Free The Palomino Pony Runs Free by Olivia Tuffin Page A

further back. Dismounting and leading Lily forwards, Georgia called out.
    “Hello?” Her voice echoed around the old stone buildings, bouncing off the cobbles. Then she heard it, loud and clear – horse’s hooves against concrete. A pony was moving around in one of the buildings, and from the way the hooves were clattering, the pony was agitated! “Hello?” Georgia repeated, but again, there was no answer.
    Looping Lily’s reins over her arm, Georgia tried the door into the barn, where the whinnying was coming from. It was old and heavy, and seemed to be fastened from the inside. Peeking through the crack, Georgia gasped when she caught sight of a familiar dark-brown pony in one of the stalls at the far end. It was Santa!

C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
    B ut if Santa was here, where was Will?
    Georgia pulled at the door again, widening the gap so she could peer into the barn. Old hay bales were stacked up next to the stall, plus a few bits of rusty machinery. Looking closer, Georgia saw a flash of bright blue under the hay. It looked like it was some sort of material, but what? Then she recognised it as Will’s logo jacket – the one he hadbeen wearing the day he had ridden past Georgia on the heath. To her horror, she realised Will was slumped awkwardly against the old bales, almost hidden by hay, and his eyes were closed. Immediately, Georgia could tell that Will was only just conscious. He needed help, and fast!
    Reaching into her jacket pocket, adrenalin surged through Georgia. Hurriedly, she rang 999. She had never done this before, and felt a bit shaky, not knowing what she was meant to say.
    “Police, fire or ambulance?” A kindly-sounding woman spoke on the end of the phone. Georgia tried to remain calm as she answered, thinking fast.
    “Ambulance … and police as well!” Explaining the situation as clearly as she could, she told the woman that it concerned a missing boy and pony. Once the call operator had taken details, and promised an emergency vehicle, Georgia thenrang Melanie – who answered hurriedly before the first ring had even finished.
    “Georgia?” she said in an anxious voice. With a rush of guilt, Georgia realised that she had set off on her hack quite a while ago and that Melanie had probably started worrying about where she was too.
    “Oh, Mel, I’m fine, but there’s no time to explain!” Georgia said. “You need to come over to Will’s old house as soon as possible. He’s in trouble!”

    The seconds seemed to drag by like hours. If only Georgia could get into the barn. Pulling at the old door again as hard as she could, she realised why she couldn’t open it – there was a bolt high above her head on the inside. Will must have barricaded himself in. Maybe someone a lot taller than Georgia would have been able to reach the bolt, and undo it if they pulled the doors open alittle, but there was no way she could – she was too short. Grimacing with frustration, Georgia stepped back. Lily, calm now that she had found her friend Santa, nudged her on the arm, as if to say, “Hey, I could help!”
    Looking from Lily, to the barn and back again, Georgia suddenly had a brainwave. “Right, my beauty.” Georgia patted Lily gently. This had to work, and Lily had to trust her as much as she needed to trust Lily. Positioning the little mare right next to the barn doors, the palomino seemed to sense what Georgia wanted. Quickly, Georgia climbed back into the saddle, and then, very carefully, she started to stand so that she could perch on Lily’s back like a circus rider and reach the bolt. Being small and light, Georgia had good balance, but it was still very tricky. Gradually raising herself up to her full height, she teetered for just a moment, wavering, her kneestrembling. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if she fell now and hurt herself.
    “Easy, girl.” Georgia soothed the little mare, praying she wouldn’t move – and Lily, listening to her young mistress, stood as still as a statue,