Adventures Sparked by a Pinto Mare

 by Margaret Elmer 

    Andi Carter was lazily sitting on her porch steps on a very hot morning. Andi leaned back and closed her eyes. 

   Suddenly, she heard hoofbeats and a man’s voice call her older brother Chad. She sat up straight and looked around. She saw her brother appear from behind the barn. The ranch hand reigned in his horse beside Chad and started to talk enthusiastically to him. 

   Chad nodded his head and said something that Andi could not hear, before heading into the barn. Andi wondered what he was doing, so she jumped up and walked over to see. When she went in, Andi saw her brother saddling his horse, Sky.

   “What’s going on, Chad?” Andi asked. 

  “Wade said he saw a horse that doesn’t belong to us. It’s in the meadow. If you want to come along, hurry up and saddle Taffy.” 

   Andi grinned and hurried toward her mare’s stall. Soon, Sky and Taffy were saddled and Andi and Chad rode away. 

   A few minutes later, Andi spied a pretty pinto mare in the meadow. She was golden brown and white, with a creamy-white mane and tail.

   “Wow,” Andi breathed, “She’s beautiful.” 

  Chad frowned. “She looks well taken care of. I wonder where she came from. Andi, you’re good with horses. If you can get her to follow us then we can take her home until we find who she belongs to. We should take care of her, because there is a cougar that has been getting some of our calves. I set a trap in the trees over there,” Chad waved his hand toward the forest. “He may try to attack the mare.”

   Andi was thrilled with the complement her brother gave her, but was worried about the cougar. She climbed out of the saddle and walked over to the horse. The horse snorted and shied away as Andi approached, but after a few minutes of gentle talking, she allowed Andi to rub her neck. Andi took an apple out of her pocket and let the horse eat it. Then, she gave the horse a pat and climbed back into her saddle. The little group started back. The mare stared as they walked away. She took one hesitant step toward the riders. Soon she galloped fast to catch up.

                              ************************************** 

    Ben Swiss headed out to do chores. He decided to first look at the horses in the corral.

     Ben walked over to the corral and counted the horses mentally.

   Stal, Chess, Windy, and… where is Candy?

 Candy, Ben’s sister’s pinto, was gone. Ben walked around the corral and found a mark in the dirt that Candy jumped over the fence. Ben went to talk to his father. 

   “Pa?” Ben looked into his fathers face. “Candy is missing. She jumped over the fence.”

   Mr. Smith frowned. “That’s not good.”

  Ben then said, “Pa, may I go and look for her? I am fourteen, can shoot well, and you’ve taught me to track animals. I could find Candy. Bell will be awfully worried about her horse. If I start today, I may be able to bring Candy home in time for Bell’s birthday in a couple days. That could be my present to her. May I?”

   Mr. Swiss was quiet a moment. “If your mother agrees, I think it would be fine.”

 Mrs. Swiss said that Ben could go. She made him sandwiches and filled a canteen.

   “Bye, Bell. I’ll try to get Candy back by your birthday.” Ben said to his younger sister as he grabbed his hat and rifle before heading out the door. 

  Bell smiled at him, “Thank you. Be safe.”

   “Alright. Goodbye Ma.” Ben went to the corral to get his horse Chess, but his father was already there and had the chestnut horse ready to go. 

    “Thanks Pa. See you later.” Ben pulled himself up on his horse. Mr. Swiss grinned and replied, “Alright son. Remember to always ask the Lord for guidance, and trust in Him.”

   “Yes sir.” Ben rode over to where he had seen the marks in the dirt and started following Candy’s hoof prints. 

   Candy’s tracks led into the woods. When it was too dark to see the mare’s tracks, Ben dismounted and unsaddled his horse. Then, he started to make a fire. He soon had a rip-snort’n fire going. He spread his bedroll out on the ground and ate some sandwiches before turning in. 

  When he awoke, it was morning. The fire had died out. He ate a sandwich for breakfast, rolled up his bedroll, and saddled his horse. 

   Ben looked carefully around. He saw Candy’s tracks in front of him. He also saw a large shiny trap at the base of a tree. Ben went over to investigate the trap. 

   Ben murmured, “Wow. It looks like a cougar trap.” As Ben looked closer at the trap, he noticed that it had sprung, was bloody, and had a cougar foot in it. 

    Ben felt tingles go from his head to his toes.

  “O Lord,” he prayed, “there is a wounded cougar around. Lord, a wounded cougar is a mad and dangerous cougar. Help me not to be afraid, and please help me to find Candy before the cat gets her- if it be Your will. 

   Also, please protect Chess and me, In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

 Ben got back onto his horse as he whispered Psalm 56:3, 

    “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.”

 Being very aware of his surroundings, Ben clucked to Chess, and they continued to follow Candy’s trail.

    Several hours later, Ben came out of the woods and into a meadow. 

  The meadow was surrounded by a forest on every side- except one. Ben stared at the treeless side of the meadow and could just make out a ranch house and other structures. 

   “Is that people I see?” He asked Chess.

  Ben spurred Chess into a gallop toward the buildings.

                                        *****************************

  Andi was sitting on the corral fence watching the pinto mare. Chad came up beside her. 

   “I asked around town yesterday. Nobody heard of a missing horse.” 

  Andi look at Chad, “She has to belong to someone! I bet whoever it is, is very worried about her.”

  Chad sighed and glanced over at Andi. “I know Andi. There’s just nothing we can do except pray, and ask around.”

   “You’re right, Chad.” Just then, Andi saw a horse and rider galloping toward them. 

   “Chad!” She pointed. “Look! Who could that be?”

  Chad shaded his eyes with his hand. 

   “I’m not sure.” 

   The rider stopped when he reached them. 

    “Hi. I’m Ben Swiss.” He said rapidly. “My sister lost her horse so Pa allowed me to track it down. The horse is golden brown and white, with a cream colored mane and tail. Have you seen her?”

   Andi felt so happy. She was going to speak to the boy, but Chad beat her to it.

   “Hello Ben. My sister and I found a horse just like you described. She’s right here, in our corral.”

  Ben’s gaze flew to the corral. His face lit up and he leaped off his horse. 

   “That’s her! That’s Candy!” He excitedly clutched the top fence rail.

 Andi was delighted. She said, “What’s your sisters name?”

 Ben looked over at Andi. “Her name is Bell. She’s has a birthday tomorrow! Finding Candy is one of my presents for her.”

   Andi thought hard. She excused herself and ran toward the house. 

  “Mother?” She called as she opened the door. 

  Her mother looked up from her sampler. She was sitting on a couch a little ways off. “Over here Andrea. What is the matter?” 

   Andi sat down next to her mother and told her about Ben. She also informed her mother about Ben’s sister Bell, being the pinto mare, Candy’s, owner, and about Bell’s birthday.  

   “So Mother,” Andi continued, “may I please invite the Swiss family over for a surprise party for Bell?”

    Mother smiled. “Of course you may. Run and tell Ben before he goes back home!”

  Andi kissed her mother on the cheek and ran off.

                                      ******************************

   Ben said he would talk to his parents about having a surprise party for Bell at the Carter ranch.

  “Alright then, Ben.” Chad said. “I think my mother would like to meet you. Why don’t you go up to the house while Andi and I saddle our horses? We’ll take you partway home.”

   Ben strolled over to the ranch house and knocked.

    “Come in!” Mother said warmly when she opened the door.

 “I am Elizabeth Carter, Andi’s mother. You must be Ben. Would you like to come to the kitchen and have some cookies with milk?”

   In reply to Ben’s nod, she led him to the kitchen. Mother motioned him to pull up a stool nearby. As Ben dragged the stool over to the counter, Mother poured a glass of milk. Then, she placed three cookies on a plate. She tugged a stool next to Ben’s, and sat down. 

   “Now then, Andi has told me about your adventure. Why don’t you tell me about your family.”

    When Ben came out of the house, Andi and Chad were sitting on their horses waiting for him. They had Candy on a rope. Ben climbed on Chess, so Andi gave him Candy’s rope, and they rode away.  

     After Ben got to his farm, he rode up to the house and saw Bell run out to greet him.

  “Ben. You found her. Thank you so much.” Bell cried.

  Ma and Pa stepped out of the house. Ben walked Chess over to them. 

 “I’m back!” He grinned. “The Carters at the Circle C ranch found Candy and had her in a corral waiting for me!”

   Pa smiled, “They are good people.”

    “Do you and Ma mind coming to the barn?” Ben winked, so Ma and Pa raised their eyebrows. 

“I guess we don’t.” Pa said, looking at his wife who nodded.

  Ben glanced at his sister who was petting her horse. 

  “Bell, Candy might love it if you took her to the corral.”

  Ben handed Bell the rope before trotting Chess over to the barn. He dismounted and was taking the saddle off when his parents joined him. Ben eagerly told them that the Carters had invited them to a surprise party for Bell.

   “May we go?” He asked eagerly. 

  Ma looked at Pa. “If your pa agrees.” 

 Pa glanced at his wife, and then at Ben. “We’ll go.”

   Ben climbed onto Chess. He rode out of the barn bareback. 

 “Bell! We are going over to the Carters tomorrow! Better get Candy looking fine!” Ben hollered to his sister. He raced down the path to tell Chad and Andi that the Swiss family would come to the Circle C ranch the next day.

                                             ********************

   The next morning Andi woke early. She helped Mother bake and decorate a cake- especially for Bell, and did her chores. Then, she saw four riders coming up the road. Andi waved and ran to tell the others.

    The two families ate cake and gave Bell presents. Afterwards, Mother suggested that Andi take Bell riding, and Chad should show Ben the barn and horses.

  Andi fetched Taffy while Bell got Candy, and the two girls rode out to the meadow.

  Bell suggested, “Why don’t we let our horses loose for a while, so we can walk?”

   “Good idea, Bell.” Andi and Bell got off their horses and began to mosey around the meadow.   

   As they walked, Andi felt that she had to ask Bell something. 

 “Bell, are you a Christian?” Bell stopped walking and looked at Andi. 

 “Yes. I am.”  

 “How did you realize that you needed to be saved?” Andi sat down in the lush, green grass. Bell followed her example before answering.

  “My mother taught me how to be saved. She explained that everybody is a sinner- that we have all done wrong. She pointed out that because God is holy and perfect, He cannot allow any sin in Heaven. Since God can’t allow sin in Heaven, we have no way to get to heaven. We cannot get to Heaven by doing good works, by praying, by going to church, or by being baptized. Every single person is doomed to eternal punishment for sin- going to Hell. 

  But, God loves us so much that He does not want even one person to go to Hell. So, He sent His Son, Jesus to earth. Jesus is God’s Son, so He is sinless- He did not sin once, in His earthly life. Because Jesus is sinless, He did not have to die for His own sins. Instead, He died for us, so that we don’t have to die for our own sins. 

  Some of Jesus’ friends buried Him in a grave after He died, but Jesus didn’t stay there for long. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead- He lives! 

   Because Jesus paid the penalty for sin, we won’t go to Hell! 

 But, you have to believe. Admit that you are a sinner, who will go to Hell when you die. By faith, accept that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and came alive again so you wouldn’t have to go to Hell.

   I realized that I was a sinner, and could not get to Heaven by myself. I believed that Jesus was God’s Son, that Jesus died for my sin, and that He was buried and rose again. I was a new person from then on.  

  Of course I still sin, but with God’s help I have become a better person.”

   Bell ended her very fervent speech a little abruptly, but Andi still felt the meaning of every word. 

        A unexpected snarl behind them, made the girls whirl around. The horses were nowhere in sight. A cougar crouched in front of them. It had it’s front leg held up, and Andi could see that it’s paw was missing. 

   The lion moved a few steps closer, it’s lips pulled back showing savage teeth. Bell gave a little cry. “God, please protect us.”

   “Bang.” Andi suddenly realized that the cougar was lying in the grass- dead.

  The girls shakily got to their feet, and turned to look. There were two people riding their horses toward them.

   “Ben! Chad!” Andi and Bell started running toward them. Ben dismounted when he reached the girls while Chad rode over to the cougar before stopping.

   Chad kicked the lion with his foot to make sure it was dead. Then, he walked over to the group. 

   “We decided to come and see if you were alright. We saw your horses trot by, and so we hurried just as fast as we could. Ben brought his rifle, and boy!” Chad whistled. “He sure is a good shot.” Ben grinned and got on his horse. He helped Bell up behind him, while Chad and Andi got on the other horse. 

  They turned their horses around and started for home.