Another Fright

Stormy continued to plunge and rear like an untamed bronco, calling on all of Nancy’s riding skills to stay on his back. Seeing her chance, she jumped off quickly and at last was able to quiet the stallion.

" That was one time I was sure I’d be thrown! " she said to Tony Traynor and Kurt Ellum. The trainer had come hurrying to the scene, looking concerned during her wild ride.

Nancy continued patting and stroking Stormy to calm him.

" Here, let me take him! I'll get you another horse, " Kurt Ellum said and reached for the reins in Nancy’s hand.

" Too bad, " Tony said regretfully. " He's a magnificent horse. Just what we need for this first commercial. You know, a different type of mount for each one."

" No, wait, please, " Nancy said to Ellum, refusing to surrender the reins. " There must be a reason for him to act like that." Working deftly, she loosened the girth and pulled the light English saddle off Stormy. As she did so, a horse chestnut fell out from under the saddle and bounced on the ground.

" No wonder! " Tony Traynor exclaimed, picking up the prickly hulled nut.

" Stormy must have been in pain as soon as I mounted him, " Nancy cried. " How did that ever get under his saddle? "

Kurt Ellum called angrily toward the stable, " Don! " Turning to Nancy and Tony, he said, " It's the fault of that fool stable boy. I'll fix him! "

When a long-haired boy of about fifteen came running out in response to Ellum's shout, he got a vicious tongue-lashing that left him close to tears. Nancy gently intervened, but he was marched back to the stable by Ellum with the horse walking between them.

In spite of having gotten off to a bad start, the shooting that morning went very well. Nancy rode and posed on a beautiful white Arabian horse named Snowflake, which Ellum personally brought out to them.

Afterward, Tony said, " I'd still like to shoot the next one with you on that black stallion, Nancy. Do you think you'd want to after this morning? "

" Indeed I would, " Nancy declared. " It's bad for my morale to admit defeat. I'm going into the stable and talk to Stormy right now."

" Good luck! " Tony grinned. " The crew and I have to shove off. I'll see you here on Friday morning, okay? "

When Nancy emerged from the stable, Mr. Harlow was approaching. " I hoped I'd see you before you left, Nancy. I wanted to tell you that I've checked with all my employees. No one here at Rainbow Ranch uses sedatives or sleeping pills."

Nancy was still inclined to wonder how reliable his staff's answer to such a question might be, coming from their employer. But she replied politely, " Thanks for finding out. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere."

As they were talking, Nancy noticed Mr. Harlow's granddaughter walking slowly toward them. All through the morning's shooting, Tina had been sitting on a grassy mound across the brook, watching Nancy on Stormy and then on Snowflake. She had even responded with a little wave when Nancy smiled and waved to her.

When the little girl came up beside Mr. Harlow, he put his arm around her and said, " After that wonderful display of horsemanship this morning, I know Tina is eager to meet you. Isn't that right, dear? "

Tina smiled shyly and nodded. When Nancy smilingly offered her hand, the little girl took it.

Beaming, Mr. Harlow said, " Why don't we go back to the house and get the cook to rustle us up some refreshments? I don't know about you girls, but something cool would taste mighty good to me right now."

As they chatted on the patio, Nancy happened to mention that her boyfriend's film club was making an amateur movie not far from Rainbow Ranch. Tina looked so interested that Nancy asked if she would like to come and watch the filming.

" Oh, yes! " the little golden-haired girl exclaimed. " Can we go right now? "

" All right, " Nancy smiled. " But first it might be a good idea to put on a pair of shoes or sandals, don't you think? "

Tina looked down at her bare feet and grinned. " I forgot. I'll be right back."

As she scampered off, Mr. Harlow looked gratefully at Nancy. " Bless you. I think your example on Stormy this morning may have put some fresh spirit into her. She was watching every minute, admiring the cool way you handled the situation."

" She probably just needs time to come out of her shell."

Roger Harlow sighed. " I hope so. She was such a happy, adventurous child when she first came this summer. Shed ride off on her pony and explore in all directions, even places like the Grimsby Mansion and that old mine down the road. When I found out what she was up to, I had to put a stop to it, of course. I explained that old deserted places like that may be dangerous. But I needn't have worried. Suddenly, she wouldn't go near her pony or stray very far from the house."

Concerned that she might be influencing Tina to disobey her grandfather’s orders, Nancy promptly told him that the amateur movie was being filmed at the old Grimsby Mansion. " Would you rather she didn't go there? " Nancy asked.

" No, no! I'm delighted you've come up with something to catch her interest. I just felt it was risky for her to go poking around an old abandoned house by herself. But going there with you is different altogether, " said Mr. Harlow.

When Tina came running up, he kissed her and said, " Have a good time, honey! And, Nancy, you come back with Tina for lunch."

Nancy thought this might be an opportunity to help the little girl overcome her fear of horses. So as they left the house together, she steered the way gently toward the stables. " I think we can get there more quickly if we ride through the woods on horseback, " she remarked casually.

Tina stopped abruptly with a look of alarm. " No, I don't want to! "

" Well then, suppose we just take one horse and ride double, " Nancy suggested with a smile. " You can sit in front of me with my arms around you. How about that? "

But Tina shook her head stubbornly with an increasingly anxious expression. " No! "

" All right, dear." Nancy gave her small companion a reassuring hug. " We'll just walk, then. It isn't far."

" All right." Tina's face brightened at once. " Which way do we go? "

Nancy guided them to a trail through the woods, which led in the direction of the Grimsby Mansion. But as they strolled along the forest path, Tina's steps lagged. She began to walk slower and slower. Nancy noticed that the little girl's expression had become nervous and apprehensive.

" Is anything wrong, honey? " she inquired.

Tina shrugged and mumbled inaudibly.

Finally, as they came within sight of the house, Tina would go no further. Her face suddenly crumpled into tears. Turning, she began running back toward Rainbow Ranch, sobbing hysterically.

Nancy quickly caught up with the little girl. Rather than upset her with questions, she comforted and calmed her. Then they walked back, hand in hand, to Tina’s grandfather's house. There they learned that Mr. Harlow had been called away to town on business.

So Nancy and Tina lunched alone together on the patio. As they enjoyed their sandwiches and milk and fruit, the two chatted lightly. Nothing more was said about the movie being filmed at the Grimsby Mansion or their walk through the woods.

Later, driving away from Rainbow Ranch, Nancy puzzled over Tina’s strange behavior. What had caused the little girl's frightened outburst?

Before returning home, Nancy decided to talk to Lou Yelvey, the fired stablehand. Detective Hart had given her his address, which turned out to be a two-story house in the nearby town of Smithboro.

Nancy had just pulled up to the curb, when a thin, active-looking man came out of the house and started down the porch steps. In answer to Nancy's query, he grunted, " I'm Lou Yelvey. What do you want? "

The titian-haired girl explained why she had come and asked if he would mind answering a few questions.

" Go ahead, " Yelvey shrugged. " But make it snappy. I've got a part-time delivery job now, and I'm due at the warehouse in twenty minutes."

" How did you come to lose your job at Rainbow Ranch? " she inquired, watching his face.

" I had a fight with Kurt Ellum, that's why. Look, I know horses, Miss Drew, and I don't need some bossy guy like him telling me all day long what to do and what not to do. We just didn't get along, that's all. As far as I'm concerned, he's a dumb cluck. And rotten-tempered, too."

Yelvey's jaw jutted out stubbornly as he spoke.

" What about your job at Mr. Morston's stables? " Nancy asked gently.

" You mean why was I fired there, too? You don't have to beat around the bush. I know the cops have got me on their little list of suspects! So what? " Lou Yelvey scowled and went on, " Look, I know I've got a short fuse. When I see something wrong, I speak out. That doesn't sit well with some people. Like Morston, for instance. That guy has no business owning horses. He doesn't know the first thing about handling them! He's got a mean streak that comes out any time one of them acts up. When I told him so, he fired me."

Steering the conversation back to Rainbow Ranch, Nancy began asking him about the horses. To draw him out, she mentioned the ones that she had ridden. As Yelvey discussed them, Nancy could tell instinctively that he loved horses. While he might be quick-tempered and impatient with certain people, she sensed that he would be just the opposite with animals.

" What did you think of Shooting Star? " she asked.

" He's a fine horse with a great racing career ahead of him, if Harlow can ever get him back."

" Was he easy to handle? "

" Are you kidding? That horse has a mind of his own. Treat him right and hell eat out of your hand. Otherwise he's apt to get ornery." Yelvey laughed. " You know, his best friend around that stable was a cat. It's a funny thing, but that cat would perch on the windowsill of his stall, and you'd almost believe they were talking to each other."

He added that he hoped Shooting Star would soon be found, and that if there was anything he could do to help, Nancy had only to ask. She offered him a lift to his delivery job, and they parted on friendly terms.

Returning home, Nancy quickly changed from her riding clothes. Since Hannah Gruen was out, she decided to pick up Bess and George and visit the Deene Art Gallery in Fern wood.

Bess was ecstatic. " Ooh, I'm just dying to see those ceramics! I loved the pictures I saw of them in the paper."

" Oh, sure. We know what really turned you on. It was the picture of the artist, " George teased. " And he is handsome, I must admit."

Bess's cheeks were pink with excitement by time they arrived at the gallery. It was small but attractively arranged. The ceramics exhibit was set up in a corner of the main room. Several other people were examining the displays, and the girls had to move carefully among the stands and tables.

As Bess was examining the various pieces, a tall, severe-looking woman emerged from the back room. She wore her black hair parted in the middle and pulled tightly back into a bun at the nape of her neck.

Almost at once her glance lit on Nancy. With an angry gasp, she walked belligerently over to the girls with her hands on her hips and exclaimed to the young detective, " What are you doing here, you little snoop? "

Nancy was stunned. " What are you talking about? " she responded.

" Don't act coy with me. You know perfectly well what f m talking about! You're Nancy Drew, aren't you? "

" Of course."

" I thought I recognized you! I saw your picture in the paper with a story about those television commercials you're appearing in out at Rainbow Ranch. And I suppose that underhanded sneak Roger Harlow sent you here to spy on me! "

Velma Deene's eyes flamed with rage at the very mention of her fancied long-time enemy. " He's probably even accused me of stealing Shooting Star. Well, you and your friends will have to leave my gallery this instant! "

Nancy realized that the woman was beyond reason. Turning to her friends, she murmured, " Let's go, " and started toward the door in a dignified manner. George followed as coolly as Nancy. But Bess was in an agony of embarrassment. As she started after her two friends, she brushed against a piece of ceramic sculpture and knocked it over. It fell to the floor and smashed into tiny pieces!