Where Hearts Run Wild Page 5

  “He can’t see the bridle!” said Bobby.

  J. R. sneered with a chuckle. “It’ll just have to use its imagination.”

  With that, Bobby dropped his rope and grabbed the bridle from J. R.’s hands. The bridle flipped wildly in front of the horse’s face. The animal got frightened, reared, and knocked J. R. to the ground before running off into the middle of the corral. Seeing what happened, a few of the other youths laughed. Others looked on, anticipating trouble. J. R. stood quickly, seeing red. He stomped up and faced off with Bobby.

  “You little creep!” J. R. snarled. “You don’t know what the hell you’re doin’! Horses are idiots! All of them are! It don’t make any difference how you treat ’em. The badder the better! Got it, or do I have to pound it into ya!”

  “No!” Bobby stood his ground. “I don’t get it! It’s just an animal. Give it a fair shot, and we won’t get creamed!”

  “Oh that’s it, huh?” J. R. snickered. “Scared of gettin’ hurt. Well, not me, man! I’m doin’ things my way, and so are you!”

  Sam approached Bobby and J. R. and took a position between the two. “Cool it—now! You two keep it up, and it’s goin’ on your records! Understand?”

  Bobby and J. R. said nothing as they continued to stare at each other, exchanging visual daggers.

  “Now let’s try it again,” Sam said, giving the boys a stern look. Sam moved back to the center of the corral.

  Armos led Bobby and J. R.’s horse back to them. He gave each of the boys a scornful glance as he handed the noose rope to Bobby.

  “Don’t make a big deal out of this,” Armos said in a tone that warned, but yet did not threaten. “Let’s just do what Sam says. It’ll make it easier on all of us.” Armos walked back to his position in the corral.

  The practice continued with the boys attempting to bridle their horses with varying degrees of success. Some of the youths managed to climb aboard their appointed horse and ride it for a brief time. Others were only able to half-mount their horses, and before they could take a shaky breath, the animals would buck and rear. Most of the boys wound up landing on their rear ends in a dusty heap. A few hung on for dear life and limb, and then jumped off and ran to the nearest corral fence for safety. All and all it was a painfully amusing sight to watch the urban cowboys receiving the bitter end of the struggle.

  Reluctantly, J. R. bridled the horse Bobby and he were working with. Gingerly, Bobby removed the noose rope and mounted the animal. However, before he could get anywhere near comfortable, and before the horse could take a step, J. R. clapped, causing a loud snap. And that was all it took to spook the horse. It reared with tremendous force, and Bobby became airborne. He landed in the dirt as the horse settled down nearby. J. R. burst out laughing at his fallen rival.

  Humiliated, Bobby stood and dusted himself off. Sam stood in the distance, his back turned to Bobby and J. R., unaware of the incident. Bobby crossed to J. R. with blazing contempt in his eyes. J. R. cracked an evil grin.

  “You’ve got to let them know who rules, cowboy,” J. R. said as he giggled at Bobby.

  “Make me fall again, Lysaker, and I swear, you’ll pay!” Bobby said, meaning every word.

  “I’ll be waiting for payday,” J. R. fired back, his wise-guy smile gone, telling Bobby he was serious.

  J. R. walked away, leaving Bobby to stare after him upset and beyond.

  * * * *

  A distance away, Armos looked on, having witnessed the clash between J. R. and Bobby. He shook his head and wondered what the rift between them was about. Armos knew it was more than an aggravating tease over who could ride the horse and who could not. He sensed this hassle between Bobby and J. R. was going to come to some kind of a bitter head, sooner or later, no matter what the argument was about. Armos knew J. R. was a bad apple. And even though he was an optimist at heart, he did not have high hopes for J. R.’s redemption. On the other hand, he felt Bobby was worth his time and patience. Bobby had a future, Armos thought, and he would keep a close watch on the boy.

  Bobby walked to the horse that had thrown him.

  The horse did not move. Bobby reached up and gently pet the animal’s neck.

  Bobby was unaware Armos was watching. A smile took Armos as he remembered it had been said animals can at times sense evil—and good—in human beings.

  Bobby continued to stroke the horse’s neck, making peace between the two.

  Chapter 8

  It was a bright, sunny day out on the plains with a soft summer breeze lazily blowing about, tipping brown prairie grass and the spotty green trees to and fro.

  In the distance, a jeep and a figure riding a horse could be seen racing along, flaring up a trail of dust as they moved across the seemingly boundless stretch of open land.

  A smiling Armos was at the wheel of the clamoring jeep, with Sam, looking determined, riding the hard-running horse. Bobby sat on the passenger side of the jeep with Chaser, an Australian sheepdog, that was perched eagerly between Armos and him. J. R. and another youth sat in the rear of the vehicle. The three youths looked on, wondering what to expect of the ride.

  Sam had a lasso rope mounted on the horse’s saddle horn as he clipped along beside the jeep.

  “How much farther?” Bobby said to Armos.

  “Not too much,” said Armos, “Sam knows where the good ones roam”—Armos gave Chaser a smile—“and Chaser here can sniff ’em out and round ’em up with best of ’em. I need a drink of water.” Armos pointed at the cooler that sat on the floor of the passenger side.

  Bobby reached down and opened the cooler lid and withdrew a khaki-colored U. S. Army edition canteen. He held the canteen up, having never seen anything like it before. J. R. and the youth also gave the canteen a curious look.

  Armos noticed the three youths’ curiosity. “It’s a World War two special,” said Armos, “made for occasions just like this. You know, a man in the field type thing.”

  J. R. and the youth in the rear rolled their eyes, unimpressed. Bobby continued to eye the canteen.

  “Go ahead, Bobby, help yourself,” Armos said with a generous grin.

  Bobby uncapped the canteen and took a drink. He then handed the canteen to Armos who also drank the water. Armos extended the container back to J. R. and the youth. J. R. gave the steel bottle a raspy look.

  “I’ll pass in this lifetime,” J. R. said, and it was an uncomfortable moment for all. Armos held the canteen up for a final offer, then withdrew it slowly.

  “Didn’t mean to offend you,” Armos said with retreat in his voice.

  He handed the canteen back to Bobby who capped it and placed it back into the cooler. Bobby attempted to pretend that all was well. In his heart, however, he felt sympathy for Armos over what he considered a racial slur.

  * * * *

  Armos continued to drive, staring straight ahead, withstanding J. R.’s insult. An insult he had heard many times before in his life, and one he had trained himself to ignore. Armos had made up his mind long ago he would not fall prey to victimhood. Life was what it was, and he would take the high road and let the racists live in their own dismal and ignorant world.

  “Suit yourselves, boys, but it gets mighty dry out here,” Armos said, taking in a brave breath of air. To get through situations like this, Armos would remember the words carved on King Solomon’s ring: “This Too Shall Pass.” And because he knew how to handle himself in these situations, indeed, it always did pass.

  A herd of twenty, or so, wild horses grazed and moved about, socializing in a small, secluded valley with a grassy floor. The horses varied in stock and color.

  High on a ridge above the grazing horses, Armos had parked the jeep, and the boys and he stood beside it and watched the wild animals below. Sam was sitting on his horse nearby as he watched the horses intently. The wind blew softly as the group stared at the animals with silent respect. Chaser sat quietly next to Sam’s horse. He was minding his manners, although his eyes we
re wide with anticipation as he waited for the command he was sure he was born for.

  “Okay, fellas,” Sam said, his voice tight with excitement. “Pay attention and watch the show. And make sure you fasten your seat belts.”

  With that, Sam spurred his horse, and it broke into an instant gallop, down the embankment toward the wild horses below. Armos looked to Chaser who looked back at Armos as anxious as a dog could ever be.

  “Chase ’em, boy!” Armos commanded.

  Chaser took off like a shot down the hillside after the galloping Sam. Armos and the boys quickly climbed into the jeep and buckled themselves in. Armos cranked the motor and steered the bumpy jeep over to the edge of the valley ridge, and down the foursome drove at high rate of speed.

  The wild horses stopped grazing as they heard Sam and the jeep approaching them fast. They glanced about, confused at first. Then they spotted the enemy. They knew what was about to happen, and it caused great alarm. The horses reared, screeching out in a panic. Being taken off guard, they broke into a gallop and ran in every direction.

  Chaser was the first to approach the horses. He began to bark wildly as he fearlessly ran into the middle of the stampeding animals. He ran in a zigzag manner which caused the horses to split up as they scrambled aimlessly about in a cloud of dust. Their hooves pounded the earth with the sound of thunder. They whinnied out in protest at the surprise attack of man and dog.

  In full gallop, Sam moved close to one of the running animals. Sam removed his lasso from his saddle horn and began to whirl it above his head. The motion caused the lasso rope to form a circle. With a mighty thrust, Sam slung the lasso out and in the direction of the wild horse. The rope hit its mark, landing around the horse’s neck and over its wind-blown mane. Sam pulled on the rope, tightening it around the animal’s neck. The pull caused the wild horse to slow a bit, and Sam drew up along its side. Chaser moved to the front of the horse and slowed his run which caused the confused animal to slow even more.

  Bobby looked on, impressed with the entire action that took place. J. R. wore his usual smirk. If he was impressed, he was not about to let it show.

  Armos steered the jeep next to Sam who slowed his horse to a stop. Against its will, the wild horse was forced to do the same. Chaser stopped barking and came to a halt near the front of the nervous animal. Armos stopped the jeep and jumped out. He grabbed the lasso from Sam and quickly tied it to the Jeep’s rear bumper. Sam dismounted his horse.

  Bobby studied the wild horse, Sam, Armos, and the faithful and obedient Chaser. One will never be sure whether J. R. and the youth in the back seat with him had learned anything from what they had just witnessed. But one thing was surely clear to Bobby—clear as a spring raindrop. He saw incredible teamwork the likes of which he had never seen before. Awesome—totally awesome!

  The action continued with the catching of the wild horses. Sam, Armos and the jeep, and the loyal Chaser worked hard repeating the steps of the roundup three more times. After a fashion, Bobby, J. R., and the boy riding with them were instructed to give Armos a hand as they retrieved the captured horses and tied them to the rear of the jeep.

  The roundup was over.

  “Wow,” said Bobby, “that was pretty cool.”

  J. R. gave Bobby a sour look. “C’mon, Shortino. You don’t have to suck up. It was only a few dumb horses that didn’t know where to go.”

  Sam and Armos exchanged a look of displeasure. Sam focused on J. R., extending his lasso rope out to the cynical youth. “You want to give it a try, J. R.?”

  J. R. immediately looked away and stroked his hair in an arrogant manner. “Give me a break! I wouldn’t waste my time. Why do we have to be here anyway?”

  “So you can see what we have to do to keep the wild horse training program afloat,” Sam said in a stern tone.

  J. R. gave Sam a measured look. “You mean if you didn’t catch these horses you’d have to close down the ranch?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean,” said Sam. “We catch ’em, train ’em the best we can to tame ’em down, then the local ranchers buy ’em from us. And that’s a big part of the money we need to keep us going.”

  J. R. contemplated Sam’s claim, his wheels turning for the worst. No horses, no program…and with no program, he would not have to be out here in the middle of nowhere wasting his time with “cowboys.”

  Armos climbed back into the jeep. “Another good thing is, by us rounding up the horses, it keeps the population down, and they don’t have to be shot and killed. When there’s too many of them, they can strip the land of its grass, or starve to death.”

  Bobby listened to Armos and Sam with a look of concern. He could appreciate what the two men were doing for the horses. But he wasn't going to reveal his thoughts as he knew J. R. would use it against him one way or another, and he was tired of J. R.’s carping anyway.

  Suddenly, everyone’s attention was drawn to the loud whine of a distant horse. Everyone looked up on the ridge where they had descended from.

  Atop the ridge stood Rebel. There were several other horses standing behind and around him. Rebel and the others peered down on the men and boys with steadfast defiance. The wind tossed the horses’ manes. Their tails whipped back and forth as though they were angry alley cats about to engage in battle. Perhaps angry that the cowboys had captured their friends.

  Sam walked quickly to the rear of the jeep and grabbed a bound-up lasso rope in the storage compartment. He moved to his horse, attached the lasso to the saddle, and climbed up onto the animal.

  “You sure you want to do this again?” Armos said with a hint of a smile.

  “Yep,” Sam said as he returned the smile. “I’ll see you guys back at the ranch.” Sam pulled up the reins in classic western fashion, spurred his horse and off he went, heading up the grade toward Rebel and the herd.

  Rebel saw Sam coming. He reared on his hind legs and wailed out a healthy neigh of challenge. He lowered his front hooves to the ground, gave out another whinny. It was an order to the other wild horses to turn and run from the threat of Sam.

  At once, and led by Rebel, the horses galloped off and away into the open plains. Sam climbed the hill with full determination and in hot pursuit of the fleeing horses with Chaser running behind.

  Armos, Bobby, J. R., and the boy looked on, a tad confused.

  “Where’s he going?” Bobby asked.

  Armos cracked a smile. “To get Rebel.”

  J. R. shook his head with a sneer. “He ought to get a life!”

  The smile left Armos’ face as he lowered his head, resigned to the fact J. R. would never become a believer in the horse training program. In fact, he thought, J. R. would probably never become a believer in anything positive and would only live to serve himself for better or worse.

  Armos did not like to think negatively about any of the youths he worked with and had tried to help. But J. R. was a repeat offender to his senses, and no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, J. R. continued to validate Armos’ belief that the youth was not ready to take any sort of positive steps that could reform him. At least not in this time or place.

  Chapter 9

  Night had fallen over the ranch with a blanket of light provided by the moon, giving all things shadows. It was quiet with the exception of the chirping crickets and an occasional howling coyote cry from the far away darkness.

  Bobby sat quietly in his darkened room as he looked out the window. He wondered how long the peace and quiet the open country gave, with seemingly no effort, had been around. He had only lived in the scraping noise of the city every day of his life without even imagining there was a place like this. A place where there were no mean streets. No one to harm him—with the exception of J. R. And no one to challenge his very existence.

  Suddenly, Bobby noticed Nina as she walked to a corral fence and looked out over the moonlit prairie land.

  Bobby knew she was looking out for the return of Sam. It was late, a
nd Sam should have been back by now, Bobby thought. He wondered if Sam could really capture Rebel. He had mixed emotions about the horse. In one sense, he would like to have Rebel caught and broken and somehow become his very own horse. But then again, maybe Rebel would be much happier running wild in his own habitat—his own home with freedom galore and no man to answer to.

  Nina continued to lean against the rail of the corral when Bobby appeared and approached her. Nina took in Bobby, a bit surprised and agitated as well.

  “It’s past curfew,” said Nina.

  “Only a little,” Bobby noted as he attempted to dismiss the idea of being out later than he should. “Waiting for Sam?”

  “Now that would not be your business, would it?” Nina said, letting Bobby know she was in charge of her private affairs.

  Bobby smiled, knowing he had caused some mischief by asking. “You and Sam got a thing going, huh?” Bobby said with a tad of mischief in his voice.

  Nina turned and faced Bobby with a measured look. “Go back to your room.”

  Bobby had crossed the line again, and he knew it. But what could he do now? If he went back to his room without another word, he felt he would look stupid somehow. On the other hand, if he opened his mouth again he could get into trouble. And so…

  “It’s no big deal,” Bobby blurted out. “I know how things work, and breaking rules can be cool sometimes.”

  Nina took in Bobby with some pause. She realized Bobby was starving for affection, friendship, camaraderie of any kind. She knew he was sensitive and she would dismiss his comments knowing it was the youth in him speaking and his lack of a normal childhood and the relationships that come with it.

  “Bobby, you’re a smart kid. But you may not know as much as you think. And on the subject of rules, breaking them at your age may seem cool because it’s an easy way out. But in the long run, it’ll trip you up. How do you think you got here? Look, it takes some courage to follow the rules and do the right thing.”