In a moment the trail curved to the left, and Nancy found herself riding along the river. To her right, the current was swift and turbulent. No wonder the forest looks familiar, she thought—it’s in the river valley not far from Mark Plonsky’s house.
Nancy reined in Hopscotch for a moment, considering her next move. Mrs. Shaw must know the route for Opening Day, she mused. With the closely packed trees on one side and the swiftly moving river on the other, wouldn’t this be an ideal danger zone?
Easing Hopscotch into a trot, Nancy glanced from left to right. Birds were singing cheerily, and sunlight slanted down through the trees. Everything seemed peaceful, yet Nancy had an uneasy feeling she wasn’t alone.
At that moment the sun slipped behind a cloud, and the forest darkened. Up ahead, Nancy saw a bend in the trail. As they took the bend, Hopscotch suddenly stopped, shying to one side.
Nancy gasped. Another few inches, and they would have plummeted down the riverbank into the rushing water!
Nancy caught sight of two figures moving around a clearing twenty feet ahead. They were tying something onto a tree growing alongside the riverbank. What is going on? she wondered.
Just a few feet beyond the clearing, Nancy saw a large brown building with boarded-up windows and a rickety-looking door. The old mill, she realized. The mill wheel churned in the nearby waterfall, with a loud whooshing sound.
Just then, the clouds parted. Sunlight poured into the glade. Up ahead, Nancy saw a blinding flash of light, and the world went white.
As Nancy instinctively closed her eyes, Hopscotch reared up wildly. Nancy was thrown into the air and hit the ground with a sickening thud. Hopscotch bolted toward the trees.
Nancy lay on the ground, her right leg throbbing with pain from the fall. She looked up and saw a young man who fit the description of Eddie staring at her menacingly. He took a step toward her.
Then, in the middle of the glade, something flashed again. Strung across the glade from tree to tree was a row of aluminum pie plates. The dishes flashed as they reflected the sun.
If the hunt came by, there would be a catastrophe, Nancy realized. Horses and riders would be blinded for a moment. The horses would panic—right by the riverbank. Horses and riders could fall into the churning water!
Quickly, Nancy stood up, trying to ignore the searing pain in her leg. The young man moved threateningly toward her again. A woman was now coming across the glade. It was Mrs. Shaw!
Nancy called out to her. “Stop these dangerous tricks and return Morning Glory immediately, before someone gets hurt!”
“Hurt?” Mrs. Shaw shouted with a wild cackle. Her normally neat gray hair was tousled, and her khaki pants were streaked with mud. “What do you think this whole setup is for?”
She turned to the young man, her eyes flashing. “Eddie, let’s get rid of this girl,” she snarled. “First come, first served, I always say.”
“The whole hunt club’s onto you, Mrs. Shaw,” Nancy bluffed. “If you hurt me, they’ll know who did it.”
“The hunt club!” Mrs. Shaw sneered. “They’re all a bunch of fools. No—worse. Robbers!”
“What do you mean by ‘robbers’?” Nancy asked, stalling for time. Little by little, she was edging toward the string of dishes, fingering a penknife in her pocket.
“They’ve robbed me,” Mrs. Shaw declared. “Robbed me of my family—and my money.” She scowled, then spat out, “My husband left money to the hunt when he died. Well, I won’t let that stupid club get a cent! If Mill River breaks up, Cameron’s money will revert to Alexa and me—the people who should have had it all in the first place!”
“But if you hurt me, you won’t get a cent,” Nancy told her. “You’ll go to jail.”
“But first I’ll have my revenge!” Mrs. Shaw said in a shrill voice. “Go to it, Eddie. Get her! Let’s not waste another minute.”
Eddie lunged forward. With a surge of adrenaline, Nancy dashed quickly around him, toward the string that held up the shiny dishes.
But just as she reached it, Nancy’s sore leg gave way, and she stumbled. In two steps, Eddie caught up with her, grabbing her from behind.
Eddie wrestled Nancy to the ground. He dragged her beyond the clearing to the river’s edge.
With a sinking feeling, Nancy suddenly realized where they were—right next to the old mill!
Nancy felt herself being lifted. Eddie was about to throw her right into the rushing water! If she wasn’t crushed on one of the rocks, she’d be pulled under the churning wheel of the mill!
16
Morning Glory’s Best Moment
Just then Nancy heard a crashing sound. Eddie’s arm faltered for a moment as he, too, looked toward the noise.
The door of the old mill was slightly ajar. Suddenly, a horse burst out, rearing up and flailing the air with its hooves.
It was Morning Glory!
Like a flash of lightning, Morning Glory raced toward Nancy and Eddie. In shock, Eddie dropped Nancy. She scrambled away, as Morning Glory nearly trampled Eddie in a headlong dash for freedom.
Then Nancy heard the hunting horn nearby. The hunt was approaching! The aluminum plates, she remembered. If she didn’t cut them down immediately, horses would shy. And with the riverbank so close . . .
Trying her best to forget the pain in her leg, Nancy scrambled toward the string of dishes. In one swift motion, she took out her penknife, opened the blade, and sliced through the string. It fell just as the hounds rushed into the glade.
Grant Hathaway and the whippers-in were right on the hounds’ heels. Mrs. Passano and the other riders quickly followed. They pulled up sharply in surprise as they took in the scene. Eddie was lying on the ground moaning, his ankle injured from Morning Glory’s escape. Next to him, Mrs. Shaw was standing stone-faced, glaring at the astonished crowd.
“Nancy!” Mrs. Passano exclaimed. “Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine,” Nancy said as she limped toward the hunt officials. She dreaded telling Mrs. Passano about her best friend.
“And, Mary Lou,” Mrs. Passano went on, looking curiously at Mrs. Shaw. “What are you doing here?”
“Why don’t I explain?” Nancy broke in, grabbing Mrs. Shaw by the arm in case she tried to escape. Quickly, Nancy told the riders that Mrs. Shaw had masterminded the hunt sabotage and the horsenapping. Astonished whispers rippled through the crowd.
