The Golden Cricket

Chia lin looked up from his rice bowl and reached across the table with his chopsticks to take another serving of noodles. No one said anything.

His father didn't comment on how round Chia lin's belly would be if he ate so much. His mother didn't shake her head and sigh that he was like a little lion. His sister, Lotus, didn't try to get the last piece before he could pick it up.

His big brother,Yu lin, didn't make a joke to get everyone else laughing because Yu lin wasn't there. His merry eyes and laughing voice hadn't been seen or heard in the house or around the farm since the time of frost. Soldiers had come to the village and taken away all the big boys and young men to fight in a battle far away.

Chia lin looked around at his silent, sad family. He saw a tear in the corner of his sister's eye and he knew she was remembering the good times before Yu lin had been marched away. He felt so small and helpless. Then he heard the sound of a cricket. Crickets were lucky. His family needed luck to bring Yu lin home again.

Chia lin slipped out of the house after the meal when his mother was too busy to notice. The gate in the wall was open a little bit and Chia lin edged through the gap. He would catch a cricket and put it in the little cricket cage Yu lin had made for him. It was a good sign that he had found the cage so quickly. He could be back in the house before anyone even noticed that he was gone, and he would bring luck with him.

The sun shone straight down on the fields that stretched along the river. Chia lin crouched in the shade of a bush and listened. He heard the clear, high sounds of a cricket singing. Slowly and carefully he moved forward until he could see the small brown cricket on a rock in front of him. He lowered his hand over the rock and felt the cricket moving against his fingers.

He put the cricket in the cricket cage and started home. Then he heard another cricket singing. It seemed louder than the sounds made by the small cricket in his cage.

He crawled through the tall grass until he could see the cricket perching on a stick. It was twice as large as the tiny cricket in the cage. Chia lin leaned forward slowly, and slid his hand nearer to the cricket. He grabbed the cricket and put it in the cage. The other cricket was already gone. I was small enough to wiggle away between the bamboo bars. He turned toward home but he heard the sound of another cricket, it was strong and clear. He looked at the cricket in the cage.

If he took it back to the house, he might pass up a truly lucky cricket. He turned away from the village and looked for the other cricket.

When he found it, the new cricket was larger than the cricket he already had in the cage. He felt its strong legs pushing against his fingers as he picked it up. He shook the smaller cricket out of he cricket cage and it hid in the grass. The new cricket clung to Chia lin's fingers for a few seconds before letting go and falling into the cage.

It was a fine cricket, nearly three times as large as the first tiny cricket that had escaped through the bars of the cage. Again Chia lin stood and turned toward his home. He took several steps before he stopped. and looked back toward the meadow. Then he looked at the cricket in his cage. It was a better cricket than the first two, but Chia lin had seen bigger crickets many times. He wanted the best luck. He would look for a bigger, better cricket.

He wandered into the meadow, catching and discarding cricket after cricket, in search of the best of all. He was growing hungry and tired when he heard the clearest, loudest cricket call he had ever heard. It came from the bank of the river. His mother had warned Chia lin to stay away from the river, but if he caught a fine cricket and brought luck to the family, Yu lin would come back and anything Chia lin had done would be forgiven.

Softly, slowly, Chia lin stalked the cricket. Then he saw it. All the other crickets he had caught were brown. This cricket glistened in the sun like a golden carving. Some of the other crickets had been missing a part of a leg or had broken antennae. This cricket was perfect. It was the largest cricket he had ever seen.

The cricket seemed to tilt its head and look at Chia lin as he lowered the cage to the rock where it sat. The cricket crawled into the open door of the cage and began to eat the leaves inside.

This must be the lucky cricket that would bring Yu lin home again. Chia lin stood and stretched. Then he looked around. He was standing by the dike near the river. He could see his home far away.

He had come more than a mile across the fields. He knew his mother would be worried and his father would be angry. He started running along the road, then stumbled and fell. The cricket cage fell to the ground and bounced. Chia lin quickly picked it up. The cricket seemed unharmed but Chia lin knew he couldn't run and risk injuring the lucky golden cricket. He got to his feet and began to walk.

Clip clop, clip clop, "Move aside, move aside, make way."

Chia lin turned and saw a donkey being led along the river road toward him. He jumped to the side of the road but the donkey stopped. The man leading the donkey was Lao Wu, his old uncle who took his carvings to the city to trade.

"Little Wu nephew. What are you doing here so far from your home? You will worry your mother and anger your father. They have enough trouble now that your brother is gone. Why do you cause them more problems?"

"We needed luck and I came to catch a lucky cricket." Chia lin said, holding up the cage with the beautiful cricket to show the old man.

"Very nice. I could probably sell it for you in the city and bring you some cash." Uncle Lao Wu said.

"No. I must take it home and give luck to my family so that my brother Yu lin will come home."

"Then I will help you get home," Uncle Lao Wu said. "Give me your hand and I will put you on top of my donkey."

Chia lin was tired from his long cricket hunt. His eyes closed and soon he was sound asleep.

Uncle Lao Wu's mind was full of plans for selling his goods in the city. He led the donkey past Chia lin's home. He forgot to stop and wake the sleeping boy. Hours passed as he hurried along the river road, trying to get to the city before night fall when the gates would be closed.

"Are we almost home Uncle Lao Wu?" Chia lin asked when he finally woke.

The old man stopped his donkey. In the distance he could see the walls of the city. He could see the sky turn pink as the sun set. He must hurry or they would be shut out of the walls of the city and bandits might rob an old man and a small boy.

"Chia lin, I forgot. I went past your home and now we must hurry to get inside the city wall before night comes. I will take you back to your parents first thing in the morning. I won't even wait to sell my goods."

Chia lin had never seen so many people before. They crowded the road that led to the city. All were eager to get safely inside the city gates. There were villages and camps outside the walls, but they were well guarded. For small groups, the only safety was inside.

The sky turned red in the west as the sun set. The guards at the gate wanted to close the gate as soon as the disk of the sun could no longer be seen. Uncle Lao Wu breathed a sigh of relief when they were safe inside just before the gates were closed. The city was full of strange sights and smells. Chia lin's looked around. His eyes grew round with wonder.

"We will go to the Wu clan Inn," Uncle Lao said as he guided his donkey away from the main road. Soon they came to a large building surrounded by a wall. Uncle Lao spoke to the gate keeper and he let them in. After lifting Chia lin down and unloading his donkey, the old man led the way into a dining hall.

They were served big bowls of noodles. Chia lin was very hungry and the noodles were good. He felt better with his tummy full. Tomorrow he would return home with his lucky cricket. His mother would probably cry and his father would be angry, but they would also be happy to see him.

After finishing their meal, they climbed stairs to a small room with 2 cots. Chia lin couldn't sleep for a long time because of the strange sounds and smells of the city.

The next morning Chia lin woke up and looked toward the bed where Uncle Lao Wu had been sleeping. The bed was empty. Uncle Lao Wu's shoes were gone.

Chia lin jumped up and pulled on his shoes and his padded coat. If Uncle Lao Wu forgot him again, Chia lin would be all alone in the city. He had heard frightening stories about what happened to small boys in the city. It was whispered that they might be stolen and taken far away. He looked in different rooms of the Inn but he forgot to look in the kitchen where Uncle Wu was buying some breakfast. The gate was open. The gatekeeper was busy eating his breakfast and he didn't notice Chia lin step into the street, gripping the cage that held his golden cricket in his hand.

Chia lin hurried to the corner and looked both ways to see if he could catch sight of his uncle. There was a shop where hundreds of birds fluttered and sang, another where colored paper lanterns swayed in the breeze, yet another where red dyed ducks hung from hooks, but no Uncle Wu.

Chia lin wandered along the street, looking here and there. Suddenly he bumped into someone. He looked up and saw a tall soldier scowling at him. "Look out where you are going boy." the soldier reached out for the cricket cage. "You must have stolen the cricket." The soldier grabbed and Chia lin ducked. He ran though the crowd, then hid behind a fat man who was arguing with a shop keeper.

The soldier looked around and moved away. Chia lin hurried back into the street and tried to find his way back to the Inn but he couldn't remember which way to go. He was lost. Tears came to his eyes and he tried not to cry. For a moment he felt like throwing the cricket cage away. Instead of bringing luck, it had brought him to the city and now he would never get back home again. He closed his eyes.

"What are you doing boy, standing in the street and closing your eyes? Where are your parents, where do you live?" Chia lin opened his eyes and saw an old woman leaning

close to him. He shook his head.

He knew he shouldn't talk to strangers. She took hold of his hand and started to drag him down the street. She was small and old but she was strong and Chia lin had to follow her. He stumbled along behind her as she hurried through the city streets.

"Don't you know what can happen to lost boys?" she asked him. "There are people who sell them. Sometimes they do even worse things to them. You look like a country boy. Did your parent's come in for the market and then lose you?"

She didn't wait to hear Chia lin's answers but quickly walked to the edge of the river. It was hard to see the water because many boats of all sizes were drawn close to the

stone steps that led up from the river's edge.

The old woman didn't stop. She ran across a small bridge that linked one boat to another, pulling Chia lin after her. He didn't pull away from her. He was more afraid of falling into the water than he was afraid of the old woman. Something about her reminded him of his grandmother. She had a sharp voice but kindness in her words.

They moved quickly from one boat to another, sometimes crossing on planks, sometimes jumping. Then the old woman stopped on a boat and tossed her package into a barrel on the deck.

"I will put you in the hold but be quiet. You must not disturb the person who is sleeping there." She shoved Chia lin through a small door in the center of the boat. The low room was almost filled by a narrow bed that held someone wrapped in a cloth. Chia lin was afraid. He tried to be quiet, but soon he was crying.

"Chia lin. Is that you?" a hand reached out from the person on the bed. The voice was weak but familiar.

"Yu lin, is it you, my brother?" Chia lin jumped up and pushed open the door so that he could see the face of the man on the bed. It was thin and pale, but it was Yu lin!

"What are you doing?" The old woman yelled when she saw the door of the hold standing open and the small boy jumping up and down with the hand of the weak young man held firmly in his own.

"You must not wake my son's friend. He has been ill and he doesn't know who he is."

"Where are we?" Yu lin asked, sitting up and rubbing his head. "The last thing I remember is that we were in a battle and my friend Lee Fong was in danger of being killed. I pulled him out of danger but that is all I remember. How did you find me little brother?"

"It was my lucky cricket." Chia lin said. He held up the bamboo cage and showed Yu lin the cricket.

"I am Lee Ma, the mother of Lee Fong," the old woman said. "I found this little one wandering in the city and I brought him back to our boat so he wouldn't be harmed. He wouldn't talk to me or tell me his name. Surely it is powerful luck that he has found you. You have been very ill and you couldn't tell us where you live or who your people are."

"Where are we?" Yu lin asked.

"We are on the river in the big city where Uncle Lao Wu sells his goods. He brought me here yesterday by mistake," Chia lin answered. "This morning I couldn't find him in the Inn and I looked for him in the street. I was lost."

"Our home is on this river only a few miles to the south," Yu lin said to Lee Ma. "I wish I could see my family now."

"We can leave the city and take you home as soon as Lee Fong, comes back from the market," Lee Ma said with a wide smile. "Now lay down again and rest so you can be strong when you meet your parents."

Lee Fong soon returned and smiled to see that Yu lin's memory had returned. They pushed their boat to the edge of the crowd of boats near the river's edge and soon they were floating out of the city.

It was almost mid day when the boat came in sight of the Wu farm. While they fastened the boat to the tree that hung over the water near the farm, they heard the sound of weeping.

Lee Fong leaped from the boat and hurried up the path to the gate in the wall that surrounded the farm house and buildings. The old gate keeper peered over the wall and saw the young man. "Go away stranger. This is a house of mourning. The oldest son was taken away by soldiers and now the young son has disappeared. My master and his wife are not to be disturbed."

"Open the gate and call your master. I have both sons, safe and home again." Lee Fong shouted.

Soon everyone was happy. They put the cricket near the hearth and set a feast on the table. Lee Fong and Lee Ma were honored guests. The sound of weeping surprised the joyful group. They turned and saw Uncle Lao Wu standing in the doorway. His eyes were so filled with tears that he couldn't see Yu lin and Chia lin.

"Oh how can you ever forgive me. I am an old fool. I have lost your little son because I was forgetful and didn't bring him home but took him to the city. This morning I looked and looked for him. I came here to tell you the dreadful news." He knelt on the floor and knocked his head.

Chia lin's father lifted him up and embraced him. "Rejoice with us. Our sons have both returned. We should not question any part of the path that led them home."

On the hearth the golden cricket sang with joy.

The End

COWBOY JOE AND BABY BOOMER

Cowboy Joe had just been paid off for driving a herd of cows to the trail head. He was heading down along the Platte River to find another job when he heard an awful noise coming from the river. He pulled his gun and prepared to meet the dreadful beast that was making a ruckus beyond the bushes.

He parted the branches of the willows that screened the riverbank and saw a tiny child being carried down the river clinging to a log, his mouth was wide open and he was hollering fit to bring the calvary. Cowboy Joe spurred his horse Brownie into the river and scooped up the baby.

He rode into the nearest town upstream and asked if anyone had lost the baby. Nobody had heard of a missing baby and the orphanage was crowded and dirty. Cowboy Joe bought an Indian cradle board from the trading post and hung it on the side of his saddle. Then he rode west with the child he called Boomer because of his deep, loud voice.

It was hard to find work with a baby rigged to the side of his saddle but Cowboy Joe figured that he had enough money to last until he found Boomer's parents. He had been saving to buy some land and start a ranch, but finding a family for Boomer was more important.

His funds were falling low by the time he came to the Bar T ranch owned by Miss Lydia. Her father had died and her foreman was getting old but she didn't trust the young trail riders who applied for work.

When she saw that Cowboy joe was carrying a baby and taking tender care of the tot, she decided he could be trusted. Boomer was given a room in the house with Miss Lydia and Cowboy Joe stayed out in the bunkhouse with Old Ed, the ranch foreman.

Cowboy Joe thought Niss Lydia was wonderful and she felt the same way about him, but both of them were too shy to speak up. They worked together raising Boomer and running the ranch. Cowboy Joe kept putting ads in papers all around the country to try and find Boomer's parents, but he loved the little boy as if he were his own son.

Boomer was about five years old when a gang of outlaws came by the ranch while Cowboy Joe and Old Ed were out in the pasture taking care of the cattle. Boomer was in the house studying his primer and sums and Miss Lydia was out in the barn.

The outlaws ambushed Miss Lydia when she came out of the barn. They held a gun on her and demanded money. Boomer heard them yelling at Lydia while they rode their horses round and round her. He dragged the shotgun off the rack over the fireplace and stuck the barrel out the window. Then he hollered "stick em up"

His booming voice sounded like a full grown man. Then he dropped the gun and it went off, shooting a hole in the roof. The outlaws jumped off their horses and held up their hands.

Cowboy Joe and Old Ed raced their horses back to the ranch house when they heard the shot. They rounded up the outlaws and herded the gang of outlaws into town for the sheriff to put in jail.

When the sheriff saw the gang he whistled with surprise. "Just look here at these wanted posters that I have here on my wall. This gang is worth a big reward. You two men can split the money."

"It was Boomer who made them drop their guns and surrender," Cowboy Joe explained. "We just came along in time to round them up."

"Yep," Old Ed said. "The reward should go to Boomer."

As soon as the reward money arrived in town, Cowboy Joe and Miss Lydia put it in the bank for Boomer. A reporter wrote a story about the orphan boy who had captured the robber gang and told about how Cowboy Joe was still looking for the parents of the tot he had rescued when he was a baby. He also mentioned the big reward Boomer had earned..

Zeb and Betsy Downer, two squatters who were running low on funds, saw the story. "This could be our lucky day," Zeb said. "We'll say we lost this boy when he was just a baby. We will have the money from his reward for ourselves." They set out in their buckboard for Lydia's ranch.

Zeb was a little fellow with a high voice and his wife Betsy sounded like she had cottonwood fluff stuck in her throat. Miss Lydia was surprised when they showed up at the door and claimed to be Boomer's long lost parents.

"Do you have any proof of who you are?" she asked.

"We'll take you to court if you don't give us our dear little boy!" Betsy whispered as loud as she could manage.

"We'll meet you in town at noon tomorrow," Miss Lydia said.

The next day everyone showed up in front of Judge Briggs. Betsy and Zeb had brought a little frayed blanket that they claimed had once belonged to Boomer. Betsy cried and cried.

Judge Briggs looked back and forth between Betsy and Zeb Downer and Miss Lydia and Cowboy Joe.

"I will give the child to the Downers, but of course, you should know that Boomer's money is all tied up in trust until he is old enough to go to college. It is real generous for you to take a boy this big and give him a home."

"What! No money?" Zeb yelled in a high like a startled cat.

"Of course if you really are Boomer's parents you don't mind taking care of him with or without that reward money. The money will have to stay in the bank until he is at least eighteen years old.

"We made a mistake, now that I look real close, I can see he's not our baby." Betsy squealed like a balloon with the air hissing out. The Downers jumped into their buggy and skedaddled out of town.

Lydia and Joe told Boomer to get in the wagon and go back to the ranch with them.

"Wait a minute folks," Judge Briggs said. "I'm thinking it would be a good idea for Boomer to belong to a real family, not just hanging around with a dried up old maid and a tough old saddle tramp."

"Who are you calling a dried up old maid?" Joe demanded. He had loved Lydia for a long time but he thought she wouldn't want to marry a plain hardworking cowboy like him.

"Who are you calling a tough old saddle tramp?" Lydia demanded. "Joe is the most wonderful, hard working, responsible man I know."

"You two seem to like each other well enough," the judge said with a smirk. "Why don't I just go ahead and marry you to each other so Boomer can have the family he deserves." Joe blushed and Miss Lydia ducked her head, but both of them agreed with the judge.

When folks heard there was going to be a wedding, they gathered up and watched the couple joined. After the marriage Judge Briggs signed adoption papers for Boomer so that they were officially a family. The town folks threw a big party and danced until the sun went down. Boomer was so happy he sang all the way back to the ranch with his new mom and dad.

The End

MIRANDA'S DRAGON

Princess Miranda was lonely and bored. She wanted someone to play with her. Her sisters, Melisande and Minerva, were studying math and geography in the solar with heir tutor.

Her brothers, Borland and Bruno, were practicing fencing in the gallery with the master at arms. Her mother, the Queen, was in the treasury counting the gold forks.

Her father, the King, was closeted with his cabinet.

Her nurse maid was gossiping with the cook.

Everyone at Dragonmount Castle was too busy to spend time with Miranda.

So Miranda went exploring. down

the stairs

that led

to the cellars.

It was dark and damp so she took a lamp.

The cellars beneath the kitchen had been used for dungeons long ago. Now they were heaped with cabbages and turnips, onions and carrots. Miranda found a barrel of sweet

apples and put a couple of them in her pockets. She found

another

stairway

and continued to explore.

The next level was filled with old furniture and chests of clothes and toys. A drawer on a big old desk was open. When Miranda peeked inside she saw a key. It was the

biggest key she had ever seen. She took it out of the drawer and put it in her pocket.

She saw a dark and narrow opening in the corner of the hall. She lifted her lamp and began to go down the narrow,

steep

stairs.

Down,

down,

down

and

round

and round

the stairway went until Miranda was dizzy.

At the end of the stairs was a long hall that looked like a cave. At the end of the hall was a door. In the middle of the door was a keyhole.

Miranda felt a chill at the back of her neck, but Miranda was curious so she took the key from her pocket and turned it in the lock. It gave a rusty click and the door swung open with a screeching creak.

Miranda lifted her lamp and peered inside. A great pile of gold and green gems lay in the center of the rocky floor. She reached out and touched one of the shining jewels.

Suddenly a huge head lifted above the pile and she realized that the gems were really gleaming scales and the pile was a dragon!

Huge red eyes blinked and a deep voice whispered, "Who woke me?"

Miranda wanted to run away but she was so scared her feet wouldn't work. The dragon reached out a mighty claw that closed like a cage around the frightened princess.

"I want to know who woke me. Was it you?" he asked in a voice like the storm wind.

"P p please don't eat me," Miranda cried.

"Eat you? Why would I want to eat you?" the dragon asked. "Right now I am very hungry, but it is clear that you are a princess and I never have eaten a princess."

"Would a couple of apples be okay for a snack?" Miranda asked as she took one of the apples out of her pocket. The dragon purred with a great rumble and sampled her offering.

"Delicious, but I really would like something more substantial. Do you know where I could get a couple of bushels of turnips or a barrel of cabbage?"

"Wait here," Miranda said. "I'll be right back,"

She raced up the stairs to the old furniture cellar where she grabbed a couple of buckets. Then she climbed the stairs to the vegetable cellar where she filled the buckets with turnips and cabbages.

She made several trips and the dragon just kept eating until Miranda was so tired that she felt her legs go numb. Finally the dragon gave a great sigh and said. "Oh, that was good. I feel like flying now. Would you like to take a ride?"

Miranda looked around. "How can you fly in here. It's a big cave, but not big enough for flying."

The dragon laughed. It sounded like friendly thunder. "Get up on my neck above my wings and I'll show you where we will fly."

Miranda decided to trust the dragon and as soon as she was settled on his shoulders, he waddled down the cavern and around a corner. There was an opening ahead with tiny sparkles of daylight sunlight glimmering through a dense bush.

With a mighty swipe from his claw, the dragon cleared the bush from the opening. Miranda saw that they were on a cliff on the north side of the hill under the castle.

"Hang on," the dragon roared, then he leaped into the air and fell down,

down,

down.

toward the town in the valley below.

Just when Miranda thought they would crash, the dragon tipped his wings and they went soaring up toward the clouds. The villagers ran from their houses and began to scream and cry, "A dragon has taken Princess Miranda! "

The dragon flew up and up until he hovered over the tallest tower on Dragonmount Castle. Then, light as a feather, he landed on the parapet of the tower . The king and his knights rushed outwith drawn swords.

Miranda jumped off the dragon and held up her hands. "Stop, this is my very own dragon and you must not hurt him."

"Yes, she found me, she woke me, she fed me. That means I am her dragon, but only because she is a princess royal of Drangonmount," the dragon told the king.

"I thought Sir Roderick the Mighty killed the last dragon many years ago," the king said.

"When Roderick went on his rampage, Princess Melodi the Merry hid me. I have slept since then," the dragon said in his rumbling voice.

"No wonder you were so hungry!" Miranda said. "Melodi the Merry was my great great great grandmother!"

"I'm still hungry!" roared the dragon. The king and his knights raised their swords in fear but Miranda turned to the dragon.

"Come on, I know where there is a hill of turnips. The farmers have brought them to the castle and piled them near the gate," Miranda said.

With that, she jumped on the dragon's neck and the dragon jumped into the air and swooped

down,

down,

down

to the gate of the palace where Miranda's brothers and sisters were standing with their mouths wide open in awe.

"Can we have a ride?" they asked Miranda.

"Will you let them ride you?" she asked the dragon.

"With your permission," he replied.

Soon all the princes and princesses had taken turns riding the mighty dragon as he swooped and whirled through the air above Dragonmount. When the queen told them it was time for dinner, they hugged the dragon and promised to bring him lots of tasty vegetables when they visited with him the next day.

After finding the dragon, Miranda was so happy that she hardly ever had to hug her doll. Every

day after breakfast she went to visit the dragon. Sometimes they didn't fly through the air. Sometimes he told stories about the old days and the dragons he had known.

Some were fierce and dangerous. Others were gentle and tame. But only Miranda's dragon had survived Sir Roderick.

One day when Miranda went to see the dragon, she found him curled in the corner. His green and gold scales had taken on a purple tint. His great red eyes were open only half way.

"I don't feel like flying today," the dragon said when he saw the princess. "In fact, I don't feel very hungry either."

Miranda hurried back to the palace to tell her father the king that her dragon was sick and he summoned the doctors and wizards and veterinaries. None of them knew what to do. The dragon heaved a rumbly sigh and tucked his nose under his claws.

That night Miranda hugged her doll and tried to keep from crying. It was such a comfort to have a doll to hug when she was lonely and sad. Suddenly Miranda sat up. She had an idea.

The next morning she asked her sisters Melisande and Minerva to meet her in the sewing room as soon as their lessons were done. She asked her brothers, Bruno and

Borlund to gather some bladders from the butcher and fill them with air. She asked her mother the queen if she could

use some green and gold brocade that was left over from making drapes for the dining hall.

Then she got busy with needle and thread. Soon Miranda and Minerva joined her and they sat and sewed.

When the king asked what they were making Miranda said, "I think my dragon is lonely. When I'm sad and lonely I hug my dolly, but my dragon doesn't have a dolly. We're making him a dragon dolly. When it's finished we'll fill it with air bladders so it won't be so heavy."

"I hope it works," the king said. He helped them carry the dragon dolly down through the cellars until they came at last to the dragon's cave. Miranda opened the door and peeked in.

The dragon lay in the corner, pale purple and sound asleep. Miranda tickled his nose with a feather until he sneezed and woke up. His dull eyes moved over the children and their parents until he caught sight of the dragon doll. "What's that?" he rumbled in a weary voice.

"It's your dolly for you to hug when you feel lonely," Miranda explained.

The dragon reached out his claw and pulled it closer. "Where did you get it?" he asked listlessly.

"We made it. Mother gave us the leftover cloth from the drapes and Melisande, Minerva and I sewed it together. Borland and Bruno gathered bladders and cleaned them and filled them with air, and Father helped us carry it down here for you."

A big tear fell from the dragon's eye, then another. He heaved a great, grumbly sigh.

"Please don't cry," Miranda said. "I know it is not very pretty, but it was the best we could do."

"I think the dragon dolly you made is beautiful.!" the dragon rumbled. "I'm

crying because I just realized that you love me." As he spoke the dull scales grew bright and he leaped up. "Come. It's a good day for a ride."

THE GUMMY MUMMY

Butch was the kind of boy that other boys' parents used as a good example when they told their own kids what they should do. He was clean, obedient, got straight A's in school, and he never, ever, put his gum on the bedpost overnight. If he had one slight fault it was a strange fondness for bubble gum.

He usually kept the urge to buy bubble gum under control, keeping his allowance for more important things like buying stamps to write thank you notes and saving for his

college education. Then, on his eleventh birthday, his Aunt Jean sent him a check for fifty dollars which he would put into savings for college (I told you he was almost perfect), but she also included a ten dollar bill with a note attached with a piece of tape. "Spend this ten dollars anyway you want, but don't put it in the bank," the note said.

He took the fifty dollar check to the bank and put it into his savings account. When he left the bank with his receipt, he saw a row of bubble gum machines. Butch hurried back into the bank and got a roll of dimes.

He put three dimes into a bubble gum machine and got out three big balls of bubble gum. He put one in his mouth and the others in his pocket. Then he started to walk away.

But wait. There were six colors of bubble gum balls; green, pink, blue, red, yellow and white. He had two red balls and a white one. Butch decided he wanted at least one of every color. He spent two dollars before he finally got a green ball.

His pockets bulged with bubble gum balls. Butch tried each flavor, chewing until most of the flavor had gone from the wad in his mouth. It became harder and harder for him to chew as the wad got bigger. Soon he had so much gum in his mouth he looked like a chipmunk.

He wanted a drink of water so he took the wad of gum out of his mouth. It was about the size of an apple by now, and he held it in his left hand while he leaned over to get a drink. Unfortunately the gum was very sticky.

When Butch finished drinking he couldn't get the gum out of his hand without sticking up the other hand. Not only that, but it was time to go to baseball practice.

Fortunately he was out in left field and things were so slow that he didn't come up to bat until near the end of the practice. It was boring being out in the field when all the hits were inside the diamond. Butch started chewing more bubble gum. Soon he had another wad that made him look like a chipmunk.

When it was finally his turn at bat Butch couldn't even talk. He waved his hand that was full of gum at the coach. The coach wanted to know what was wrong with Butch but just then one of the other kids threw the ball over the fence and everyone ran off to get it back. The coach stared at Butch's bulging cheeks. "I think you have the mumps Butch. Go home and get your mother to take you to the doctor!"

Butch knew it would be hard to explain his situation so he just waved at the coach and went home. It was nearly time for dinner when he reached his house. When his mother heard him come in the front door she asked him to go into the dining room after he washed up. Butch could only wash his one hand, but he made sure it was clean before he left the bathroom.

When he walked into the dining room his parents were already seated at the table, but the room was dark with only a couple of flickering candles in the middle of the table.

When they had candlelight it usually meant the food didn't look very good for some reason. Butch's mother liked to experiment with food. Sometimes it tasted good but you really didn't want to look at it. Fortunately it meant his parent's couldn't see Butch very well.

"Have you heard about the burglars who have been robbing some of our neighbors?" his father asked.

"They only rob houses where there are no children," his mother replied. "I'm afraid they might rob us. No one could tell that we have a child from looking at our house.

Butch is so tidy that he never leaves his toys out in the yard."

"Butch, have you heard any of your friends talking about the burglars?" his father asked.

Butch took the gum out of his mouth with his right hand so he could answer the question. Then he realized that both of his hands were full of gum and there was no way he could pick up a fork or spoon. He was embarrassed about the bubble gum and decided to try and get it off his hands without letting his parents know what was going on.

"May I please be excused?" Butch asked.

His mother peered at him. "I can make you a sandwich if you really don't like my cooking," she said.

"I just want to rest," he said.

He went up to his room and tried to find a way to get the gum off of his hands. Every thing he tried to get the gum off made an even bigger mess. Frustrated and angry with himself for making such a mess of his hands, Butch laid down on his bed just to rest. Instead, he fell asleep.

Burgler brothers Zeke and Zack were cruising the neighborhood looking for a likely house to burgle. They wanted a house with the lights out and no evidence of kids around the yard. Kids broke things and made them look shabby so they couldn't be pawned for a profit.

No evidence of discarded toys or bikes gave evidence that a kid lived at Butch's house. Zeke and Zack cut the lights in their car as they rolled to a stop in the alley behind the house.

"I'm scared Zack," Zeke whispered as they pulled nylon stockings over their heads. "What if this house has a ghost in it, or even worse, a mummy."

"I knew I shouldn't have let you watch that horror movie." Zack growled. "This is a nice, normal neighborhood. The worst thing around here is us. There are no mummies living, or dead in this house, just nice silver and jewelry and electronic equipment. Now stop shivering and give me the jimmy."

Butch dreamed that he was in a baseball game. He had the ball in one hand and a bat in the other. The ball wouldn't leave his hand when he tried to toss it and the bat

was wrapping around him like a snake. He dreamed he ran to take a shower. He rubbed his head, his chest, his stomach and then his legs. He could hardly move.

Suddenly Butch woke up. His sheets wound round and round him. Gum covered him, sticking the sheets to his clothes, his legs and arms, his face and head. Staggering to his feet, Butch lurched from his room. The gum made it difficult for him to see or talk. All he could do was murmur, "Mum!"

"Did you hear that?" Zeke whispered as he stuffed a silver bowl in a sack. "That sounded like the mummy in the movie I was watching." He was so nervous that he dropped

the sack and looked around the dark house.

Lurching down the stairs, sticking to the steps with each movement, came a terrible thing. Zeke yelled, "It's a mummy!" and grabbed Zack.

"I told you there aren't any mummys around here. Let go of me!" Zack yelped. He tried to jerk away from Zeke who was grabbing him so tight he could hardly breath and

they started wrestling. Zack fell against the stairs.

Just then Butch tripped and fell down the stairs and landed right on top of the terrified burglars. They wrestled and pulled and struggled, but the more they wriggled, they

more they became tangled in the gummy sheets.

Upstairs, Butch's parents heard the commotion and dialed 911. When the police arrived in response to their call, they found a weird blob lurching around in the hallway.

There seemed to be several heads and a lot of arms and legs. Screams and cries and yells of "Mum" were coming from the mass that was apparently tied together by some

alien substance.

"Call the alien apprehension agency!" one of the cops yelled to the squad car.

"Wait!" the other cop said. "I recognize two of those heads. That's Zack Steed and Zeke James. They are wanted for burglery and there is a reward for their capture. Take them out to the van boys."

The other policemen were puzzled about how to handle the sticky mass. When they brought in a big canvas tarp and began to wind it around the struggling burglars while Butch's parents watched.

"Wait! Mom, it's me." Butch finally said just before six policemen carried the tangled bunch through the door.

"Stop!" Butch's father shouted. "That's our boy."

The policemen lowered the tarp to the floor and got busy untangling the gummy mess. It took five big jars of peanut butter and a bag of ice to get Butch free from the

felons. Everyone agreed he deserved the reward for catching the burglers. Part of it he used to pay for a new rug in the hallway. He took the rest of the money to the bank.

While he was there the manager asked him what he wanted them to do with the interest of ten dollars his account had earned. For a moment Butch looked with yearning at

the gumball machines outside the door, then he shook his head. It was a hot day. He would keep a dollar of his money and buy a box of popsicles. Surely he couldn't get

into trouble with popsicles. Butch was wrong, but that's another story.

LOST HORSE VALLEY

Pat Heywood

It was the first day of summer vacation and Jack and Jenny stared out the window of their Aunt Phoebe's town house. When they caught sight of their Uncle Jake's Bronco, they cheered. Aunt Phoebe frowned.

"You two children are too rowdy. I'm don't think it is good for you to spend the summer with your mother's brother. I should get my lawyer to have the judge give me full custody of both of you. But I have already planned to visit my friend in Europe this summer. As soon as I get back I will call my lawyer."

Jack and Jenny could hardly wait until their suitcases were loaded in their uncle's car and they could leave Philadelphia and Aunt Phoebe's big, cold house.

"Aunt Phoebe says she's going to make us live with her all the time," Jack said as soon as their uncle had closed the door of the car and they had fastened their seat belts.

"I wish we could live with you all the time," Jenny said.

"I wish you could live with me all the time, but until I have a wife, your aunt will probably be able to convince the judge that she can give you a better home," Nate said. "Don't worry. I won't let her keep you all the time. I know how you feel about your summers at my ranch, and I love having you come to stay with me. It will take about four days for us to get there. I didn't fly to Philadelphia to get you because I wanted to show you some of the country that you've only seen from the air."

They left the green hills of the east after the second day on the road. It was late on their third day when they finally they saw the white tops of blue mountains rising to the west. Jack and Jenny felt excited because they knew that their uncle's ranch was near the mountains. After one more night of staying in a motel they finally reached the mountains.

Near mid  day Uncle Jack drove into a valley where tall flat topped mountains reared high above. "I'm taking you to see Mesa Verde," he said. The passed the park gates and drove up and up along a road that wound back and forth across the face of the mountain. Finally they reached the sign post directing them to some of the cliff ruins.

"My fiancee Linda White brought me here a couple of months ago," Uncle Nate explained as he led them from the parking lot toward a trail.

"You have a fiancee?" Jenny shouted happily. "That means you are going to be married and we can come and live with you all the time."

Uncle Nate shook his head. "Linda and I want to get married, but she is getting her degree in archaeology and will need to spend another year or so doing research at a site like this." He showed them the ancient Indian ruins that were built in the side of the cliffs across a steep ravine. It was an amazing site. And both Jenny and Jack enjoyedseeing the many different ways that the ancient Anasazi had built their homes, but Jenny was disappointed that Uncle Jack wasn't getting married right away.

What if Aunt Phoebe got the judge to decide that they couldn't spend summers with their uncle. After leaving Mesa Verde they stayed in a motel and started on the road to Uncle Jack's ranch the following morning. Jenny was so worried that this might be their last time in the west that her face was serious even when Uncle Jack told jokes about the strange characters that lived in a small town they passed through.

She didn't smile again until they turned off the highway between the bars that held up the sign over Uncle Nate's gate.

"Golden Mesa Ranch," Jack read. "We're almost there!"

Both of the children were excited as they drove down the long gravel road that led to the ranch buildings. It was nearly dark when they reached the ranch house and both of them were so tired that they went to sleep as soon as they got into their beds after eating dinner.

In the morning they woke up early as soon as the ranch rooster crowed. Uncle Nate had promised them that today after breakfast he would take them out to the barn and give them a couple of horses to ride.

All winter long they had looked forward to riding through the hills. Now they dressed in levis and long sleeved white shirts. Each of them had a straw cowboy hat to protect their faces from the harsh western sun. After a big breakfast of eggs and pancakes they followed their uncle toward the barn.

They had ridden ponies before, but this year their uncle had promised he would let them ride real horses. There were two horses in the corral next to the barn. Uncle Nate whistled and they came up to the fence. One of the horses was taller than the other, he was as white as snow . He nodded his head and pounded his hoof on the ground.

"That sounds like far away thunder," Jenny laughed as she gave the horse an apple and patted his snowy nose.

"That's his name, Thunder," Uncle Nate said. "I've watched you ride, Jenny and I think you can handle him. The other horse is named Sulky. She is a dependable old mare and I think she will be best for Jack."

Jack frowned. "I want to ride Thunder," he said.

"I'm sorry Jack," Uncle Nate said, "but Jenny is a couple of years older than you and she has more experience than you. She has shown me that she can handle a horse like Thunder. Maybe next year I will find a livelier horse for you to ride."

Jack didn't say anything more in front of his uncle but Jenny could see how disappointed he was. They watched their uncle saddle Thunder and then they helped him saddle Sulky.

While he went to get his own horse Jack turned to Jenny. "I can ride as good as you can. I should have a chance to ride Thunder."

Jenny shook her head. "Please don't nag Jack. Uncle Nate made the choice, not me." When Uncle Nate returned, the children mounted their horses and followed him up a trail. When they reached the top of the hill they saw Henry, an old cowboy, waiting for them.

"Henry will take over from here," Uncle Nate said. "I have some things I need to take care of on the south range."

It was a beautiful day as they started up the canyon following Henry. The smell of sagebrush and the whistle of locusts in the tall grass that grew in a nearby meadow were a sharp contrast to the muggy streets of Philadelphia. It seemed they could see much further from the tall backs of the horses than they had from the ponies they had riddenbefore. Jenny hardly paid attention to Jack when he kept nagging her that she should let him ride Thunder. It was nearly noon when they came in sight of the waterfall that fell down the face of Golden Mesa.

"This is a box canyon back here. That means there are cliffs on all sides but the entrance," Henry explained. "There is a pool at the bottom of the water fall. We'll eat our lunch when we get there and you two kids can wade and cool your feet."

After they had lunch, they rode back down the canyon and Henry showed them a small natural bridge that the stream had carved from the cliffs. They got off their horses and explored for several hours. It was nearly time for dinner when they arrived back at the ranch.

Henry helped them un saddle and take care of their horses then he went to the bunk house while Jack and Jenny returned to the ranch house. Carlos, the cook, had prepared a huge dinner for all the hands. Soon seven men crowded around the table laughing and talking about their work on the ranch. "Are any more horses missing?" Henry asked Nate.

"None today, but I can't afford to lose any more horses. I can't figure out what's happened to the ten who have disappeared. It must be rustlers, but I haven't seen any strangers around and no tire tracks like a truck would leave."

"I think you should get the sheriff out here to investigate," Curly, a tall cowboy said. He took a hefty serving of mashed potatoes and passed the bowl along the table.

"I've already called him and he's alerted the highway checkpoints to look for horses wearing an altered brand," Nate said. "We seem to be the only ranch who is missing horses now so there should be some clues we can pick up while we're working. I'll give a hundred dollars to anyone who can help us solve the mystery."

"That's a lot of money Boss," Henry said.

"It would be worth it to stop the loss of any more horses," Nate assured him.

Their long day on the trail left Jack and Jenny tired and aching. But after eating breakfast the next morning, they were eager to continue exploring the ranch with Henry. He told them to wear swimming suits under their riding clothing and bring an extra set of underwear. At mid morning after the sun had driven away the cool haze of morning he led them to a pool in a grassy meadow. The children spent several hours swimming and splashing each other.

Nearly a week passed as they rode around the ranch each day with Henry. Finally, one evening Uncle Nate told them that the next day they could ride out alone. "You must keep to the trails Henry has shown you. It would be easy to get lost in the canyons up near Golden Mesa. If you see any strangers or anything suspicious, hurry back to the ranch. I'd send another cowboy with you, but everyone is needed for the round up tomorrow. If you can't give me your word that you'll obey my rules, you'll have to stay here at the ranch and watch videos."

"If we wanted to spend the summer watching videos, we could have stayed in Philadelphia with Aunt Phoebe's housekeeper," Jenny said.

That night Jack and Jenny tried to decide which trail they would take. Jack wanted to go back to the pool in the meadow but Jenny pointed out that their uncle wouldn't want them to swim without an adult around. Jack was pouting with disappointment but he finally agreed that they should take the trail they had taken the first day when they had visited the water fall at the base of Golden Mesa.

The next morning after breakfast they told their uncle that they would head up the trail to the water fall. He smiled. "That's one of my favorite trails but I don't get to go up there very often. There isn't much grazing land for cattle and that's my business. I wish I could go with you."

They took a couple of bag lunches that Carlos had packed for them and started up the trail after saddling their horses. As soon as they left the ranch Jack began to nag Jenny. "I let you have your way about going to the waterfall, so you should let me ride Thunder. I've had plenty of practice riding even if I am younger than you. If Uncle Nate wasn't so busy he would see that I deserve to ride something beside this fat old nag."

Jack tried to make Sulky go faster, but the steady old mare kept up her even pace. "See, this is a horse for a baby and I'm nearly eight years old. It's not fair that you always get to ride the good horse."

Jenny didn't say anything but Jack continued to nag her. Finally he said, "You're just selfish. You don't want me to have any fun. You probably wish I was back in Philadelphia. I might as well be. Riding this old horse is like riding a tricycle."

Jenny stopped Thunder and turned to Jack. "I'm tired of your nagging. If you think you can ride Thunder, we'll change horses, but don't go galloping off without me."

Jack was so excited at the idea of riding the big white horse that he didn't pay attention to his sister's advice. As soon as he was in Thunder's saddle he signaled the horse to go ahead. Jenny had been checking to make certain Sulky's saddle was well fastened and she wasn't on the horse yet when she heard Jack go galloping up the trail. She put her foot in Sulky's stirrup and swung her leg over the horse and tried to urge Sulky to a trot. The horse obeyed but the sound of Thunder's hooves grew faint.

Jenny heard Jack scream. She urged Sulky to hurry but when they came in sight of Jack, he was lying on the ground. There was no sight of Thunder but a rattle snake lay on the trail. It had been crushed by Thunder's hooves. Jenny jumped off her horse and hurried to her brother. Jack was shaking his head to clear it and trying to get up.

"What happened?" Jenny asked.

"There was a rattle snake on the trail. Thunder reared up and kicked at the snake and I fell off and hit my head. I can't remember anything else."

"Come on, we've got to find Thunder," Jenny urged. You can ride behind me."

"Ouch, my ankle feels like it's busted," Jack cried when he tried to stand up.

Jenny supported him as he hopped over to Sulky. Then she helped him up onto the old mare's back.

"I'm sure Thunder didn't come past me when I was riding up to get you. We'll ride up as far as the waterfall and look for him," Jenny said.

They reached the waterfall a few minutes later but there was still no sign of Thunder. Sulky drank from the pool while Jenny searched the ground for some clue that would tell her what had happened to the other horse. She found the prints of hooves leading to the pool, but it hadn't rained since their earlier ride with Henry. She couldn't be surethat the hoof prints were new. Finally she got up on Sulky in front of Jack, turned the horse around and headed back to the ranch.

"I'm sorry Jenny, I shouldn't have made you trade horses with me. Now we've lost Thunder and Uncle Nate will probably send us back to Philadelphia," Jack whimpered. "When Aunt Phoebe finds out that I've broken my ankle she'll never let us visit Uncle Nate again."

Jenny didn't answer him. She didn't think Uncle Nate would send them back to Philadelphia because they lost the horse, but she was almost certain that if Jack had broken his ankle, their aunt would use it as an excuse to gain sole custody. Ever since she found out that her brother's will had given custody of his children to their bachelor uncle, Phoebe had fought to keep them in her own home.

"What will people think," she had fumed. Jenny thought her aunt was more worried about what other people would think than what would be best for her niece and nephew. She seemed to be insulted that a bachelor on an isolated ranch was considered to be a better guardian than she. It seemed to be a matter of pride for Phoebe and with her money and a clever lawyer, she had overturned the wishes of the children's parents. She didn't particularly like keeping the children, but her housekeeper did most of the work and she was determined to gain full control over her nephew and niece as well as the inheritance from her brother that had been left to them.

Carlos and Uncle Nate came running when they saw Sulky amble up to the barn with the two children on her back. They lifted Jack down and left Jenny to take care of the horse while they carried her brother back to the ranch house and called the doctor. A few minutes later Nate loaded Jack into his Bronco and headed for town. He didn't get back until late that night, but the news was better than Jenny feared.

"The doctor X rayed Jacks' foot and leg and even his head to make sure he didn't have a broken skull from his fall, but he's okay except for the sprained ankle," Nate told Jenny. "He told me that he nagged you until you let him ride Thunder. I hope this will be a lesson for you Jenny. You are older than Jack and even if he nags you to do something you know is wrong, you shouldn't give in."

"I'm sorry," Jenny said. She went to bed with tears in her eyes. Because she had let her brother ride Thunder, he was injured and the horse was lost. She knew how important the horse had been. But she was puzzled by his disappearance. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. It was a mystery she was determined to explore.

She stayed in bed the next day until she heard Uncle Nate and the other cowboys ride out. Then she got up and dressed and waited some more until she heard Carlos in Jack's room offering him breakfast in bed. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed some bread and filled a thermos with orange juice. She looked around and saw a bowl of shiny red apples. Uncle Nate's flashlight was sitting on the counter where he had left it the night before. She grabbed a couple of apples and the flashlight and went out the back door.

Before Carlos had returned to the kitchen, Jenny had hurried to the barn and whistled for Sulky. The old mare walked over and stood patiently while Jenny saddled her and fastened on the bridle. Jenny hadn't been told that she couldn't ride out alone, but she suspected that if she had asked permission, her uncle would have told her to wait in the ranch house until someone was free to go with her. With the round up going on, it was unlikely there would be anyone to spare for such a task.

She looked around and studied the territory as she guided the sturdy little mare up the trail to Golden Mesa. She had been responsible for losing Thunder, even though Jack had nagged at her. She would do whatever she could to find the horse. She was hot and tired and there had been no sign of the white horse by the time she reached the pool at the foot of the water fall.

Sulky dipped her head to take a drink from the sparking water and Jenny jumped off the horse and opened her hasty lunch. She was puzzled. She had checked everywhere for some hint of what had happened to Thunder. The only way rustlers could have taken the horse was by helicopter and she was certain she would have noticed. She heard the faint sound of a horse neighing. She looked back down the trail to see if she had been followed but Sulky walked into the pool and headed across it. She walked around the waterfall and disappeared.

Jenny jumped up and followed the horse. Behind the water fall there was a deep cave. Jenny took the flashlight from her pocket and began to explore. The cave led steeply upwards. Then there was a turn and light appeared ahead. Jenny hurried up the last few feet and looked out.

Just ahead of her she saw Sulky grazing on long green grass. Not far beyond there was a small herd of horses. Most of them were not wearing any bridles but one of them still wore a saddle and a bridle.

There was no mistaking the milky color of Thunder. When he turned toward her and neighed. Jenny took one of the apples out of her pocket and held it up where the horse could see it as she whistled. Thunder stamped his foot and shook his head. Then he seemed to think for a moment.

Jenny wanted to laugh aloud when the horse finally decided to accept her offer. He trotted across the lush meadow and reached for the apple. While he crunched it between his teeth, she caught his reins. After checking to make sure the saddle was still secure, she swung up onto Thunder's back and rode over to Sulky. In a few seconds she had secured the reins of the mare to the saddle horn and she was ready to leave the hidden valley. For a few minutes she sat in the saddle and looked around. A stream wound its way through the valley and disappeared into a crevice just downhill from the opening to the tunnel. It must be the stream that fed the waterfall. Then Jenny looked up at the rocky walls and felt a surge of excitement as she saw something in the shadows.

As the afternoon sun drove the shadows from the eastern wall of the canyon, she saw something that was as exciting as finding Thunder. She had two good reasons for hurrying back to the ranch.

She met Uncle Nate and Henry as she came down the trail on Thunder with Sulky following close behind. When her uncle saw her riding all alone he frowned. "You took a big risk Jenny, but I guess it paid off. I was really worried when I returned to the ranch and Carlos told me he hadn't seen you all day long. Just remember, until you are older, you must never ride out alone without telling someone where you are going. Even when you are an adult, it is a good idea to leave a message. It's a good thing we found you or I would have to ask the sheriff to come out here with his search and rescue team."

"I'm sorry Uncle Nate, but I figured it was my fault Thunder go lost and I wanted to find him," Jenny said.

"We'll talk some more about this later. Give Henry Sulky's reins. We have to hurry back to the ranch. I got a message from Linda this morning. She's flying up here in a helicopter tonight. Her dean at the university has given her permission to search for Indian ruins in this area. Tomorrow morning her pilot will fly over some possible sites. I'm afraid they won't find much. We've covered just about every square foot of this ranch in the past ten years and except for a few arrow heads, there is no sign this place was settled."

Jenny had been eager to tell her uncle about finding the valley with the lost horses but suddenly she shut her lips tight. If she could convince Linda to let her ride along in the helicopter tomorrow, she could give her uncle and his fiancee a wonderful surprise for both of them. But first she wanted to meet the woman her uncle wanted to marry. What if Linda didn't want to have Jack and Jenny living with her after she was married? The thought brought a frown to Jenny's face.

Carlos had fixed a special dinner to welcome Linda White to the ranch. The smell of fresh baked bread and roasting meat filled the house with delicious scents.

Soon after Jenny and her Uncle returned to the ranch house and washed up they heard the sound of a helicopter beating into the air above the ranch. When it landed in the ranch yard between the house and the barn, Jenny hung back and watched the young woman who jumped down from the passenger seat and ran toward Uncle Nate. She looked nice, but Aunt Phoebe could look nice when she wanted to impress people.

After hugging Nate, Linda turned to Jenny. "Hi, I'm Linda. Your uncle has told me that as soon as we're married we get to have you come and live with us." She didn't try to hug Jenny but she smiled with delight as she extended her hand. "Where is your brother Jack?"

"He sprained his ankle yesterday," Jenny said. She decided she liked Linda as they shook hands and she noticed that Linda looked toward the house with a little frown of worry. "He's seen the doctor and he just needs to stay off his feet for a few days."

"We'll be flying tomorrow to see if I can locate any likely sites. I wanted both of you kids to come with us, but if Jack has to stay in the house, maybe we can do it another day." Linda said.

"Could I come tomorrow, please?" Jenny asked.

"Alright," Linda said. "I guess it will be sort of crowded in the helicopter if all of us try to go at the same time. I hope Jack is well enough to go for a flight before I have to leave."

The next morning Jenny was so excited about her secrets that she was afraid she would burst. As Nate and Linda looked over the maps that had been made of the ranch and compared them to satellite images that had been provided by the government, Linda pointed to the area around Golden Mesa. "Have you explored this area?"

"As far as I know, nobody has been to the top of Golden Mesa. It looks like there is a stream and some vegetation up there," Uncle Nate said as he studied the landsat photo.

"Could we fly over Golden Mesa this morning?" Jenny urged.

"I guess so," Linda said. "Since it is the only unexplored area, we might as well begin there." Uncle Nate gave a curious look at his niece. She still hadn't told him where she found Thunder and she was acting really excited as she ran out to the helicopter and waited for the others to come and begin the flight. The helicopter rose in the air and made a turn that took it up the trail to Golden Mesa. They were flying low enough for Linda to study the area with binoculars. When they approached the water fall that fell from the face of the mesa, Uncle Nate was surprised to see that the water didn't come from the edge of the cliff but from a cleft in the face.

"Could we fly higher please?" Jenny urged. Linda nodded and gave a sign to the pilot. The helicopter flew up and up and finally it flew over the edge of the cliff. Instead of the flat mesa her uncle had expected, the valley beyond became visible.

"Wow, I never guessed this was here!" Uncle Nate said as they flew over the green meadows and trees. Then he saw the horses that were running from the noise of the helicopter. "Jenny, you must have known about this place. Is this where you found Thunder?"

"Yes, when he was spooked by the rattler and Jack fell off his back Thunder ran up toward the waterfall, but he wasn't there when I looked for him. Yesterday I took Sulky back to the waterfall and she led me to a passage that led into the valley."

"Now I don't have to worry that rustlers took my horses. I can see all of them down there along with some mustangs that must have wandered here all by themselves. Can we land so I can explore?" Nate asked Linda. She nodded.

"This is a great surprise," Uncle Nate said as the helicopter settled toward the ground.

"It's not the only reason I asked Linda if we could fly up here," Jenny said. "Look up there on the cliff."

It was still morning and the cliff was in shadow but Linda quickly picked out the signs of a cliff dwelling under the ledge of the cliff. She turned to Jenny and hugged her. "I couldn't ask for a better site. As soon as we get back to the ranch I'm going to call the university and tell them what I've found. You know what this means don't you Nate?"

Nate was already out of the helicopter and as he lifted Linda out, he caught her in his arms and hugged her. "It means we can be married."

"And it means the kids don't have to go back to Philadelphia when the summer is ended," Linda said.

Jenny gave a whoop of delight. She could hardly wait to get back to the ranch and tell Jack the good news. It was too bad that his leg had been injured, but if they hadn't lost Thunder, she might never have

discovered the cliff dwelling and the lost horses.

"We will have to find a name for this valley so we can put it on the map," Uncle Nate said.

"Could we call it Lost Horse Valley?" Jenny asked. Nate and Linda nodded.

"It's a good name," Linda said. "The ruins could be known as the Lost Horse Ruins." Aunt Phoebe was the only one who wasn't excited by the news. "What will people think of me if the children don't return to Philadelphia?" she asked Nate when he called.

"I think it's about time you stopped thinking so much about what people think and started thinking about how people feel," Nate said. "Both Jack and Jenny are thrilled to be part of my new family. Any time you want to visit, we'll welcome you."

"Oh, how primitive. My friends would think I was out of my mind," Phoebe huffed. "Very well, you may keep the children. I have better things to do with my time than takecare of a couple of ungrateful brats."

Soon Jack was able to hobble around and Linda took him for a flight over the valley Jenny had found. "This is almost as much fun as riding a horse," he said as the helicopter swooped through the air. But he knew nothing would ever be as exciting as riding Thunder.