Brad had his nose pressed to the window of the bus as it pulled into camp.
It was just like the pictures on the brochures. A crystal blue lake surrounded
by giant trees. The cabins were all together at one end of the lake. They were
brown with green roofs. Little green shutters with pine tree shapes cut out
of them were fastened to each window. Walking paths led from cabin to cabin
and down to the lake. Every corner had a triangle of flowers planted in rock
walls with a wooden sign in the middle.

As the kids piled from the bus (in an OR-derly MAN-ner; as instructed by Mr.
Spensor) they were assigned cabins. Brad and Petes were bunk mates in Cabin
One. Their cabin was across the compound, near the edge of the woods, by the
baseball diamond. A sign, with mums planted around the base, led them home.

"Cleaver name." said Brad, as they clumped their way up the trail.
"Cabin One."

"Yea," snipped Petes. "I bet that witty Mr. Spensor thought
it up."

Cabin One was nothing more than bunk beds and a bathroom. In one corner was
a chipped bookcase holding a few old paperbacks with curled covers. The bunks
were set in three rows. Brad, of course, took a top bunk. Maynard was in their
cabin also, along with three other boys. Brad and Petes exchanged a silent look.
That Maynard needed watching.

Brad quickly piled his clothes into his locker, then took a look out the window.

The cabins were set in a half circle near the lake and, even though Cabin
One was in the lower row, the view from the window was super. The lake was named
Wungama. The blue water broke with little whitecapped waves and ripples as the
wind scurried across its surface. The thick pine forest came down to the water's
edge on the other side of the lake and a bald ridge poked dramatically from
the timberland at the top. Brad noticed Chelsie pulling her heavy pack into
the cabin next door. Great, he thought, maybe he'd get to see her sometime.

First things first. While the other boy's checked out the musty paperbacks,
Brad tested the bounce on his bunk: kind of stiff, but it would do. He flipped
off and landed on his feet.

"Watch it," snapped Petes. "You almost smashed my candy bar
stash!"

As he turned, Brad heard a thunk and a squeal. Maynard had little Willie Jones
by the neck, pinned to the wall. "I said I get the top bunk, mustard face!"
he snarled. As Maynard's meaty hand raised for a swing Brad backflipped across
the room and landed between them.

"Hey, pick on someone your own size," Brad demanded. The two boy's
eyes met on a level.

"Like YOU shrimp?" spat Maynard.

"Like me precious." Brad taunted back.

Maynard's swing seemed in slow motion next to Brad's speed as he bounced to
the left. With a roar the bully turned and lunged at the acrobat. Brad grabbed
the top bar of a bunk and swung himself up, one quick bounce and he was down
on top of Maynard. The bully sprawled on the floor.

Brad flipped to a handstand in front of Maynard's face. "You leave the
little kids alone, Maynard." he said staring him again in the eye, Maynard
on the floor and Brad upside-down. "Any time you want to fight just come
see me."

Suddenly the cabin was very quiet. Brad looked up, between his arms, and there
was Mr. Spensor, tall and straight, in the doorway. Brad flipped to his feet
and stood politely, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Maynard let out a bubbling bawl. "He did it!" he wailed. "Brad
knocked me over and hurt me. AAAAAAUUUUUG!"

Mr. Spensor marched over to Brad waving a spiral notebook in his face. "Rule
Number One," he stated. "No fighting in the cabins. One de-MER-it
for you. A total of ten reprimands and you will sent home in DIS-grace."
Mr. Spensor made a mark in his book.

Petes jumped up. "But Mr. Spensor! It wasn't . . ."

"Quiet!" the head counselor rasped stiffly. "No arguing and
no fighting. Come!" He grabbed Maynard's hand, "We'll have the nurse
check you for in-jur-ies." He turned quickly, without moving his knees
at all, and marched out the door.

As Mr. Spensor led Maynard down the path the bully glared back at Brad. Maynard
stuck out his tongue.

As soon as they were gone Brad did a handspring across the room and laughed,
"Enough of that! First order for the day is horse back riding. Come on
Petes, let's go." He grabbed Fatso by his arm and drug him from the cabin.

The stables were across camp near the lake. Brad hauled Petes at a fast trot
across the grounds. He marched up to a girl in a red shirt who was brushing
a spotted mare. "I'll take a horse without a saddle," he demanded.

"Are you an experienced rider?" the girl asked.

"Never been on a horse in my life," answered Brad.

"Me neither," squeaked Petes. "I'll take your slowest horse."

The girl chuckled. "We have special horses for beginning campers. There's
fifteen minutes till assembly. I suppose I can let you two have a ride before
lessons since we are still saddled up." She eyed Brad and Petes closely.
"I'll get Bessy and Joney." She went into the barn and led out two
horses with sleepy eyes and drooping backs. "Here you go." She handed
the reins of one horse to Brad. "This is Bessy."

Brad scowled. So far camp wasn't turning out to be much fun. "Do they
always change a horse's name to Bessy when it reaches a hundred years old."
he grumbled. “Nope. That’s cows.” Petes was petting Joney.
“Good girl, good girl,” he said. The girl in the red shirt chuckled
and shook her head. She looked like she had seen it all. She turned to help
Petes who was clawing himself into his saddle. Brad leapt onto his horse with
a single bound and gave it a wild kick in the sides. The horse slowly looked
up and yawned, she took one tentative step forward.

Brad kicked harder. "Go you old fleabag!" he shouted. The horse
took another step.

"Wait! Stop!" yelled the girl. "I haven't given you instructions
yet!"

"Instructions for standing still?" asked Brad. He looked at the
saddle as the horse ambled another step. There was a knob like a handle right
in front of him. Under the knob was a perfect hand hold. Brad grabbed it and
swung his legs into the air. Holding himself up in a handstand he waved his
feet in the sky. "Wheeee!"

The horse glanced back at Brad with surprised eyes. Suddenly she lifted her
head and came alive, prancing her feet, like an old dancer remembering her youth.
It seemed, for just a second, that a smile appeared on her face. "Wahoo!"
yelled Brad. "This is more like it!" He swung his feet to one side
of the horse, all the way down to the ground, kicking up dust. Then he flipped
up and over and kicked dust on the other side. "Go Bessy! The hundred year
wonder!"

Bessy trotted faster, stepping high, her eyes sparkled. Brad jumped to a squat
on the saddle then stood on one foot, the other was pointed, along with his
hands, towards the sky. "Faster! Faster!" Bessy seemed to smile and
began to gallop around the circle.

"Ride `em cowboy!" Petes was yelling wildly from his horse. "Go
Brad Go!"

The horse made a quick turn and Brad noticed the girl with the red shirt running
after him and sobbing loudly. "Please! Please! You'll get hurt." Her
face was streaked with dirt and tears.

Brad backflipped off Bessy and grabbed the reins. He led the horse over to
the girl. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to upset you."
He handed her the reins. "Thanks for the lesson. You're right. I've decided
I'll always use a saddle, better hand holds." He marched off to the showers.