Ghost story
Jack bounced in the saddle. He felt the cool night wind against his face.
He couldn't tell where they were going. But he trusted Dusty to follow the others.
Finally Dust caught up with the herd as they began to slow down.
Jack snapped his reins. Dusty came up beside Slim and Annie.
"Howdy!" said Slim.
"Howdy!" said Jack.
"Howdy!" said Annie. "Are you okay?"
Jack pushed his glasses into place. "Yup," he said. "You?"
"Yup," she said.
"That was something good riding, Shorty!" said Slim.
"Thanks," said Jack, smiling. He even liked being called "Shorty" now.
"Where we headed, boss?" Jack asked Slim.
"Blue Canyon," said Slim. "Okay with you?" "Yup," said Jack.
"This way!" said. Slim. He slapped his horse and they all speeded up again.
Slime steered the herd to the left. Soon he led them through a deep, narrow pass.
Finally they came to a boxy open space surrounded by wall of rock and lit by moonlight.
"We'll corral the mustangs here in Blue Canyon," said Slim.
Ge got off his horse. He helped Jack down. Annie slipped off Sunset.
"Take him to his ma," Slim told Annie.
Annie led Sunset to the mare. In the moonlight, the two mustangs rubbed against one another and neighed.
As Jack patted Dusty's damp neck, he remembered the lat two rules: praise and reward.
"Thanks," he whispered to Dusty. "You were great. You were super great."
Slim unsaddled Dust, then handed Jack his saddle bags.
"Take those over to that grassy spot. We'll camp there," he said.
As Jack carried the saddlebags, his boots felt stiff and tight. His legs were sore and wobbly. But he didn't mind.
He threw down the saddlebags and his backpack. Then he flopped himself down. He was very tired. Annie joined him.
"They seem so happy to be free and together again," she said., gazing at the moonlit mustangs.
"Yup," said Jack.
He lay back, using his backpack as a pillow. He looked up at the stars.
"If we just had the answer to the riddle, everything would be perfect," he said.
"Yup," said Annie.
"Hey, Slim," he called. "I have a question for you."
"Shoot," said Slim.
“Doyou know the answer to this riddle?” Jack asked. “Out of the blue, my lonelyvoice calls out to you. Who am I? Am I?”
Slim was silent for a moment, then said, “Sorry,Shorty, don’t know that one.”
Jack’s heart sank. “That’s okay,” he said. “wedon’t either.”
“I have a question, too,” said Annie. “Whydoes the piano in the hotel play by itself?”
“I do know the answer to that one,” saidSlim.
“What is it?” said Annie.
“It’s Lonesome Luke,” said Slim. “He’s aghost of a cowboy who wanders the prairie.”
Jack sat straight up.
“I saw him! I saw him!” he said. “I justremembered! He scared the rustlers! If he hadn’t come, I never would have gottenaway!”
“Oh, yeah?” Slim chuckled. “Well, lucky forus, Lonesome Luke sometimes likes to help folks out.”
Slim threw his saddle down next to Jack andAnnie and sat against it.
“Years ago, Lonesome Luke had a gal who hewas just crazy about,” said Slim.
“She couldn’t take the Wild West, though.So she went back east.”
“What happened then?” asked Jack.
“Luke went loco. Every night he’d show upat the hotel and play the piano. He played ‘Red River Valley’ over and over.
“Then one night he just vanished into theprairie and was never seen alive again. His bones were found a year later. Butfolks say his ghost returns to the hotel piano to play ‘Red River Valley.’ Itgoes like this….”
Slim took out a harmonica. He began to playa song. It was the same sad song Jack and Annie had heard in the hotel.
Jack lay back down and listened to the lonesometune. A coyote howled in the distance.
The horses stirred in the dark.
I better take some notes, thought Jack.
But he didn’t write a word before he fellasleep. He didn’t even take off his boots.
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