Chapter 25

I finally got around to taking Frank out of his stall. He didn't give me a bit of trouble and it was pretty easy to tell he was bored with watching carpenters work, even if Sister did hang around his stall to keep him company. He stood still and didn't fidget while I put a halter on him and tied on a lead rope. When we left for the outside Sister went back in to visit with Bob, her second choice.

I didn't really have much on my mind to do with Frank. Leading him around the place would do fine for getting him used to doing what I wanted him to do without a committee meeting to decide what we should be working on. We stopped to talk to Anita when she came out of the house.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" I asked her, as she came up to us.

"Nothing. I'm bored and came outside looking for something to do."

"Good, how about leading Frank around?"

"Frank you or Frank the horse."

"Well, Frank the horse, kinda. I'll be walking along side him, around him, and leaning on him some while you do it. I guess you'll really be leading both of us."

"Sounds nearly as boring as sitting in the house and gossiping, but I guess I can do it a while," she said, taking the lead rope from me and leading out.

Anita and I talked a little while we were at it, but mostly I leaned on Frank, or walked around behind him to lean on the other side. I just made sure I was up against him most of the time so's he'd get used to it. He was already ok with me being right up beside him, but when you're trying to train a horse to let you ride it isn't possible for him to get too familiar with your presence.

After fifteen minutes I was mostly keeping my arms over his back and having to walk sideways to keep up. Gradually I put more and more of my weight on him and a few times I even picked up my feet and let him carry me as we walked along. He didn't even act like he noticed. I was sure I could strap a saddle on his back and ride by now, but Jasper and Blossum didn't have the new one ready yet so I didn't try it.

"I don't see why they thought this was such a troublesome horse, he don't seem to mind whatever you do to him," Anita said.

"He don't mind now, but he's used to it. They just had him scared before and he was probably ready to fight every time they put a saddle on him. He's a damned good horse, and smart too, but he's the kind you have to ask if he'll let you ride him. You ain't going to make him let you."

"Kinda like a woman then?" Anita asked, but I didn't understand and I didn't mind saying so.

"What?"

"Most women will let you ride if you talk to 'em just right. They just don't like it when you try to climb on without permission. Hell, we'll all fuck - our mommas did," she said, and laughed.

I laughed too. It was an old joke, but she was the first woman I'd ever heard tell it. It was also closer to the truth than she might know too - about horses anyway. Horses didn't come into the world intending for men to ride around on them, but you could get them to let you ride, usually.

The problems came up when you tried the same method on every horse. There wasn't a sure fire way to go about it. Horses were like people and every one of them had their own idea. It was best to spend some time and learn how to get along with them. By now I was sure Frank was not going to give me a lick of trouble.

After an hour or so of leading Frank around we decided that enough was enough. Anita turned the lead rope over to me and I tied him to the hitching rail I usually used for him. Jasper and Blossum came outside just about then. Blossum was bringing Frank's new jáquima and Jasper was toting the new saddle and a new blanket for it.

I put the saddle on first and we all checked the fit. It was perfect of course. Blossum put the headstall and bosal on him then and tied the reins and lead rope knot. Weren't no need to wait any longer so I tied the lead rope end onto the saddle, put my foot in the stirrup and swung aboard. As usual, with this type of slow training, it was pretty much a non-event for Frank. He just stood there wondering what he needed to do next.

Since I'd made sure to teach him the vocal cues while I was at it, when I said get Frank took off walking. I geed and hawed him as I used the reins, giving him a whoa while I pulled back on the reins every now and then. It seemed like no time before I could ride him without using my voice at all and he caught on fast. Just to show off a little I rode him down to Cookie's chow hall, tied him to a hitch rail there and went in for a cup of coffee.

Cookie had seen me ride up and he was full of it already. Going on about how he couldn't believe it and that it looked like I was the only real cowboy on the place.

"Maybe so, Cookie, but I an't gonna raise your pay over all that braggin'," I said, and suddenly he was flustered.

"Aw hell, Frank. I ain't looking for more money. Things go so smooth around here now I was thinking about giving some back. I wasn't thinking hard about it you know, but I did think about it once."

"Well far as I'm concerned you're earning your pay. Don't feel bad about collecting all of it."

I'd just been showing off with Frank so I didn't stay long. Not more than one or two of the hands had seen me ride up, but it looked like more than half of them wanted to watch me leave. There wasn't nothing to it, I just took the reins, swung my leg over, and rode back to the barn.

I was just in time too because Juanita looked out the door and signaled me it was time for supper. Tonight was a treat, starting with tamales and frijoles and then moving on to burritos. I made a pig of myself, but I didn't care. I hoped I was going to need my strength.

It seemed like Barbara was resigned to her fate when bedtime came around. In fact I could tell that the other women had been giving me a good buildup. Barbara seemed a little shy and she was already under the covers when I came in to shuck my clothes.

"Barbara, before anything happens I want to make sure you don't think you have to do anything to pay your way - so to speak.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your husband, but I don't know of a thing I could have done besides what I did."

"I know of something, but I can understand why you didn't just shoot him when you found him. Well I can kinda anyway. Now, that's enough talking. The others have told me you know what you're dong between a woman's legs and I want to try someone who does if you don't mind."

"Anything to please a lady," I said, and then yanked the covers of her and the others who were already crowed in bed. I dove between her legs mouth first and I was licking her sweet spot before she knew what was happening.

If Barbara was surprised by my first move she was well with the program by the time I licked my way down to tease her pucker. She didn't try to squirm her way out of it but it did get her started making noise.

"Oh my God. I've never even heard of anything like that. Jesus, it feels so nasty, but damn it's good."

"It sure was, and when I moved up to stab it home it was even better, for me at least. She wasn't making much sense with her conversation after that, but I got the idea she liked everything I did. Anita helped keep the noise down by covering Barbara's mouth with her palm. I didn't have time to worry about such since I was busy with the in out in out and those big fat nipples that needed sucking. Hell, I even got a little milk for my trouble.