Chapter 3

I finished my pie and rode out to the house of the last man who'd made an offer on the big house I was interested in. It was obvious he raised cattle and horses as soon as I got to his place and I decided to buy a horse off him if he had one that was decent. I rode directly to the house and didn't even have time to shout hello before an older gentleman came out, asked me to get down and come inside for some and cake. Hell, I was happy to.

He introduced himself as Jack Bauucom as soon as I got down and I told him I was Jake Northcutt.

"I've heard a little about you already and I'll have to say I approve of all I've heard. Anyone who gives that damned Bernard a rough time is a good man in my estimation. If you don't mind me asking, what did he ask you for the big house?" he asked.

"Six thousand for the house and the hundred acres it's on." I told him.

"Hell, he's coming down already. He asked me seven thousand, but when he did it came with three hundred acres."

"That just goes to show he's a cut throat banker trying to get well on this deal he's already let get away from him. Who does he think is going to pay him so much for that house. Are there so many people around here with enough money to buy it?"

"Hell no. I was his only chance and he knew it when we were dealing,. In fact I even offered him six thousand for it. At that time he wanted eight thousand, but he came down to seven before I told him I could have a better one built for less. Besides, I already had a thousand acres here so I was better off to just build a house exactly like I wanted it out here where everything else was already. If you decide to go that way Jeb Green is the man for the job. He has two boys old enough to do good work by now and he has a crew of six others too. The hardest thing will be getting lumber freighted in, but the mill in Jefferson will be happy to send it out to you if you've got what it takes."

"I've got plenty of money in gold. I just don't understand what Bernard is holding up on. Even if they have more money in the house than what I offered it ain't getting to be worth more just sitting around out there. Hell, if he holds it another year he's going to have to repaint it and that will come directly out of the bank's money instead of making money on the house he'll be spending more. I've never run across a banker like him." I said.

"You ain't likely to ever come across one like him again either and you may not have long to deal with him. The one who hired him was mad as a sore tailed cat about him letting me get away and I'm sure he ain't in no better mood by this late date. I know he won't be after I have a word with the bank's owner over what is going on. Bernard came here from Dallas where he was nothing but a small time man in a big bank there. I know the fellar who owns that bank and he's finally figured out he has the wrong man for the job running the place."

"Well, we've said about all I need to about that shitass. You don't happen to have a good horse for sale do you?" I asked him.

"Damned if I don't have a pretty sorrel stallion I'd like to share with somebody. I'll tell you right now he's a handful though, It'll take us an hour to get him caught and saddled and not a hand I've got has ever been able to ride him very long. He does ok for about the first ten minutes and then he decides he's tired of carrying a rider and starts bucking. I've got others, but he's the best horse I've got here even if he is the most trouble."

"He sounds like just what I need. Do you mind catching him up while I ride into town and back. I've got a special bridle I'd like to use on one that ain't acting right. I'll go to town and get it and come right back if its ok with you.

"You'll probably be back before we get him caught and saddled," he said.

"If you don't mind could you let the saddling wait until I get back to do it?"

"Hell, the boys will like that even better. We'll have him tied to the hitching rail by the time you get back."

I mounted up and lit out. I didn't know what kind of bridle and bit they'd used on him but I had my own rig for the newly trained horse. I wouldn't need any bit at all since I'd be using a Spanish bosal and a mane hair mecate. The hardest part was tying the reins and lead rope knot, but I already had my mecate tied to my bosal and the bosal was already in the headstall.

It took longer to find the headstall than I thought it would but I was back out there in plenty of time. When I found and assembled the headstal and bosal and checked the reins and lead rope knot in the mecate I walked back out and put it on the horse. Most of the cowboys standing around didn't know what I was putting on the stallion but it didn't keep them from voicing their opinions. I didn't pay them any mind and merely put on the saddle they had. It was a double rigged saddle but there was no back girth present. I asked for it and they stood around gaping until the ranch owner started cursing one of them and that one turned to curse at the others. Soon enough a back girth arrived and I put it on.

They'd had the horse inside a large pen but I led it to a gate and then outside after it was open. One of them asked if I wanted them to mount up and haze the horse if it started to run away.

"No. I don't want you to do a damned thing but watch and learn if you can. When I mount I expect it to buck like hell for a minute or two and then I expect it to run off. It will quit running after it's tired. If I'm still on his back then I'll ride him back. If I'm not on his back then you can mount up and go rope him," I said loudly enough for them all to hear."

They were watching closely now so I put my foot in the stirrup and swung up. He started crow hopping before I was completely aboard but I had time to get my off foot into the other stirrup too before he began bucking in earnest. I let him have at it for a minute or two and then I put both hands on one side of the mecate and doubled him. Doubling was pulling his head back nearly to the saddle and it took some doing with only two puny arms against a damned strong neck. I got it done though and he had to stop bucking since he couldn't get his head down and with the program any more. After he settled down I let the reins back out and gave him a taste of my spurs, albeit only a little taste.

He walked off and then broke into a trot before starting a dead run. I really hoped there weren't any holes he could step in and break a leg but then again it was his choice. After nearly a half mile we were far from the barn and he was winded. I was sure he could have gone farther if he's stayed in a gentle lope, but he was interested in bringing this to an end rapidly. Horses never were very good at planning ahead. He was still trying to run when I doubled him again and pulled him to a halt. He even pawed at the ground after I had him stopped so I made him turn around and spurred him again, back toward the barn this time.

He ran his hardest again but only for about a hundred yards where he slowed to a trot. At least he was learning a little and I used the reins to indicate I wanted him to turn. He ignored the signal so I doubled him to that side and had him take off again when he was headed the way I wanted him to go. Soon enough I tried to turn him the other way and had to double him down again before he cooperated. I didn't give a shit now. He'd learned he couldn't buck me off and he couldn't run out from under me. I knew the doubling was bound to be getting to his neck and I doubted he'd make me do it many more times.

Sure enough, the next time I called for him to change directions he did it. He didn't do it smoothly like a well trained horse would, but it was good enough since he wasn't a well trained horse yet. He'd learned he couldn't get me off his back though and I intended to stay up there until he understood a little more about what I wanted him to do. I rode him back over toward the others and then made him stop when we got there and stand still.

There was one loud mouth bitching about the way I'd taken charge of the horse and claiming he could do much better. I stepped off and told him to climb aboard and show us what he could do. He was caught out in front of the others and so he came over to try. I doubted he even thought a thing about it, but I'd ridden the horse back at a walk and it was plenty rested now. When the cowboy tried to mount it was back to its same old tricks, crow hopping before the guy got his seat and bucking like hell before he could get his off foot into the stirrup. He went flying almost right away. I was standing close enough to grab the mecate before the horse ran off so after I did I swung back up into the saddle and let the horse take off again before doubling him one more time after he'd used up most of his wind again.

I spent the next two hours riding him around and teaching him how a horse should act. He was doing fairly well before I got off again and led him to a watering trough for a short drink. I led him over to the owner then and asked what I owed. He named his price and I tied Red up to a hitching rail and pulled the money out of my pocket. I paid him in twenty dollar gold pieces and told him I'd be back out soon with a buggy so I could lead the horse home.

I got to town in time to buy the nice buggy at the livery stable and I bought a team that was fairly well matched to pull it. I was hungry by now but I took the buggy back out to pick up Red. The owner and some of the men were still out standing around when I came back up but they didn't come over to the hitching rail and so I tied Red on next to my other mount and headed back home. When I got there I put the two riding horses in stalls and put some hay in the hayracks for them to chew on. I drove the buggy back to town and tied it up near Liverman's where I went inside and had supper topped off with more coffee and a big slice of apple pie. When I left I asked the woman collecting if she knew about my tab. She said she did and I reminded her to take out a quarter to tip my waitress.

I headed home then and put water in the tub for another bath after unhitching the team and putting all my horses away and then putting hay in the racks of their stalls. I didn't need to heat the bath water up so much this time but it was still too cold for me to just jump in. After it was warm I got in and washed off the day's grime. I dried off when I got out and since the sun was going down already I climbed into bed and dropped off to sleep almost at once.