Spirit Horses

by Alan S Evans

  When Tommy returned, Shane was sitting on Sloppy and holding Tory, who was also saddled up. He handed him Tory’s reins, “Mount up.”

  The kid’s eyes opened wide. “I can ride him?”

  “Yep, go ahead and climb on. The best way for you to learn how to put a good foundation on a horse is to ride a well-finished one. Then you will be able to see and feel what it is you’re after.”

  The boy already knew how to properly sit on a horse and displayed some pretty good hands and rein control. One of the things Tommy still needed to learn was how to position a horse for what he was asking it to do.

  Shane started with some instruction that would help Tommy get a better feel for what Tory’s feet were doing underneath him. Then, from atop Sloppy, Shane demonstrated how he could separately control the horse’s hips, ribs, shoulders, and head.

  “In the beginning, we teach our horses how to control all of their different parts individually. Once a horse can do this, we’re able, step-by-step, to break down our maneuvers, much like a dancer learns step-by-step how to put together a complete routine.”

  Tommy couldn’t believe how much control he had on Tory. Soon, Shane had him maneuvering the horse sideways, backing him in circles, and moving into position to open and close gates, all with ease. Shane was extremely impressed with how he absorbed all this in only one lesson. “Okay, bud, I think we better stop now before I overload you with too much information.” Tommy was a natural and, even though Tory had never left a walk, the boy was bubbling over with excitement at what he had learned. Tommy’s enthusiasm brought a smile to Shane’s face. “I’ve shown you some pretty cool stuff today, haven’t I?”

  “Yes sir!”

  “Well, now it’s your turn to show me something pretty cool.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want you to show me a place you think is very special on this reservation. Take me somewhere with incredible scenery—a place where you wouldn‘t normally take a visitor from Tennessee.”

  Tommy thought for a second, then suddenly his face lit up. “I know just the spot.”

  They rode for quite a while and talked about horses, school, and how much the boy liked living on the ranch.

  Tommy asked, “Did you notice, they’re following you again?”

  “Who‘s following me?”

  “The wolves,” Tommy said as he pointed to an opening that ran parallel to the trail. They were now four miles from the ranch and Shane was surprised to see the dogs here.

  “Do they usually follow you away from the ranch?”

  “No sir. They aren’t following me, they’re following you! Maybe they think you’re their ma,” he said with a grin.

  The two rode for at least another hour before arriving at the location Tommy had picked out. What a scene! It was a large, clear pool situated in line with one of the many Alpine streams that flowed through the area. It had a waterfall on the far side of it steadily splashing into the pool, as well as the creek that ran in one end of it and out the other. There were large shade trees scattered about and you could see the majestic mountains in the background.

  “Is this good enough for you?”

  “You did okay, bud.”

  They tethered the horses and decided to go down to the water for a quick cooling swim, before making the long ride back. They stripped down to their skivvies and plunged into the clear, refreshing pond. They’d only been in the water a few minutes when Shane noticed the horses snorting loudly as they pulled back on the reins that were loosely tied to some small trees close by.

  At that moment, Tommy spoke in a high-pitched voice, “Mister Shane, look!” He pointed at a large rock about fifty yards behind the horses. There, crouched down in a stalking position, was a full-grown mountain lion. Just then, the two horses broke away from the saplings and took off in a panic.

  “Oh, shit,” Shane hollered, as the cat jumped off his perch in hot pursuit. Shane had brought a rifle, but it was in his scabbard on Tory, who was now running for his life. Tommy and Shane began to yell and splash, trying to break the cougar’s charge at the horses. A helpless feeling came over Shane as he watched his two horses inadvertently corner themselves against a rock wall near the pond. The cougar had slowed his approach and was moving in for a kill.

  All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the two wolves came leaping down off the six-foot-high rock wall. They positioned themselves between the horses and the big cat, snarling and baring their fangs. Shane watched in disbelief as the two dogs attacked the cougar, who wasn’t about to give up his dinner easily. It was a vicious battle, but the dogs had the cat outnumbered and worked well as a team. The three moved around fighting for several minutes. Finally the cougar decided he’d had enough and ran off in defeat. The brother wolves were victorious, but both had cuts and were bloody from head to toe. As Shane and Tommy jumped out of the pond to catch the terrified horses, the tired dogs sorely eased down to the pool for a drink.

  Shane gave the horses to Tommy and gestured to him to let them get a drink also. The boy watched, in amazement, as Shane walked right up to the wolves that were lying down, catching their breath next to the creek. He leaned down between the two, with each of them only a couple feet away. “I owe you guys one,” he told them, as he looked closer and saw their injuries weren’t too severe. “When we get home, you’re each getting a big steak.” Then he stood up, still in only his undershorts, and walked back to get dressed for the ride home.

  “That cougar must have been awfully hungry,” Tommy exclaimed, as they were mounting up.

  “Well, I think the dogs taught it a lesson. I doubt it’ll try that again,” Shane replied.

  The wolves stayed closer to Shane and Tommy on the way home. “We need to come up with some names for ’em,” Shane said, as they rode.

  “Yes sir, no one around the ranch has given them names, but I think they deserve them now. And since they think you’re their ma, you should be the one to do it.”

  “Very funny,” Shane said, as they approached the entrance to the ranch.

  Before Shane ate his dinner, he did as he had promised. He thawed out two sirloins for the wolves. When he walked out onto the porch, he was surprised to see the two lying there. He set down the steaks with a bowl of water and then relaxed in the old rocker next to his front door. The dogs wasted no time in gobbling up the meat. After finishing their meal, they lay down only a few feet from Shane’s chair, keeping just out of reach.

  “What am I going to call you guys?” Both of the pups perked up their ears. “You two are always sneaking around like a couple of outlaws, so I think I’ll call you,” while he pointed to the black and brown one first, “Butch. That’s short for Butch Cassidy. And you,” he pointed to the gray one, “I’ll call you, Jessie. That’s short for Jessie James. Those were two famous outlaws from the Old West,” he told them. The two wolf dogs cocked their heads and looked at him like he was crazy. But Shane took it as though they were pleased with their new names. He laughed at the curious look they had given him and then went inside.

  The next couple of mornings Shane and Tommy worked hard with Tommy’s three young horses. The two geldings were doing well under saddle. Tommy was doing most of the riding, but when it appeared that he might be getting in over his head, Shane would climb on the horses and demonstrate for him what he needed to do.

  Although both of the geldings were coming along nicely, the Appaloosa mare was much more complicated. She was smart, but her mistrust of humans made it difficult to get her confidence. Without confidence, her insecurities made her dangerous. She was quick and athletic, which are great things to have in a horse when they’re working for you, but bad if she used them against you. One nice thing about her was that she wasn’t aggressive. She was dangerous only because of what she was capable of doing to a person if she felt threatened. Shane knew from experience, once they got her trust, she would make a nice horse. He also knew she would need someone with his skills and experience to get her going in t
he right

  direction. He would have to do the foundation work with this one before Tommy could deal with her.

  Every day, after they finished with the three young horses, Shane would put Tommy on Tory or Sloppy for riding lessons. The boy was learning every day how many buttons and how much control a rider can have with a well-trained horse. Tommy was taking to all this like a fish to water, and Shane enjoyed watching his progress, as much as Tommy enjoyed the instruction.

  Most of the Indians at the ranch tried to be inconspicuous as they watched the sessions progress. They still didn’t talk to him much. However, some of them began waving as they walked past him on his porch in the evenings.

  The two dogs were now spending every night on Shane’s porch. He would sit in his chair and talk to them at the end of the day. Butch would now let Shane gently scratch him on top of his head, but that was all. Jessie would only stretch out his neck to take food from Shane’s hand without any contact. Shane was careful not to force the issue, and the dogs seemed to be slowly gaining confidence in him. Soon Tommy had all the Indians joking about Shane being the pup’s ma. Tigee seemed to get a kick out of how the dogs had taken to Shane.

  One day he remarked. “I was right about you.” When Shane asked him what he meant, Tigee just smiled and said, “I knew you were different,” as he turned and walked away.

  The week had flown by, and Shane was looking forward to his trip back out to the river to check on the herd. He was supposed to meet Hawk and Johnny Badger on Sunday morning.

  It was Friday, and Tommy had plans with his mom today, so the two geldings and the Appaloosa mare were getting the day off from their training. Shane decided to pack a lunch and take Sloppy out for a long ride to check out the countryside. He knew it was important to keep the mustang in good condition, so she could keep up with the herd when he set her free.

  It was a pleasant morning for a long ride, and since he was able to get an early start, he decided to head northwest toward the stream with the large pool that Tommy had shown him. The two wolf-dogs weren’t anywhere to be seen this morning. Hopefully, they’ll pick up my trail and catch up with me later on, he figured. Their company would be a welcome comfort. He made sure his rifle was loaded before he packed it on his saddle.

  The first part of the six-mile ride took him through some open country in the foothills. He noticed a herd of elk grazing in a low area and spooked a couple of mule deer farther up the trail. Sloppy perked up her ears and began getting anxious as they approached some large pines near the edge of a forest. Shane moved her to a high area and pulled out his binoculars to see if he could spot what was worrying her. He scanned the edge of the woods and quickly caught sight of a large grizzly and her two cubs moving east along the tree line.

  “Easy girl,” he told her, “you’re okay. They’re moving away from us.”

  Shane smiled. It felt good to see nature untamed like this. He once again found himself wishing he could have shown this country to Jacob and Tina, but he quickly put the thought out of his mind. The bears stayed on the other side of the hill, and the mare finally relaxed as Shane rode her into the woods.

  There were large spruce and fir trees scattered everywhere. The rolling hills added to the beauty, and the woods became thicker as he rode on. The air was fresh and crisp, while the popping in his ears told him he was gradually riding toward a higher elevation. Soon, he could hear the sound of running water, and it wasn’t long before he saw the creek’s edge. He knew from here the pool was only about a half mile up the narrow stream.

  Two more mule deer having their morning drink jumped into the brush, disappearing in a flash. He looked up and saw a bald eagle circling high above him. It was a large male with his distinct white head and tail feathers making him easy to identify. The eagle was probably looking for a trout in the pool just ahead. Shane had to ride away from the stream’s edge to get around a thick area of brush and young saplings that bordered the creek. He knew when he made it around this thick patch, he would be able to see his destination.

  He was about halfway down a small hill when he rounded the thicket and caught sight of the waterfall. The relaxing sound of rushing water made this picture even more serene. He stopped his mare and took a deep breath of the clean mountain air while he stared at this amazing place and soaked it all in.

  It was then that he noticed the outline of a horse tied to a small tree next to the stream. Shane looked through his binoculars and, to his surprise, saw a woman move from behind the waterfall and dive into the pool. As she climbed out of the water, Shane realized she was an Indian who was wearing very little. He slowly dropped his binoculars, feeling a little embarrassed for looking so long. He knew he should leave and also knew he shouldn’t have another glance, but the truth was he found himself totally entranced by this young native woman in her element.

  Her skin was light bronze, and her hair was long and jet black. Her figure was sleek and athletic. She wore only a dark halter top with black panties, which were pulled up high on her waist. This only complemented the curves of her trim, shapely body. Shane again made an effort to put the glasses away, but he was captivated. He felt like a guy he’d seen in a comedy, who had a devil sitting on one shoulder telling him to look, while an angel sat on the other, shaking her finger at him. For now, the devil was winning, so he hastily raised the binocs for one last glimpse before he left. The young woman dove into the pool and then walked up a narrow rock slope by the edge. Her legs were lean and muscular and flexed in good condition when she walked out of the glistening water. The girl was now standing with her back to Shane as she reached behind and squeezed the dripping wet out of her long black hair. Shane breathed deeply and swallowed the lump in his throat while the guilt started to get to him again.

  He was about to stop looking, when the woman turned and for the first time her face came into view. She couldn’t see him, but Shane realized immediately it was Tara. Her beautiful native features only helped to accentuate her alluring physique, and Shane felt ashamed and infatuated all at the same time. Seeing her like this, stirred up feelings that had been shut down in him since the loss of his wife almost two years ago. Shane thought this part of him was lost and gone forever and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. However, out of respect for Tara, he decided he should leave now.

  He quietly got up on his horse, slowly backed her into the shadows, and then turned the mare around and rode toward home.

  Chapter 12

  On the ride back, he could not get the image of Tara out of his mind. She was like a song that was stuck in his head. Shane smiled and thought to himself, “It’s good to feel like a man again.”

  He was less than halfway home when he looked back and noticed Butch and Jessie trotting behind. “I swear, you two are like ghosts the way you sneak around!” There’s no telling how long they’d been following, but he was glad for their company.

  The comfortable morning temperature had slipped away and now the heat of the afternoon was beginning to wear on Sloppy. Noticing the white lather beginning to appear on her neck, Shane decided to stop and rest the horse. They were halfway home at this point and had already traveled a good ten miles since he left the ranch. He had stopped before he left the creek’s edge so Sloppy could have a drink, but he didn’t stay there long. To be honest, he was worried about Tara riding up on him after her swim and he was still feeling awkward about watching her.

  The two wolves were also in need of a break and quickly found the shade of an old cedar tree to lie under. Shane noticed a bowl-shaped rock near where they had settled and poured them some water from his canteen. He felt privileged they had accepted him, and figured, someday, he would try to return to check on them and the mare. “It’s a nice thought anyway,” he mumbled.

  Suddenly, a loud snort from Sloppy, who was merely clearing her nostrils, moved Shane’s attention over to her. The sight of the little mare standing in the shade triggered a memory of a forgotten afternoon with his kids. He’d been givin
g Jacob and Tina a riding lesson on Sloppy and recalled how proud he felt watching them ride. After directing them to take the mare into the barn to unsaddle her, he worked another young horse nearby.

  Tina climbed on a bucket so she could reach the mare’s back with her brush, but slipped and hit her head on the floor.

  Jacob ran outside and yelled, “Dad, Tina fell and she’s hurt!” He remembered running to the barn to find Sloppy gently sniffing her as she lay, crying.

  “Come here, baby girl,” Shane crooned, as he picked her up. Tina quickly latched onto her daddy, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “Shhhh, you’re okay. With that hard head of yours, I’m a little worried about my barn floor, though.” Tina cracked a grin as Shane gently pulled her off and looked into her eyes, “I’ve told you a hundred times, you have to be tough to be a horsewoman.”

  Tina, now with a tearful laugh, playfully slapped his chest, “Quit it, Daddy!” During all of this, Sloppy never stopped nuzzling her.

  Shane sat quietly in the shade next to the dogs, and wiped away some moisture that had sneaked out of his eyes. Looking over at Sloppy, it began to sink in how much he would really miss the little mare when he finally did set her free. But, before he could even consider letting her go, he’d have to figure out some way to help sort out the problems concerning the herd’s safety. Whatever those idiots from town were up to must be wrong, and Shane was determined to get to the bottom of it so he could stop them.

  As he rode onto the ranch, he noticed a familiar truck parked in front of Tigee’s, and he saw Mr. and Mrs. Jensen sitting on the front porch.

  “Hey, stranger,” Mr. Jensen said as Shane rode up to the house and greeted them. Both of the dogs had stolen out of sight. Shane stepped down off his saddle just as Mrs. Jensen came out to greet him with a hug. Mr. Jensen followed with a strong, friendly handshake.

  It was Mrs. Jensen who spoke first, “Your friend, Mr. Tigee, says you’ve been pretty busy out here helping with some young horses. I told him you were definitely the right man for the job. I hope you don’t mind that I told him a little bit about your credentials.” Shane shrugged his shoulders.