Tucker tried to push his unease aside as he entered the house he shared with his friend and fellow deputy, Jonas Taylor. He built up the fire in the stove and fixed a pot of coffee. No matter what he did, his thoughts kept drifting back to the ominous riders.
Who were they, and what business did they have in Splendor? Tucker knew most folks in town, but those men were unfamiliar. Their weathered faces and cold eyes reminded him of the outlaws he’d encountered during his time as a lawman.
Outside, the wind howled mournfully through the pine trees as he climbed under his covers. Somewhere in the distance, a coyote yipped and yowled.
Tucker tossed and turned, sleep eluding him. He kept envisioning those hard-bitten riders, their grim faces shadowed beneath their hat brims.
Chapter Six
The corral was a flurry of activity as Billy and Travis worked to break a wild mustang. Eliza leaned against the fence, enthralled by the spectacle unfolding before her. The horse bucked and twisted, desperate to throw Travis from its back. Mud and ice flew through the air with each powerful kick of the mustang’s hind legs.
Eliza winced as the horse bucked again, throwing Travis into the air. “Doesn’t what he’s doing hurt the poor thing?” she asked Spencer.
He chuckled. “I’m pretty certain it hurts Travis more than the horse. Billy and Travis know what they’re doing. Breaking a horse takes skill and patience.”
Eliza pursed her lips, unconvinced. As Travis climbed back into the saddle, the mustang erupted into another fit of bucking before finally giving up and calming.
“Why don’t you stay and watch them work with the next one?” Spencer suggested. “See for yourself how gentle they can be.”
Intrigued, she nodded. This was a world foreign to her city upbringing. Perhaps Spencer was right and there was more to horse breaking than met the eye. She intended to find out.
Her attention was drawn back to the corral as Billy and Travis led in another wild horse, a chestnut mare. She watchedas Billy began swinging the rope into the air so the horse ran in circles around him.
“Doesn’t the rope frighten her?” Eliza asked.
“Billy is tiring her out some,” Spencer explained. “Makes it easier to put the saddle on once she’s not so fresh.”
Eliza frowned but kept watching. When the mare slowed, Billy threw a loop around the mare’s neck and began stroking her, speaking softly. Stepping back, he nodded to Travis, who also threw a loop of rope over the mare’s neck. The mare began bucking. This didn’t go on long before the already tired horse stilled, blowing air through its nostrils.
Moving closer, Billy inched a blanket onto her back. The mare bucked in protest, dislodging the blanket. He persisted, picking up the blanket from the ground and setting it back on the horse until she accepted the unfamiliar weight.
“He’s so calm with her,” Eliza murmured.
Spencer nodded. “A good wrangler knows you can’t force a horse. Takes time for them to get used to things.”
Eliza was about to respond when a loud whinny drew her gaze back to the corral. Billy had managed to get the saddle on the mare and was now tightening the cinch. The mare erupted in a frenzy, bucking and twisting violently. Billy and Travis held their ropes firm, waiting for her to tire.
“Poor thing,” Eliza said. “She’s so frightened.”
“Give it time,” Spencer replied. “Billy will win her over.”
Eliza watched as he swung up into the saddle, the mare standing still until bursting into a final explosive fit. Hanging on, Billy’s face was set in grim determination until the mare stopped bucking and came to a stop.
She had to admit, his patience and persistence were admirable. Perhaps she’d judged the process too quickly. As the mare settled under Billy’s steady hand, Eliza felt herself softening.
“Reckon she’ll need more work when he saddles her the next time,” Spencer noted.
Eliza nodded. “Thank you for talking me into staying. It was, well…a learning experience.”
Turning toward the ranch house, she found herself reflecting on the insights she’d gained. Her mind swirled with new thoughts after witnessing Billy’s remarkable patience and skill in working with the wild mare. Hearing shouts from behind her, she turned around.
Travis and Billy were working with another horse, using the rope to move the mustang in circles, the same as with the mare. The horse slowed to a quick trot.
The horse’s eyes were wide, ears pinned back as he tried to evade the loop Travis threw. Billy threw his, dropping the rope around his neck in an easy, practiced move.
Eliza watched the scene from the porch. It was a dance of sorts, this breaking of horses. A battle of wills took infinite patience and skill. Qualities often in short supply back east.
Yet Billy possessed them, along with a deep wisdom about horses Eliza was only beginning to comprehend. There was much she could learn, if she could open her mind to new ways.
