The Black Jacket Mystery

time on those high heels!”
    Far ahead, slipping and sliding in the lightly packed snow, Dan Mangan, carrying a load of schoolbooks, was making his way unsteadily among the trees.
    Impulsively Honey started up her horse and rode toward the boy in the black leather jacket. Trixie hesitated a moment and then followed, wondering what Honey was up to.
    Dan Mangan heard the sound of Starlight’s hooves and looked back, startled. When he saw who was coming, he scowled and stepped back off the path to let them go by.
    But Honey pulled in a few feet away from him. “How about a lift? Those boots are too slippery for snow!” She laughed. “Climb on behind. We’re on our way right now to see Mr. Maypenny.”
    Trixie stopped Susie a few feet behind Honey’s horse and sat silent, staring at the dark-faced boy.
    Dan Mangan scowled at them both. “I can make it okay. I don’t need a lift.”
    “But there’s no need of your walking when we’re going to the same place,” Honey said gently. “If you’d rather ride alone, Trix and I can double up, and you can take Starlight, here. She’s very gentle.”
    “I told you I don’t want to ride,” he said loudly, his scowl deepening. “You can’t give me orders, even if I do work for your pa.”
    Honey’s pretty face flushed and her eyes showed that she was hurt. She was gathering up her reins to ride on without answering when Trixie spoke angrily.
    “If you ask me, Hon, he just doesn’t dare try to ride. He’s afraid!” Trixie didn’t really mean it, but she had to say something unkind to punish the boy for hurting Honey’s feelings.
    “Oh, yeah?” Dan’s lip curled. “Big talk, freckles. Climb down and I’ll show you.” He put his books down on a rock.
    “Okay!” Trixie was out of the saddle in a flash. “Be sure you know which side to get on. Susie’s particular.”
    She handed over the reins as Dan Mangan swaggered up beside Susie.
    Susie’s ears went back as Dan swung on, and she snorted. Trixie stepped back at once. “Take it easy, cowboy,” she advised. “Maybe you’d better lengthen the stirrups. I keep them pretty short.”
    “Who’s riding?” Dan answered shortly, and as he spoke he slapped the reins against Susie’s neck. “Come on, move!”
    Susie moved promptly. She kicked up her heels and bucked. And then, ignoring Dan’s attempt to hold her in, she made a dash for a stand of spruce close to the trail.
    “Stop her!” Honey called excitedly.
    But it was too late. Susie had run under a low-hanging limb and unseated her rider. Dan Mangan went head over heels into the brush beside the trail, and the horrified girls saw him land hard and lie facedown in the snow.
     

The Black Leather Jacket • 8
     
    FOR A MOMENT after the accident, the girls were too horrified to do anything but stare at Dan Mangan’s limp body as he lay sprawled in the snow patch beside the bridle path.
    Then Trixie, swallowing hard and trying to sound very brave, told Honey, “You go catch Susie before she runs too far, while I see if Dan s hurt.”
    Honey started after the mare, but she didn’t have to go far. After brushing Dan off against the low-hanging tree limb, the saucy little mare had trotted only a few feet away into the brush and was now browsing peacefully.
    Trixie went up to Dan slowly, hoping hard that he wasn’t badly hurt. She had had a course in first aid at school, but everything she had been taught was jumbled up in her mind, now that she was facing a real crisis.
    Then, as she knelt beside him, she was relieved to see Honey hurrying to join her. Maybe Honey could help with a suggestion, even though she had had no training that Trixie knew of.
    “Dan! Dan Mangan!” Honey knelt on the other side of Dan. He was lying very still, apparently unconscious. “Maybe if we turned him over—” she whispered.
    Trixie shook her head. “Better not. I’ve heard it’s best never to move an accident victim till you’re sure you won’t do him worse harm by disturbing him. But we can’t leave him here!”
    Honey agreed hastily. “Maybe one of us should sit here by him, while the other brings Mr. Maypenny.”
    “Guess you’re right,” Trixie said uneasily. But before they could talk over which would go and which would stand by, the victim moaned and stirred. He rolled over onto his back suddenly and tried to sit up, only to fall back and hold his head. A large lump on the front of his forehead showed where he had landed on the hard