Free Showdown at Widow Creek by Franklin W. Dixon

my sparkling personality.”
    I blushed. I did enjoy talking to her. In fact, she was the main thing making this trip enjoyable. I was too shy (or stupid) to tell her that, though. “Uh, so what do you think those dirt bikers were up to?”
    Sarah raised an eyebrow and smiled. “My father told me that the Hardy boys were trying to solve our little mystery.”
    “We may not be great cowboys,” I started, and then corrected myself. “Well, I may not be a great cowboy. But as detectives, we’re not too shabby.”
    “The dirt bikes . . .” She trailed off, then looked up in thought. “Well, they’re probably just what my dad said,” she replied. “Stupid kids, you know?”
    “What if they weren’t just kids?” I asked. “Could four guys on dirt bikes steal a whole herd?”
    “Like real cattle rustlers?” she asked. “I don’t think so. You know how hard it would be to run cattle with a loud, smelly dirt bike? And just four of them too.” Her brow furrowed. “Why do you ask?”
    “I—we think it was Mike and Tim again,” I explained. “If not them, than at least someone Lucky knows.” I reported what Joe had heard.
    “Those dirty snakes.” Sarah frowned. “Why won’t they leave us alone?”
    “What we don’t understand is what they’re trying to accomplish,” I said. “If they couldn’t steal the herd, then what?”
    “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “To get back at my dad somehow.”
    “They’re going through an awful lot of trouble just because your dad reprimanded them.”
    “Well, you chased them off easily enough,” she said.
    “Joe and I got lucky,” I admitted. “But if we hadn’t been here, between you and the other cowhands, they would’ve been chased off regardless.”
    “They did try to steal Hondo back in Bayport,” she said.
    “Yeah, and that kind of motive I understand.” I pointed at Hondo. “He’s a great horse and probably worth a lot of money. But if they were behind the cinches, maybe the dam, and now this . . . it all seems kind of . . . prankish.”
    She thought for a moment. “You’re right. They didn’t even go after Hondo when they stampeded the cattle.”
    “Do you think Lucky would know anything else about it?” I asked.
    Sarah eyed me suspiciously. “What? Like he’s involved somehow?”
    I shrugged. “Joe said that one of the guys seemed surprised that Lucky helped chase them off. Almost like he had been in on it.”
    “Lucky’s been with us for years.” Her lips tightened. “He’s the best ranch hand on the spread.”
    I raised both hands. “Hey, as a detective, I gotta look at all possibilities.”
    Sarah rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe you should save your detective work for the city.” She pulled Hondo to a stop and spun him around. “Stay in this position,” she ordered. “It’s time to rotate anyway.” Hondo broke into a gallop, and she rode to the back of the herd.
    I sighed and glanced up at Joe. He cringed when I caught his eye; I guess he had seen her ride off angry. It didn’t take any kind of brotherly telepathy for him to know that I had made Sarah Welch very mad.

14
SIDEWINDERS
JOE
    F OR THE NEXT COUPLE OF hours, Sarah avoided the Hardy brothers like the plague. I only got to chat briefly with Frank during that time, but he confirmed my suspicions; Sarah wasn’t at all happy about us accusing Lucky.
    “Let me talk to her,” I offered.
    “No, just let it be,” Frank said. “I think she’s great, but she’s about to go off to college. It’s not like we can start dating or anything.”
    I nodded. “But what about the mystery? We’re almost done with the drive, and we’re still nowhere on the case. The Hardys have a reputation to uphold, you know?”
    “Yeah, I’ve been racking my brain about that,” he admitted. “It seems backward. We think we know who’s responsible, but we don’t know the motive.”
    “We’ll figure it out,” I said. “I have complete and utter faith in our