Pony Dreams

by K. C. Sprayberry

  Holy heck! Promises sure bother a person's conscience.

  Left with no other choice, since I had to spend time with Blaze before he left, I crept into the bunkhouse. Uncle Andy snorted and rolled over as soon as I walked in. He slept beside Mark and across from Peter and Paul. Taking care not to disturb anyone, I tiptoed past Charles and Bart, and then knelt beside Adam's bed and put a hand over his mouth.

  His eyes flew open. I felt his lips moving into a smile. He moved my hand.

  “Meet me on the front porch,” he whispered.

  I made it outside without rousing anyone else and leaned against the railing. He eased out the door a few minutes later.

  “I figured you'd come get me a lot sooner than this,” he said.

  “You're taking this bunch to a station soon.” I moved toward the corral. “Right?”

  “Tomorrow or the day after.” He walked beside me. “It depends on how Bart and I do hunting up more ponies today.”

  “Well, I figured it was time to tell Blaze goodbye,” I said as we stopped outside the corral. “I don't need to ride him, just explain how he won't see me anymore.”

  My heart cracking, I climbed onto the bottom rail, leaned forward, and held out my hand. Blaze trotted over and nuzzled my fingers.

  “Remember how I told you that you had a very important job?” I asked.

  He nodded, and then he shook his head, causing his mane to fly in the breeze.

  “Well, you have to do that tomorrow or the day after.” My voice cracked as tears threatened to spill down my cheeks. “I don't want you to miss me 'cause those riders really need your help delivering the mail.”

  Before I made a total fool of myself, I climbed off the fence and walked toward the house. Adam jerked me around before I had taken ten steps.

  “Say the word, and I'll tell Pa we're keeping Blaze,” he said. “Abby, you love that horse. Don't give him up.”

  “I made a promise.”

  “It was a stupid promise.” He picked me up and walked into the corral. “At least let him give you one more ride before he leaves.”

  His whistle brought Blaze in seconds. Adam put me on the horse. I held onto the mane while Blaze trotted around the corral. The cool air dried my tears. A smile raised my spirits as I rode him. Just as light broke through the eastern sky, I slid off his back and ran to the house.

  Hearing his whinnies only made me run faster. By the time I reached the kitchen, I had to gulp back tears so I could start breakfast. I had coffee perking and biscuits baking when Adam came in with milk and eggs. He set the egg basket on the counter and poured milk into pitchers as I put sausage patties in a skillet.

  “I don't know who's more upset, you or the horse,” he said. “Will you please stop being so stubborn?”

  I shook my head and cracked eggs into a large bowl.

  “All right, have it your way,” he said. “Can you put some food on the table for Bart and me? We have to leave soon.”

  “Yes.” I glanced at him. “I couldn't keep Blaze even if I wanted to.”

  “Why not?”

  “You once told me breaking a promise is like telling a lie,” I said. “I promised he'd help The Pony.”

  “I give up.” Adam stormed out of the kitchen, almost knocking into Ma as she came in. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her. I sure can't.”

  While I put the eggs into a second skillet and stirred them, she pulled out the biscuits and turned the sausages.

  “Did Adam catch you in the corral?” she asked.

  “No, ma'am,” I said while fixing plates for Bart and Adam. “He just doesn't understand how I feel about something. It's not important.”

  I would never tell anyone how important it was. Blaze had to go to The Pony, just like I had to accept my family had lied because they loved me. When Adam and Bart came into the room, they ate at the counter while the rest of the family began our morning routine.

  As we sat at the table, they gulped one more cup of coffee and then left. To keep everyone else from suspecting how I felt, I dug into my food. The sound of horses' hooves had barely faded when Pa glanced at the rest of us. I squirmed in my seat as his mouth twitched after his gaze settled on me.

  “Boys, you'll spend most of the day in the training ring, but I'm not sure about your sister. Charles, keep an eye on her when she's out there later,” he said.

  Relief ran through me. I would get a chance to train the horses.

  “If I think she's ready to return to training horses.” Pa pinned me in place with a steely gaze. “Don't daydream again. I won't tolerate it. Now, get about your chores and take care of the animals.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said.

  He walked out of the room with an unsteady gait. As I cleaned the kitchen, worry ran through me. It felt wrong to see Pa sitting on the sofa, talking to Uncle Andy, while everyone else worked. My pa was always the first out the door in the morning and the last one into his bed at night. Whatever happened in Carson City had the strangest effect on him. Every time he walked, it looked like someone had attached strings to his legs and arms, making them move with a jerking motion.

  I washed the dishes while the worries ran in circles through my mind. Mark dried them, and put them on the shelves behind the table. When more tears ran down my face, I ducked my head.

  “It'll turn out right.” He rubbed my shoulders. “Just you wait. In a few weeks, Pa will be out there with the rest of us. Now, hurry up. We still have to take care of the horses.”

  “Not today,” Ma said from the doorway. “Your pa and I decided that since Peter and Paul are able to work with the mustangs, Abigail will take care of the chickens and garden.”

  “It's not fair!” I shouted.

  The stern look on her face stayed the rest of my comment. I threw the dishtowel on the counter and stomped out of the house. Inside the coop, I fed the birds, replaced their water, and swept the floor while dreaming about having my own mustang ranch.

  “Just all of you wait,” I muttered. “No one will tell me I can't work with horses. I'll make all of you look like idiots when The Pony Express gives me their contract.”

  A shout from the corral distracted me.

  “You sure looked right funny turning head over heels, Peter,” Mark hollered. “Get back on that horse.”

  I spun around in time to catch a glimpse of Peter dusting his britches with his hat before remounting. The others laughed and kidded him until he had his seat again.

  Slamming the tin pan into the feed trough, I stomped to the gate.

  Holy heck! It just isn't fair. I had to stay in bed for two whole days while everyone teased me, but Peter gets to keep riding.

  Downcast, I walked to the garden. The whole time I kept my eyes on the ground, so I wouldn't have to look at my brothers, but their gleeful shouts made me even more angry. I knelt in front of a row of carrots and pulled weeds. It was dry, making the bits of grass hard to jerk out. After yanking out a couple of stunted carrots, I threw them at the nearby cows.

  “Come on, Charles,” Mark hollered. “You don't have all day to get on his back.”

  “I'm trying, but Abby's way doesn't work.”

  Charles' answer infuriated me even more. What were they doing wrong?

  As I stood to wander in that direction, Ma shouted, “Abigail, where are you? I need help with the washing.”

  “Daggum,” I swore under my breath. “Can't a girl catch a break?”

  Glancing over both shoulders, I made certain no one had heard me use the forbidden word. I could make trouble for Mark by reporting how much he used it when milking, or Charles when splitting wood infuriated him. Adam sure used it a lot when he checked for sidewinders or scorpions near the animals. Even Peter and Paul swore quite a bit when our parents weren't around.

  A smile crept across my face as I skipped back to the house. I had discovered a way to trick them into letting me have my way.

  Nah. They'd just laugh and tattle to Ma.

  She shoved a bask
et containing pants and shirts into my arms. I lugged it over to the rope strung between two tall posts, and then I hung up the clothing. With sweat rolling down my face, I went from boring chore to boring chore.

  A day had never taken so long to end. Even Adam and Bart's reappearance before supper, dirty and sweaty, failed to cheer me. Here I was, stuck with all the chores and no chance to have any fun, and they had spent the whole day in the saddle.

  The evening meal passed in an almost unnatural silence. Even the usual noises from outside seemed muted inside the house. The scrape of flatware against plates sounded strangely out of place as everyone made short work of the simple supper of beet soup, cornbread, and sausages. Ma hadn't even made much of a dessert, just boiled fruit with sugar.

  I rose to clear the table. Pa shook his head.

  “Sit down, Abby. Boys, stay here. We need to talk.”

  Ma and Uncle Andy cleared away the remains of the meal and washed up. Pa cleared his throat a couple of times and stared at his hands.

  “I won't be working with the horses for a while, if ever,” he said. “Whatever made me sick damaged my arms and legs. Andy wants to see if he can figure it out, but the plain truth is that I can't walk without help.”

  “I'm sure Uncle Andy will find a way to make you better,” Adam said.

  Pa held up his hand. “I can't ignore it too long, not with our obligation to The Pony Express.”

  “What will we do?” Peter asked. “We have to deliver the horses.”

  “You boys are doing a wonderful job training them. Even Abigail helped when we needed it. So ... I think this is the best solution.”

  My feet bounced under the table. What was he planning? Would he let me back on a horse, or would he condemn me to a lifetime of listening to my brothers having fun while doing their work?

  “Adam you're in charge of the contract,” Pa said. “Bart's your assistant. The rest of you will work in groups under either Adam or Bart's direction.”

  Does Pa mean me?

  The thought made me happy as I glanced at my brothers. Why did they look like someone had cancelled their birthdays? This was good news.

  Chapter Seventeen

  From one end of the table to the other, my brothers stared at the polished surface with gloomy expressions.

  “It's not the end of the world,” Pa said.

  Adam raised his head. The sorrow in his eyes nearly made me run out of the room, so I wouldn't hear what he said.

  “It's not right. You love working with the horses,” he said.

  It finally dawned on me what had them so worried. Pa would break ponies again. My brothers were such silly fools.

  “This is the only way I know how to keep my promise,” he said.

  “Enough of this gloom.” Ma bustled around the table, swiping away crumbs. “There's no use worrying about what might be.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” I said.

  When no one else responded, I kicked Charles. He jumped and added his reply. One by one, the others gave sad sounding responses.

  “Louisa, I don't know about you, but I think I'll step outside for a breath of fresh air,” Uncle Andy said. “It's a right purty night. If you don't watch out, winter will catch you soon.”

  Pa laughed. Although not as robust as he usually sounded, the merriment lifted my nervousness, and my earlier happiness returned.

  “Absolutely right, Andy,” he said. “Louisa and I don't take enough time to enjoy a starry night. Go on, I'll join you in a few minutes.”

  He nodded at the porch, and Ma walked out with Uncle Andy. After they closed the door, Pa gazed at my brothers and me.

  “It's about time I confronted Horace Johnson,” he said. “He's got a few things to explain about this sickness.”

  “Wait for the sheriff to stop by, or we can talk to Captain Smith at the Army post when we deliver the next batch of horses,” Mark said. “They might be able to do something.”

  Bart leaned forward on his elbows. “Maybe if a couple of us rode over there and explained how they should stay at their place, he would ... I don't know, but maybe Mr. Johnson would keep his boys close to home.”

  Horror seeped through me. None of the Johnsons cared about what anyone else thought. What if they came over more often? What if they stole me away from my family?

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Pa said. “Sure is tiring how the Johnsons always show up whenever they feel like it.”

  Peter and Paul opened their mouths at the same time. I shook my head. With evil grins announcing their intent, they turned away from me.

  Holy heck! How did the troublemakers learn about what happened at the corral?

  Just when I began to believe Pa would have a reason to go after the Johnsons, Adam tapped their hands.

  “I was just gonna say how the runt shouldn't go on a long ride yet,” Paul said.

  “Yeah, after she got thrown and all. She might get hurt on the trail,” Peter commented.

  “Maybe the two of you should stay at home until you learn you don't take food from someone you don't trust,” Pa said.

  Their gleeful expressions faded. The troublemakers muttered they had already learned their lesson.

  “Sure sounds like they've changed their minds,” Bart said.

  “Apologize.” Charles glared at Peter and Paul.

  “We're sorry,” they chorused.

  I heaved a huge sigh of relief, but it caught in my chest when Adam glanced at me. Misery and guilt radiated from him.

  Oh, holy heck! Don't let him confess. Please, God, don't let Adam tell Pa!

  Next to Pa, Adam's suggestions were the hardest law around our ranch.

  “I don't think Abby should spend much time outside alone,” he said.

  How dare he? This was beyond humiliating. I glared at him. Before I could scoot down in my chair and kick him, Uncle Andy and Ma strolled through the back door.

  “Those pots won't wait all night,” she said. “Adam, was there a problem you didn't mention?”

  Oh! No! No! No! I screamed silently. Don't ruin my only chance to visit a station. Please, Adam, don't do it.

  As if he had heard my silent plea, he said, “No, ma'am, but the kid doesn't always pay attention when she's around the horses.”

  “Abigail was right earlier. She's not a baby anymore,” Pa said. “If she and your ma are willing, I won't object.”

  Ma smiled at me, and Uncle Andy winked. Whatever Pa had planned, they agreed. I released a breath I had held since Adam glanced at me.

  “Adam, I want you to work with Charles, Mark, and Abby. Make sure your sister doesn't take on too much trying to prove she's as good as the rest of you. Abigail, your mother wants to have a long discussion with you about what we expect.”

  “Yes, Pa,” I said.

  He had finally made it official. I get to train the horses for The Pony Express!

  Lowering my eyes, I peeked at Ma through my lashes. She and Uncle Andy talked in furious whispers as they dried the pots.

  “Bart, I realize you have Peter and Paul to oversee, but it's no more than Adam will be taking on with Abigail. You two.” Pa's finger pointing at them speared Peter and Paul in place when they squirmed with pleasure. “I don't want to hear about you pushing your chores off on your sister again. She isn't your servant. You'll do what I tell you, or I'll take care of you. I'm not so sick that I can't discipline a wayward child.”

  Their excited wiggling disappeared as they straightened. I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue. It would only get me in trouble, and I had just decided to do everything anyone asked of me, so Adam would never have a reason to ban me from the corral.

  “Now, for the most important part of this announcement,” Pa said.

  Everyone leaned forward. Ma and Uncle Andy stood behind me and grasped the back of my chair.

  “Each team will search out their own mustangs and train them. Adam, your group will deliver what we've already broken tomorrow,” Pa said. “Bart, your group will train the
ones you boys brought back today. That way, we can provide what The Pony Express wants, and the ranch will always have someone on hand to take care of our needs.”

  I hardly dared to breathe. Pa hadn't said I wasn't going on the deliveries. Did that mean I would have the chance to see The Pony Express riders in action? Would I actually meet one of them? What would those men say when they discovered a girl had trained their mounts? Would they even have time to talk to me?

  “It's time to finish your chores. Mark, continue working with Abigail. We've put quite a bit on your sister, and I mean to see it stop,” Ma said. “Adam, if you'll oversee Peter and Paul in the chicken coop, I'd appreciate it. Bart and Charles, we need more wood in the lean to.”

  “Yes, Ma,” everyone said.

  “Adam, see me in the gun room when you're finished,” Pa said.

  After Mark and I finished cleaning the kitchen, Ma took me into her bedroom and closed the door.

  “Most girls don't ever get to do anything like this.” She pointed at two pairs of pants on the bed. “Those are what you'll wear when you're working with the horses.”

  “Yes, ma'am,” I said, figuring she meant for me to wear one of the plain blouses I had for when I put on a skirt.

  “There's no place for a girl to stay apart from the men at the stations, and that worries me. Your pa will talk to Adam about taking care of you while you're on the trail, but I'm here to tell you how to keep anyone from noticing you're a girl.”

  Heat fired up my cheeks. I didn't look like a girl when I wore pants. Why did she have to bring this up now? In spite of not understanding, I listened carefully as she spoke about keeping my hat on and my mouth closed.

  “From what your pa says, The Pony riders are respectful, but I don't want you taking any chances. Don't make them notice you, or you'll never ride off this ranch again. Do you understand?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma'am,” I answered.

  Inside, I leapt and cavorted around the room. How much better could this get? I couldn't wait for the excitement of the long ride.