Chapter 1 – In a Pickle
Late Summer 1877
“Hey, Sadie, can you do this?”
Andi Carter hung upside down from the lowest branch of an oak tree. Her arms and two dark braids dangled above her best fishing spot.
Well, Andi corrected herself. It was my best fishing spot four months ago.
Now the pool held less than two feet of greenish water. The arm-length trout were gone. A few yards away, the creek gurgled slowly downstream.
California summers were not kind to creeks and fishing spots.
Andi spread her arms wide. “I’m hanging here just like the trapeze artists did under the big top.”
The excitement of seeing the circus had not faded from Andi’s memory even after two weeks. It was too bad Sadie lived up in the hills so far away from town. She had not learned about the circus until after it had come and gone.
Sadie glanced up. “I reckon I could do that if I wanted to.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t want to.” She went back to poking a turtle that lay half buried in the mud. “One slip and you’ll end up in that disgusting water.”
Andi twisted her neck for a better view of the pool. Just below the surface, tiny minnows darted back and forth. Water bugs skated across the green scum.
The last time Andi pretended to be a trapeze artist, she’d landed flat on her back and got the wind knocked out of her. This time she might end up in a muddy fishing hole.
Sadie’s right. This is not one of my best ideas.
Andi reached up and grasped the thick limb with one hand. It was easy to bring her other hand up. However, it was not easy to scoot along the branch while hanging upside down. It was harder still to hike herself up so she could sit back up in the tree.
More like impossible, Andi thought, grunting at the effort.
Sadie stood up. “What are you doing?”
“Trying to get out of this tree.” Andi scooted a few inches.
“I told you to get that ol’ circus out of your head,” Sadie said. “But no. It’s all you want to play.” She shook her head. “You’re gonna have to slip your legs off the branch and drop.”
“Drop? Are you crazy?” Andi’s voice rose in horror. “I’ll land in that stinky water.”
“Better to land in it with your feet than with your head.” Sadie came close to the pool’s edge. She stuck out her free hand and wiggled her fingers. “I can’t reach you. Sorry.”
Sadie didn’t sound sorry. She sounded glad that Andi was out of reach and couldn’t be helped. Glad that her own feet were safe on dry land and not dangling over a mucky water hole.
Andi dragged herself another inch along the branch. Her hands felt sweaty. Her head pounded in time with her heartbeat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
How had a champion tree climber gotten herself into such a pickle?
You were showing off, a little voice whispered inside Andi’s head. And look where it got you. Stuck upside down in a tree.
Andi cringed. The words were exactly what her big brother Chad would say if he saw her like this. He would push back his wide-brimmed hat and laugh and laugh.
At least Chad would help me out of the tree after he was done laughing, Andi thought.
Her fingers slipped. She gasped and scrambled to keep hold of the branch.
“You can’t hang there forever,” Sadie said. “Better drop before you fall.”
Sadie was right . . . again.
Andi wrinkled her nose. “Oh, all right.”
She held on tight and slipped one leg from around the limb. Then she unwrapped her other leg. Hanging on with both hands, she carefully lowered her feet. Water shimmered just below her bare toes. She could almost touch it.
Yuck.
Andi glanced at the creek bank a few feet away. Hmm . . .
She kicked out her legs. “Maybe I can swing back and forth, let go, and jump to the ground.”
Sadie looked from Andi to the edge of the pool. “Don’t hurt to try, I reckon.”
“One . . .” Andi huffed. “Two . . .” Her legs flew toward dry land. I can do this!
Her sweaty fingers slipped.
Splat!
Andi landed on her bottom just inches from the pool’s edge. Scummy water splashed her face and rose up past her belly. Mud squished between her fingers. “Help!” she shrieked.
Sadie was too busy laughing to help Andi. “Oh, oh, oh!” She doubled over and howled. “You should see yourself.”
Andi stood up. Dripping wet, she climbed out of the fishing hole. Green scum stuck to her overalls, to her braids, and to her bare arms. “It’s not funny!”
“You’re right, it’s not,” Sadie said. “It’s hilarious!” She clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her giggles, but her blue eyes sparkled.
Hot anger boiled up inside Andi. She jammed her muddy fists on her hips and glared at Sadie. Her thoughts spun. Maybe I don’t want to be friends with her anymore.
Maybe Chad was right. He didn’t like Andi going around with a sheepherder girl from the no-account Hollister clan. No, sirree! Just the word “sheep” upset Chad and every other cattle rancher in the valley.
Cattlemen did not like sheep. Or sheepherders.
I’m probably better off without a mean, laughing—
“I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Sadie’s apology cut into Andi’s thoughts. “It just burst out when I saw you in that stinky water. Let me help you wash it off.”
Andi’s anger cooled. She peeked down at her overalls. They were a muddy, scummy mess. Sadie had good reason to laugh. I guess it serves me right for showing off.
She bit her lip. Andi didn’t really want to lose Sadie’s friendship.
Sadie was lots of fun. She was also the only girl Andi’s age within ten miles of the ranch. “All right. I know a spot upstream where the creek is a little deeper. And cleaner.”
Sadie grabbed Andi’s hand and gave it a tug. “Come on then.”
“Wait a minute.” Andi glanced over her shoulder. “We better check our horses first. It’s a long way home if Taffy wanders off.”
“Don’t worry.” Sadie swung around and pointed. “They’re right where we left ’em.”
Andi relaxed. Sadie’s horse, Jep, and Taffy stood side by side on the other side of the oak tree. The palomino’s cream-colored tail swished flies from Jep’s face. Jep’s dark-brown tail returned the favor to Taffy.
Satisfied that her horse was staying put, Andi waded into the creek and started upstream.
It didn’t take long to find the deeper part of the creek. It ran swift and clean. Andi sat down and let the water ripple over her muddy arms and legs. Then she ducked her head and rinsed her hair.
Drops sputtered from Andi’s mouth when she came up for air. She shook the water from her braids and scrubbed her arms clean.
Sadie washed the mud and scum from Andi’s backside. Then she cupped her hands and threw water in Andi’s face.
“Hey!” Laughing, Andi splashed her back.
Ten minutes later, a low, distant rumble paused the water fight .
“Is that thunder?” Sadie asked.
Andi looked up. Not one cloud dotted the sapphire-blue sky. “I don’t know.” The rumbling grew louder. She wrinkled her forehead. What was that noise?
“It’s coming from over there.” Sadie pointed toward the distant mountains.
Andi stood stock-still in the middle of the creek. Water dripped down her face. She swiped the drops away and turned to see where Sadie was pointing.
Just then a dark, rolling mass appeared between two hills. The ground trembled.
Andi shaded her eyes. The mass had spread out into heads and horns and legs.
She gasped. “It’s cattle, Sadie. And they’re coming this way!”