Chapter 76

Across the small hotel dining room, there were three well-dressed men wearing tall white hats, drinking coffee and smoking fat cigars. One of them moved closer to sit at the table nearest the Young Bucks.

“Excuse me please, but did I hear you say you have an exceptionally fast horse bred from Cheyenne horse blood?” The man asked from behind Eli.

Eli turned to look back at the man, “Yes Sir, we sure do. He’s never been beaten in about thirty races,” he told the man.

“We’re here to meet the southbound train to Abilene. We’re headed on down to south Texas from there. We have three young thoroughbreds we’re supposed to race against some Mexicans’ horses. Would you care to put your horse in a race against two fillies and a young stud with proven thoroughbred blood? Just to test him, of course,” the man said, with a slight smile.

“We have a little over an hour before the train from Abilene arrives. When we finish our sodas, we’ll meet you at the livery,” Eli told them.

“Is your horse the big Paint stud stalled there at the livery? We saw him when we arrived earlier.”

“That’s him.”

“He sure is a fine looking animal, but he’s not built for running long distances like my thoroughbreds are. You must have been running your horse against the shorter, Quarter Horses that are coming out of Texas.”

“We’ve raced him against any and all comers; he’s never been beaten yet and he’s raced against some that are supposed to be the best around our part of the country,” Ezra spoke up.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t putting him down. It’s just that most horses haven’t the heart, nor the build or breeding to race against a true thoroughbred racehorse. The stamina and the love to run has to be bred into a horse to run the races such as we run.” The man explained.

“Tell you what, Mister. We have a few hundred between us if you care to make a small wager on your horses,” Ezra told him.

“I’d hate to take your money, seeing as how all of you are too young to understand the rules of horse racing, with the almost certain risk of losing your money. I’d love to time your horse though, just to see how he measures up to my young thoroughbred breeding stock.”

“We’ll time him for you, as he races past your three thoroughbreds,” Eli spoke up as he and Ezra shared a stern look.

Jonny Bill and Jere Joe were looking back and forth as the conversation now became a matter of who had the best and fastest horse.

“Will your brothers actually bet money on Eli’s horse?” Jonny Bill leaned over to ask Kia in a whisper. He had yet to let go of her hand since they sat down beside each other.

“You’ll have to get used to my brothers. They’re very much like our dad, and he’d never back down from anyone’s challenge. We’ve seen Cheyenne run a few races near our home and he really is very fast,” Kia turned to whisper, her lips just inches from his ear.

“I too have some money, would you advise me to place a bet on Eli’s horse?”

“If you’re going to bet, bet on Eli. He’s too much like our dad to let a horse of his lose a race, even if he has to carry him all the way on his back!” Kia whispered, her chin almost resting on Jonny Bill’s shoulder.

The manager brought their iced drinks back from the drugstore which was just off the hotel dining room. As he placed a tall, icy drink in front of the fourteen youngsters, the talk of horse racing stopped.

For the Crow girls and the Cheyenne brothers, sipping on a Dr. Pepper was a memorable first-time experience.

“This is different from anything I’ve ever tasted! I love it,” Lilly Beth exclaimed as she sipped her soda.

“I do too, this is delicious,” Jonny Bill agreed, after taking a big sip.

“We’ll definitely have to drink another of these before we leave,” Jere Joe added.

“Just when are you leaving? We never thought to ask,” Michi said.

“We were hoping to ride over to our grandfather’s village with all of you, now that we have met and become friends,” he told her with a smile that brought a pretty grin to Michi’s face as well.

When they had finished their drinks, Eli paid for all of them as they were about to leave.

“Eli, let’s take those horse breeders’ money. I brought enough to bet a few hundred and still have money left over, even if Cheyenne is having a bad day and loses,” Micah suggested.

“Me too, Eli. Let’s take their money, just to show him how fast a Cheyenne bred horse really is,” Caleb agreed.

“I brought some money too and I’d love to bet against their horses and win,” Pike joined in.

“Cheyenne has only raced true thoroughbreds at Vinita that time and it’s been a long time since we’ve raced him. We may lose,” Eli said, knowing all the time that Cheyenne had a heart that wouldn’t let him lose a race, no matter what horse he was running against.

“You know Dad would never walk away from a challenge like that, Eli. He’d rather lose a race, than let a man win without even trying,” Ezra spoke up.

“He’s right, Eli. You know Cheyenne can beat any horse. I got some money and Ruby told me the girls all have money to bet, if you’ll run Cheyenne against their horses,” Isaac told him.

When they stepped out on the front boardwalk, the man and his two friends were standing there, as if relaxing against the porch posts.

“Would you still like to test that Cheyenne horse of yours? No money has to be at risk. We would all know how the Indian breeding would stack up against the selective breeding of racing bloodlines from all over the world,” the man asked, just before he cupped his hands to light another long fat cigar.

“We each have a few dollars to place wagers on my horse. Would you care to put your money up, just to make it a little more interesting?” Eli asked in a soft, gritty voice, almost a growling whisper just like his dad’s voice when he becomes irritated and riled.

“Of course we’d cover any and all bets, but we’d hate to take your money.” One of the other men joined in the conversation.

“Mister, you’d have to use a gun to take our money, and you don’t have the guts to pull a gun on our brothers. Just go get your horses and mark off your race course,” Lee Yu spoke up loud and clear.

“Young lady, you have just challenged the fastest horses Kentucky has to offer. I hope you and your brothers have enough money to afford a few dollars loss,” the man with the lit cigar said, before turning to walk briskly down the street toward the livery.

Little Tree, Texas
April 5, 1889

“Come on, Ezra. I don’t trust those three alone in the barn with Cheyenne,” Eli spoke up and walked quickly toward the livery, followed by Ezra and the others.

In the barn, they saw the three men talking to a small Mexican man, who wouldn’t weigh a hundred pounds. He was wearing tall black leather boots and riding britches with big hips.

“Hoke, thanks for taking care of our horses. We’re about to have us a horse race to see if this Cheyenne Paint that Joe’s horse sired, can stay with those fast race horses from back east,” Eli spoke to Hoke as he opened the stall to lead Cheyenne out.

“Eli, that Cheyenne horse will leave them tall skinny race horses in his dust, just you wait and see. I know that horse of Joe’s all too well. He has the heart of a winner and that young stud of yours is built just like his daddy. I’ll even put my money on him!” Hoke told Eli with a grin.

Just as Eli led Cheyenne out of his stall with his saddle on, two more younger Mexicans joined the others and all three of the smaller men had to be helped onto the tall young thoroughbreds.

Close to twenty of the townsmen had already heard about the horse racing conversation and wanted to see the race. They were standing behind the barn when the horses were led out.

“Mister, we heard about the challenge in the dining room and we’d like to place a few wagers, if you and your friends can cover them,” a short fat man wearing a tall stovepipe hat, told the horse owners.

“We’ll cover all bets, large or small. We have the money to back up any and all bets.

“Just to make it a more sporting race, I myself will cover all bets of a thousand dollars and up, at ten to one odds. Any takers?” The man asked as he looked around with his jaw set, his cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth, and a show of teeth that may have been taken for a grin in some places back east.

Eli handed Ezra a handful of folded bills, then swung to his saddle as Cheyenne began his dance, bucking and turning sideways as Eli coaxed him out of the barn. This Paint of Eli’s knew when there was a race to be run. He always gets excited. He had run against them all, no matter how fast they were and no matter how long the race was.

“I see your young horse has a yen to run, but that still doesn’t make him a racehorse,” the man chided.

He and his partners were busy taking bets and names as everyone lined up to put their money on the race.

“Mister, just get your jockeys on those horses and let’s get this race started without any more of your remarks. This horse is hard enough to control as it is,” Eli said with a voice that belied his age.

The short man with the tall hat stepped out in front of the procession after introducing himself as the mayor of Little Tree, Texas. He pointed out across the flat plains, and began to speak, “We’ve always used that dead tree out there for a quarter mile. If you want your horses to really stretch it out, you can ride there and back.”

“That looks like a good race to me. You agree, Mister?” Eli asked as he looked over at the man taking bets.

“That’s a half-mile and a bit far for most horses. Suit yourself though; my horses have been bred to run that far.” Was his only answer.

They walked the four horses out to line them up behind two poles with a white cotton cord stretched tightly across between them.

There the mayor explained the Little Tree horse racing rules as he stood with a long shiny knife at his side, “When this cord is cut, the race is on. Any horse that touches the cord before it’s cut, is disqualified. Any horse OR rider that bumps another horse, before OR during the race, is disqualified. Any rider who strikes another horse, before OR during the race, is disqualified. Those are the rules we race horses by here in Little Tree, Texas. Any of you have a problem with our rules?”

“Let’s race,” Eli stated loudly.

With his body hiding the movement of the knife, the mayor stood next to the post on his right.

The cotton cord suddenly snapped and the race was on.

Eli already knew enough about racing fast, long winded horses to hold Cheyenne in check for the race home. He was between the two young fillies as they raced head to head toward the tall tree in the distance with the young thoroughbred stud lagging behind the front runners.

Eli could feel the nervous energy in his horse and knew when they made the turn, Cheyenne was going to be hard to hold.

Sure enough, when the horses slowed to make their turn, Cheyenne was ready to get the race over with. Eli held him in check until he saw the jockeys start flogging their young horses with leather crops for the race home. Eli dropped the reins on Cheyenne’s neck, letting him have his head as he reached up and slapped him hard on his neck one time. “Go Get ‘em Big Boy!” he yelled.

Eli’s horse showed the thoroughbreds and their owners just what a long legged horse bred from Cheyenne horse blood could do in a controlled race across the prairie where there were no prairie dog holes, rocks, or broken limbs to leap over. It wasn’t even a race to him. He won by four lengths and was still dancing wildly, full of nervous energy as Eli bounded to the ground where he was met by Kit and his brothers and sisters.

The three horse breeders were already on their way to the barn, leading their race horses. Their heads were down as they walked; even the three Mexican jockeys had their heads drooped as they still sat perched upon their little saddles.

When the horse breeders walked out of the stalls after putting their horses up, they were met by Hoke and the mayor. Each of them carried a double barreled shotgun cradled in the crook of his arm.

“Mister, we here at Little Tree, Texas pay our wagers as soon as the races are finished. I suggest that you and your friends do the same before any more time passes.” The mayor scolded them.

“We aren’t accustomed to losing a race and we never knew of that rule. We have the money back at the hotel and we pay our gambling debts,” the man who had all but backed Little Eli into a race spoke up.

“Hoke will look after your horses while all of us go line up at the hotel desk to get paid,” the mayor told the horse breeders.

“Eli, I’ll watch over Cheyenne for you, just collect my winnings when you pick up yours,” Hoke said as he stepped close to Eli.

“Thanks Hoke. How much did you bet?”

“I bet a thousand at ten to one. It was all I had, but I knew that horse of Joe’s would sire a winner and I loaded up on their asses!” Hoke, said and cackled as they turned to walk out.

“I’ll bring your winnings back out here. Thanks Hoke, for believing in Cheyenne.”

“I reckon we all saw what that young horse is made of today, Eli. You sure got a winner there. You need to be breeding that stud to all the fast horses he can mount. He has the blood of a wild stallion and the heart of a winner. He’ll never let another horse beat him, unless his heart busts wide open.”

Lilly Beth was first in line at the hotel desk when the horse breeders and owners came down to pay their gambling debts. She watched closely as the man counted out nineteen thousand eight dollars on the desk. Before she picked up the money to leave, she counted it again while her sisters gathered around and called out each hundred dollar bill she lay down slowly.

When she turned with the winnings in her hands, she and Lee Yu were dancing wildly in circles around their sisters and the others laughed at their antics. Each of the girls had put up three hundred apiece on Cheyenne, pooling their money to get in on the high roller bet.

Eli was last in line as he looked at the man who was chewing on what was left of his fat cigar stub that had long ago burned out.

“Young man, my name is Brandon Charles Heathley. I got taught a valuable lesson here in Little Tree, Texas today. I’ll pay you another five hundred each to breed the two mares I have in the stable out there.”

“My stud fee just went up to one thousand as of today, Mr. Heathley. Besides that, those two fillies out there are too young to breed. Surely you have brood mares with you that you’re speaking of?”

“I do, we were planning to breed them in south Texas. Until today that is. When those two fillies you raced are old enough, I’d like to bring them back and have them bred also. I need the blood of that Paint horse running through my bloodline. I’ll gladly pay a thousand each to have my horses bred to your stud.”

“Come look me up at Tulsa when the fillies are ready. If I’m not there, look up my daddy. He’s Marshal Eli Crow. He can tell you where I am. I’ll be leaving here shortly, but we’ll be back this way in a month.”

“My broodmares are horsing now, Eli. Could we possibly breed them before you leave?”

“Let’s go to the livery barn then. We’ll get Hoke to prepare them and get my stud ready to mount each of them. I trust him around my horse more than any man here.”

Each of the Young Bucks stepped away from the desk with eleven thousand dollars. Jere Joe and Jonny Bill stepped away with eleven thousand between them. They had pooled their money to meet the high roller bet of ten to one on a thousand or more, just as the Crow girls had.

“Eli, where are you going now?” Kit asked as she ran over to meet him by the door.

“We’re going back to the livery to breed Cheyenne with Mr. Heathley’s two broodmares out in the barn. I’ll be back soon and we’ll head back to the depot.”

“I want to go, Eli. May we watch?” Kit asked as she looked up at him, sidling up close, pressing her young bosom to his ribs, her warm belly against his waist.

“Get the others and come on, they may as well be there too. Just keep quiet and watch from atop one of the other stalls,” Eli said as he gave in to the most powerful persuasion she could have ever used.

Before they turned to walk toward the livery barn, they heard the whistle of the northbound freight in the distance, slowing as it neared Little Tree.

Isaac and Eli watched as their brothers broke into a run, leading the stampede toward the train depot followed by the six girls. Jere Joe and Jonny Bill were with them, as they trailed Kia and Michi closely.

“Mr. Heathley, I’m afraid we’ll have to delay the breeding of our horses for a few minutes while we meet my four brothers’ sweethearts at the train depot,” Eli told him.

He and Isaac left the man standing in the street and ran after the others. They wanted to be there to see their brothers meet their sweethearts for the second time. They were all anxious to see if the Blasingame girls would still feel the same about their brothers as they did over six months ago when they first met.

Eli and Isaac came around the corner of the depot loading dock just in time to see the passengers step off the Pullman car.

They heard the screaming and laughter as they saw the Blasingame family step down from the train. Before they even reached the circle gathered around the young Blasingame girls, they saw the girls’ mothers and fathers laughing at their daughters’ antics.

Eli and Isaac were finally able to see their brothers as they were hugged by their crying, laughing, and dancing young girlfriends. As if practiced and planned, the four girls leaned back and smiled, just before stepping up to kiss the four Bucks right on their lips, pressing their young bodies hard against them as they wrapped their arms around them.

When the four couples broke for air, the Bucks introduced the four girls to their sisters, Jere Joe and Jonny Bill. Eli and Isaac walked over to greet the Blasingame men and women and welcome them to Little Tree.

“Mr. Wade, Mr. Ward, it’s good to see you again. I hope our brothers aren’t too forward with your daughters out here in public,” Eli said as he greeted the men.

“Eli, it’s good to see you and Isaac again too. I suppose Wade and I know just how our daughters feel. We met our wives in almost the same manner years ago, and when we met them the second time, they had us in a lather right in front of ours and their parents,” Ward Blasingame told him as they watched the reunion of their young daughters and the four Young Bucks.

“We have the wagon and team over at the livery with our horses. It will take a day and a half to ride back to Pecan Ridge where Don and his wife lives,” Eli told them.