I Have Often Met And Passed Her Out On The Road, And The Horse She
Drives Is A Large, Handsome
Animal, and we had supposed that she was a
good whip; so, when Mr. Ames appeared the other day and
Said his wife
had asked him to come up and buy the sorrel horse for her we were
delighted that such a good home had been found for him - and for Fannie
too. Mr. Ames bought the entire outfit. Fannie is beautiful, but
wholly lacking in affection, and can take care of herself any place.
All sorts of people have been here for the horses - some wanted both,
others only one - but Faye would not let them go to any of them, as he
was afraid they would not have the best of care. Rollo had been gone
only an hour or so when a young man - a typical bronco breaker - came to
buy him, and seemed really distressed because he had been sold. He
said that he had broken him when a colt at Mr. Vaughn's. It so
happened that Faye was at the adjutant's office, and the man asked for
me. I was very glad, for I had always wanted to meet the person who
had slammed the saddle first on Rollo's back. I told him that it was
generally considered at the post that I had broken the horse! I said
that he had been made cruelly afraid of a saddle, and for a long time
after we had bought him, he objected to it and to being mounted, and I
did not consider a horse broken that would do those things. I said
also, that the horse had not been gaited. He interrupted with, "Why,
he's a pacer" - just as though that settled everything; but I told him
that Rollo had three perfectly trained grades of speed, each one of
which I had taught him.
The young man's face became very red and he looked angry, but I had a
beautiful time. It was such a relief to express my opinion to the man
just at that time, too, when I was grieving so for the horse. I saw at
once that he was a bronco breaker from his style of dress. He had on
boots of very fine leather with enormously high heels, and strapped to
them were large, sharp-pointed Mexican spurs. His trousers were of
leather and very broad at the bottom, and all down the front and
outside was some kind of gray fur - "chaps" this article of dress is
called - and in one hand he held a closely plaited, stinging black
"quirt." He wore a plaid shirt and cotton handkerchief around his
neck. That describes the man who rode Rollo first - and no wonder the
spirited, high-strung colt was suspicious of saddles, men, and things.
I watched the man as he rode away. His horse was going at a furious
gallop, with ears turned back, as if expecting whip or spur any
instant, and the man sat far over on one side, that leg quite straight
as though he was standing in the long stirrup, and the other was
resting far up on the saddle - which was of the heavy Mexican make,
with enormous flaps, and high, round pommel in front.
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