a horrible man, Winnie! He acted like I was crazy. Then he brought out this horse that was kind of the same color as Bandit, but it wasn't Bandit. And my parents believed him! They couldn't tell the difference.”

I didn't like it that Leonard would lie about the horse and say the buckskin never existed. If he'd sold Bandit, why wouldn't he have just said so?

“Winnie, I'm at Summer's. For her party, you know. Will you come get me? I have to go back to Happy Trails and look for Bandit.”

“Winnie!” Dad shouted from the workshop.

“Kaylee, I don't know if I can—”

“Please, Winnie!” She sounded so desperate.

“Hang on. I'll be right there.”

It wasn't easy to convince Dad to give me a break from inventing. I had to promise to work all night if he needed me.

Lizzy and Geri were feeding Annie Goat when I walked into the barn.

“Is this goat always so crabby?” Geri asked.

“Pretty much,” I answered. I took Nickers out, slipped on the hackamore, and swung up.

“Where are you going?” Lizzy asked. Her hair was in pigtails, and I don't think I'd ever seen it look worse. It still looked better than my hair, though.

“Summer's party. Thanks for helping out, you guys.”

It didn't take long to reach Spidells' Stable-Mart. Nickers trotted up the long gravel drive past the sterile white barn. From inside came a
thud, thud
. Probably Spidell's Sophisticated Scarlet Lady, Summer's million-dollar horse. Scar, my pet name for the exotic American Saddle Horse, wins every horse show Summer enters. But Summer and Scar will never be friends the way Nickers and I are.

I rode closer to the house, hoping Kaylee was watching for me.

Summer Spidell stepped outside, without letting go of the doorknob. “What do you want, Winifred?” she shouted. Her blonde hair looked like she'd just gotten out of the beauty salon. Her yellow dress matched her hair. “Well? You're leaving hoofprints on the lawn!”

“Oops. Wouldn't want to leave hoofprints at a stable.”

“Go!” She pointed toward my end of town, in case I'd forgotten which side of the tracks I lived on. “We're trying to have a party here.”

“I know,” I said. “I heard the bulletin on CNN.”

She looked like she almost believed me.

“Summer!” Mrs. Spidell shouted. She stepped out of the house, carrying a cake the size of Tennessee. She smiled at me, then lowered her voice to Summer. “We're cutting the cake, sweetheart.”

“Not yet, Mother!” Summer shot back.

“Winnie?” Hawk eased outside, as Summer and her mother disappeared into the house. Hawk's long black hair caught the sinking sun and threw it back in sparkles. She was wearing a fringed skirt that might have been Native American. Hawk and I love her Native American heritage, although neither of her parents is into it.

“Are you coming in?” Hawk asked.

I shook my head. “I just came by to talk to Kaylee.”

“Victoria!” Summer called. She and her friends use Hawk's real name, Victoria Hawkins.

“I will send Kaylee out,” Hawk said. She smiled, and I could see why her mother believed Hawk could make it as a model.

“Winnie!” Kaylee dashed out of the house, stumbling on the step. She ran up to Nickers. “I thought you'd never get here! My parents are picking me up in an hour, so that's all the time we have.”

“Hop on behind me,” I said, riding Nickers close to the step so she could climb aboard. “Let's get out of here.”

It took three tries, but she made it.

“Hang on!” I said, urging Nickers to cut through the Spidells' yard.

The door slammed open behind us, and Summer Spidell let out a cry. Then she yelled after us, “Winifred! You come back here right now! Bring Kaylee back this minute!”

We could hear Summer hollering the whole time as we crossed the Spidell lawn and galloped out of town. It was the most fun I'd had all day.

On the ride over, Kaylee filled me in. “My parents and I were the first customers at Happy Trails.” She had to shout over the wind. “There were only five horses in the barn, and Leonard told us we could pick from those. I told him I wanted to ride the buckskin, and that's when he brought out the wrong horse.”

When Kaylee had insisted she wanted to see the other cream-colored horse, Leonard said that these five were the only horses they had at Happy Trails.

“I knew he was lying,” Kaylee continued. “And when more customers drove up, he was caught in his lie. It was a family of four. And
voila!
Just like that, Leonard disappeared and came back with two more horses, so he could take money from all seven of us! But he still didn't bring out Bandit. That's why I'm sure my horse is still there.”

Happy Trails looked deserted as we rode up the lane. I started to holler for somebody, but Kaylee put her hand over my mouth. “Don't!” she whispered. “Let's find Bandit ourselves.”

I looped Nickers' reins over the hitching post and followed Kaylee into the stable. It seemed smellier and smaller than it had the day before.

Kaylee ran the length of the barn, peering into each stall. “Bandit's not here!” she shouted. “Maybe we should search the grounds for—”

I heard heavy footsteps, but I couldn't warn Kaylee fast enough.

“Hey! What are you kids doing in here?”

I squinted toward the stable door and saw the black outline of a giant. The man must have stood seven feet tall and weighed 300 pounds—about the size of Maine. His hands went to his hips. I imagined six-shooters in holsters.

I watched, speechless, as the giant charged up the stallway, straight at us.

“Kaylee,” I whispered, “make a run for—”

But Kaylee barged past me and ran up the stallway, charging the giant. “Where's that buckskin?” she demanded. “What have you done with him?”

The giant stopped. “You again?”

Kaylee marched all the way up to him. In the light, he might not have been a giant. But he was big. One look at his nose and I knew we were facing Lazy Lenny. I moved in beside Kaylee, figuring two were better than one. Plus, believe it or not, Leonard looked a little afraid of Kaylee.