Horse Book-BLUE INDIAN MYSTERY Anna Hale, Anne Bullen

Blue Indian Mystery-written by Anna Hale. Copyright 1954, no other date given. Hardcover with no DJ. Published by Blandford Press. The book measures approximately 5 x 7½ inches, and is 207 pages long. It is illustrated by Anne Bullen.

Summary: Pym and Pam are two eleven-year-old horse crazy girls who live on Blue Indian Ranch, a dude ranch in Wyoming. Everyone takes them to be twins, and they do indeed share the same birthday. But Pym did not come to the ranch until she was five, and has always felt that her mother didn’t want her, and abandoned her. On their eleventh birthday, Pam, who already has three horses, receives a beautiful bridle for her favorite mount, Goldie. Pym only has an old gelding and a mule, and her present is a beautiful mare named Cameo. She receives an addition gift that night when Pam’s mother finally tells the circumstances that led Pym’s mother to leave her with Pam’s family temporarily, and then of her mysterious disappearance, and their futile search to find her. Pam and Pym end up telling the story to the children who are staying on the ranch, and they all make a project out of trying to find Pym’s mother. The girls do a bareback stunt riding exhibition to raise some money for the project. Then a nearby rodeo announces that they will be adding a children’s bareback riding competition to their program, with the first place winner receiving a trip to New York, which is where Pym’s mother was from. The girls have their routine all ready, and set out the day before, for the long ride to the rodeo. They feel they must win, as they may be able to find Pym’s mother in New York. When they stop to help an injured man, they give up their chance to make it to the rodeo, but their good deed does not go unrewarded.

Condition: The interior has a light+ amount of stains. About eight consecutive pages have the same brown stain in the top corner, approximately ½ x 1 inch at the largest. I saw no tears, creases, or writing. The pages are uniformly yellow, with a softer feel. The front free endpaper has a return address sticker. The page edge surfaces, viewed when the book is closed, are yellowed, with some staining. The spine is straight, the front hinge is weak at the bottom, and the book can shift a small amount. One top edge has a small indentation. The bottom corners are thickened, and all four turn in some. One bottom corner has a tiny spot of board showing. The back cover has a few small white stains, and stray pencil. The spine is faded, with some staining. The spine ends have light wear.