"Uncle Fred can watch us," said Tim.
"Sure," Maggie agreed. "He said he's going to be greasing machinery in
the machine shed today."
"Well ..." said Aunt Jane. "... maybe that would be okay. But you kids
stay close to home. Do you hear?"
Three heads nodded solemnly. She didn't say how close, thought Maggie.
So the women set off for the woods with their berry buckets looking
very happy. The minute they were out of sight Maggie gave Tim a pat on
the back.
"Good work," she said. "That bit about my leg was really smart. Just
let me lock Corky in the house, and we can get going."
They slipped into the barn by the back door so Maggie's dad wouldn't
see them. Tim took Molly's bridle, and Maggie filled her pockets with
oats. Then they cut through the cornfield instead of going up the lane
in plain sight.
"How's your ankle?" asked Tim as they hurried through the tall green
stalks.
"I'll be fine," she assured him.
At first the horses seemed to be hiding. They weren't in the meadow or
under the oak tree. They weren't in the brushy spot along the south
fence row. That meant they were probably in the small trees next to
the neighbor's wood lot. But where?
Maggie saw a flash of white in a thicket next to the fence and
stopped.
"What the matter?" asked Jodi.
"Shh," said Maggie. "There's a cow lying in there. She's all by
herself, and she could be sick or something. You guys stay here, and
I'll check on her."
Maggie crept forward until she could see the cow more clearly.
"Is she okay?" Tim whispered from right behind Maggie. Jodi was right
behind him.
Maggie turned and scowled at them. "You were supposed to stay back
there," she said crossly.
Tim shrugged, and Maggie looked back at the cow. It was Splash, one of
their best milkers. Maggie wondered why she was here all by herself.
Cows usually liked to stay together.
Then the answer was clear. A pair of tiny ears and a darling little
white nose appeared from behind the resting cow. Splash had a new
calf.
Maggie turned to tell Tim and Jodi, but then she froze. Corky was
bouncing toward them. In a flash, Maggie remembered other mother cows
charging after dogs. She and her cousins were in the way. They could
get trampled.
"Get back!" she shouted.
Sure enough, as Corky got closer, he began to bark. Splash lurched to
her feet, and swung her head from side to side searching for the
danger.
"Run!" yelled Maggie, pushing her cousins back. "Run to the fence."
The three kids sprinted toward the fence as Corky barked with delight.
He nipped at the cow's nose, and she charged at him.
[Illustration]
"Yip!" Corky cried. He put his head between his legs, raced after the
children, and passed them.
Splash crashed out of the brush toward the dog and the children. The
fence wasn't far away. They just might make it.
But just then Maggie's bad ankle gave out and she fell. She knew she'd
never get up in time. The cow was coming fast. Maggie shut her eyes
and prepared to be attacked.