“The train wired ahead, you’re early” he said admiringly. People never were on time and she was early, who’d of thought?
Maggie subsided into silence since she could see how difficult it would be to carry on a conversation over the cart. Besides she had to keep the horses under control.
That many horses attract attention. That many black horses attract a lot of attention. They were nervous, excited, and a little shy as they began to feel the release after being cooped up for so many days and nights. Their coats shined in the sunlight as they trotted and walked, trotted and walked, showing off a little. It was very slow following the cart and Maggie wished they would hurry up but the nag pulling the cart had only one pace, plodding.
It took a while to get across Columbus and to the fairgrounds where large tents were set up and there were people everywhere. Perry led her to a non-descript tent before having the cart stop and climbing down. “Wait here” he called to her as Maggie looked around.
There were people all over doing all sorts of things, setting up other tents, practicing acts from what she could see. Many looked at her just as curiously.
“Maggie O’Malley!” Cecil called as he came from the tent Perry had gone into.
She smiled as she slipped off of Sampson to shake his hand.
“How was the trip?” he asked.
“Long” she said with a grin.
“Yes, I heard it was delayed, I was so hoping to meet you at the depot but I was needed here to set up. You got here early, that speaks well of you!” he complimented her. “Let me show you the tent we have for you and your horses and the temporary paddock for them, I’m sure they want to run about after being cooped up for so long.”
Perry climbed up on the cart again and directed the driver ahead of Maggie and Cecil as they walked along. Maggie led Sampson and two horses were tied behind him, two behind them, and so on until the whole dozen came along. They made their own procession.
“You’ll be responsible for the gear we bought, keeping it in good condition, letting me know what might need replacing if anything gets broken but we have those feathers and other nick knacks ready for the dears” Cecil was telling her.
They came to one of the permanent buildings on the fairgrounds where a small tent was set up next to a large paddock with overgrown grass inside it.
“I thought they could earn their keep by mowing it down for us” Cecil joked.
The cart stopped and Perry got down to join them.
“Now Perry can introduce you to some of the clowns who can help you get your horses settled in and show you around.”
Maggie nodded wondering when they would want her and her horses to perform.
“I found someone to work with you, I’ll send her over later so she can get used to the horses and you two can work on your act” Cecil told her. “If there is anything you need, you just ask Perry and we will see what we can do. I’ve got to go attend to a million things, my brother and father will be around to introduce themselves.”
Maggie was a bit overwhelmed in the unfamiliar surroundings but her babies came first so she went to get them settled putting them in the paddock as Perry held open the gate. She took the halters off them and gave each a slap on the rump as she freed them into the paddock. They ran off a few steps and turned to watch as she released another horse and then another until all of them except for Sampson were in the overgrown paddock. She quickly stripped her saddle and gear from his back and took off his halter as well before walking with him to the gate and releasing him.
“Where do you want this?” the old man who had driven the cart asked her.
Maggie looked at Perry who shrugged and she glanced around noticing an overhang that would be out of the rain should it come again and pointed. In no time at all the three of them had the cart unloaded and the hay and grain stored. Maggie kept looking at her herd to make sure they were settling in okay and saw them exploring the unfamiliar place and nibbling at the overgrown grass. They were watching her too as well as the activity and unfamiliar noises going on all around them.
“Would you like a tour?” Perry offered after they were finished and the cart and man gone.
“I suppose so” Maggie said feeling a little intimidated. There were so many people here, more than her town she had grown up in and all so very busy.
“Ah, don’t be like that, we are just one big family” he assured her.
He was right, everyone while peculiar to look at, some in very fancy costumes, very unusual poses as they practiced for tonight’s shows, were welcoming. Many made overtures of friendship immediately. They had heard about her and while not the only new act in the show they were curious about her and willing to help her out to get comfortable.
“You come see me honey if you want makeup on that pretty face of yours for the show” one offered.
“I saw your horses and wow they are a beautiful bunch” another complimented her.
Compliments about her horses she could handle, the ones about herself made her a little uncomfortable. The people were honest and open and few had personalities she wouldn’t like. Most had come across as family members and she relaxed in that way towards them even if she could never remember all their names.
“See honey, we are just one wild and wooly family” Perry assured her as he introduced her to his fellow clowns some of whom were already in makeup. Some were midgets such as himself, some were fat, some were skinny, and they all made her feel welcome.
She laughed as they teased her and found out that they did much more than make people laugh; many of them were hard workers behind the scenes or roustabouts and set up many of the side shows that people flocked to.
It was as she was returning to her paddock and tent that a man came running up “Are you Maggie O’Malley?” he asked breathlessly.
“Yes?” she asked alarmed.
“I’m Carlton Bigelow and I need you to come with me now!” he told her importantly.
She was surprised but she nodded and found herself following him. Feathers had got up at seeing her approaching the paddock where he lay in the shade but she signaled him to stay where he was.
He led her to an important looking tent and following him in she found Cecil inside with a much older man that could only be their father.
“Hello Maggie” Cecil said to her warmly holding out his hand to shake “have you settled in okay, are the horses okay?”
“I’m settling in, Perry showed me around” she didn’t mention the horses because she hadn’t had a chance to go back and see them.
“Do you think you might be up to showing them off tonight?” Cecil asked worriedly.
“Wow, you don’t wait around do you?” she asked surprised.
“Well our elephants are sick and we aren’t certain they can perform tonight, do you think you can come up with something for tonight?”
“I could run them through our games” she began hesitatingly as she glanced between the three men who were looking at her intently, one of which she hadn’t been introduced to yet. “But the things you and I discussed I’m not ready for yet…”
“That’s fine, I’m sure that will work out wonderfully, you just need to fill a fifteen to twenty minute time slot.”
Maggie blinked at the idea; she had never timed their playing together so she had no idea if she could ‘fill’ that much time.
“She’ll have to wear something else” the older man said dryly.
“We have something we can pretty her up with” Carlton said as they appraised her.
Cecil could see that the conversation about her instead with her was making her uncomfortable. He didn’t want his ‘country bumpkin’ to balk at their plans. “How about we give her a tuxedo like the Ringmaster?”
“Charlie won’t like that, he’s used to running the show” Carlton put in as he looked at the woman and imagined her in the garb that Cecil was suggesting. It would be better than the dungarees and button down shirt she was wearing now.
“Charlie isn’t going to be running these horses, she is” Cecil thumbed at her. “She hasn’t seen the elephant, let’s ease her in gently.”
See the elephant? Maggie wasn’t thrilled to be talked about and over in front of her and what did seeing the elephant have to do with her performing in a tuxedo?
“Well find her something in time, we need to give them their monies worth!” the older man barked.
“I’ll take care of it” Cecil assured him and taking Maggie by the elbow he escorted her out but not without noticing that Carlton watched him speculatively as they went. Mentally he rolled his eyes, just what he needed.
Maggie pulled her elbow from his grip outside the tent “what was that about? I just got here, early I might add considering you weren’t expecting me for a few days.”
Cecil sighed; she didn’t understand the nature of show business. “Our elephant act, one of our biggest draws may not be able to perform, we need something special, something splashy, and as you are here, I hope you will take its place.” He didn’t tell her she had no choice, if she didn’t perform his father wouldn’t hesitate to tear up her contract. This was business; this was big business for all of them involved. They needed the money that each show could generate and without one of their main attractions they would lose business.
“Well I suppose I could run them through their paces…” she mused. “I don’t want to wear one of those frilly outfits though that we discussed!”
Cecil smiled delighted at her acquiescence; she would get the hang of things. “I think the tuxedo idea a much better one anyway” as he started walking with her towards her tent and corral.
“What’s this about me seeing the elephants?” she asked him.
Cecil laughed delightedly. “Seeing the elephant means you have seen everything there is to see, I was pointing out to my brother and father that you were still new at this.”
Maggie shook her head, there was a lot to learn about this circus business and she didn’t know there would be a whole new language involved. She laughed at the image of going to see the poor ill elephants that she had thought she would have to do. “What about the girl you were going to hire?” she asked.
“Martha is…” he hesitated on how to explain exactly. “Martha is a little under the weather” he said as diplomatically as he could. How to explain to this backwoods country bumpkin that his brother had gotten her drunk and her hangover was so bad that she couldn’t get up this morning, much less this afternoon, or evening, she was going to be a failure but his brother had wanted her for the show and what Carlton wanted, Carlton got.
The circus people were amazing, not only did they come up with a costume for her to wear but they made it fit well. Perry introduced her to some of the performers who were accomplished seamstresses and they made it look perfect for her. Maggie found herself wearing a suit, a tuxedo suit, right down to the bow tie and top hat. She knew the horses would think her dressed odd and she made sure she stood by the corral so they could all smell her and see her and know that this was their beloved Maggie. They didn’t seem nervous at all, Maggie had butterflies playing leap frog in her empty stomach.
“You don’t want to eat until after the performance” Perry assured her.
Maggie didn’t want to eat, she didn’t want to perform either, she thought perhaps if she had been able to see the others and what they expected of her but Cecil had assured her, play with the horses and the crowds would be happy.
“It’s time” Cecil came to tell her, “Which ones are you taking in the arena?”
“Which ones?” she repeated dully not sure she was ready for this.
“Yes, which ones are going in the arena, which ones are you leaving here?” he eyed the herd of massive black beasts warily as they watched him with their intense eyes in the fading night light.
“Um, I’m not” she told him.
“You’re not what?” he asked wondering if she was going to back out. This created a problem, a big problem for them all if she didn’t perform.
“I’m not leaving any of them” she told him.
“You’re taking ALL of them?” he asked incredulously wondering if that perhaps was a bad idea. That many horses and it was obvious none of them had halters or halters on them at this point. It could create a problem if they were out of control.
Maggie nodded not sure if this was a problem or what he was getting at, she just wanted to get up on Sampson and soothe her nerves. Wearing the tuxedo made her feel so uncomfortable. She had told them it would get dirty with her horses but they had laughed at her and assured her she would be fine.
Cecil wasn’t sure that was going to be a good idea but he remembered her perfect control of the horses in the paddock back in her farm yard. He hoped he hadn’t been wrong about her. He nodded to show her that he had heard her as he watched her duck under the fence, put the top hat on and approach one of the black beasts who had crowded around her to snuffle at her. He heard her talking to them and she soon leapt on one of them. He smiled as he saw how proud she looked in the tuxedo. With her short hair and feminine looks, the tuxedo had never looked that good before. He was praying that this would work out for all of them. He waited for her nod to open the gate wide.
Maggie rode Sampson as she had hundreds of times before, probably thousands, the others thought they were going on one of their trips and jostled for position in the herd, the thunder of their hooves as they approached the massive tent was heard even over the thunder of the voices of the spectators and it lessened for a moment as those near the entrance quieted to hear what that noise approaching was. Maggie stopped them with signals and pressure to Sampson’s back, it was easier to feel him bareback and the trousers she was wearing hid nothing of her muscle control and his massive back. In the entranceway they stood waiting for a signal, the ringmaster would announce them she had been told. She looked over her herd and saw they were glistening in the light of lanterns and torches, carefully lit to light up the arena but not burn the tent down. She had spent a lot of time that day before nightfall brushing and polishing them after their long journey; it calmed both the horses and her, she had even blacked their hooves using shoe polish after one of the performers pointed out how nice it would look, it did look nice and they looked magnificent.
“And tonight we have for you a special treat!” she heard Charlie the ringmaster she had been introduced to earlier. “Fresh from her European tour…” he must be speaking about someone else Maggie thought and wondered if she could see who it was, she had never met anyone who had been to Europe. “Maggie O’Malley and her massive herd of spectacular Mustangs!” he yelled into his megaphone.
Maggie was startled to hear her name called or that her horses were Mustangs? They had mustang in them but they weren’t mustangs and they certainly weren’t fresh from a European tour! She realized though that the introduction had been her signal to enter the arena, her hesitation for a moment created a break in the rhythm of the show and while she would get flak about it from her fellow performers later for the audience it created a sense of expectation. She encouraged Sampson to go forward, she was terrified and kicked him a little harder than she meant to and the unfamiliar shoes had him sprinting forward, the others taking their cue from Sampson and sensing Maggie’s nervousness acting up a little. As a result a herd of stampeding horses entered the arena, all without halters, constraints, or under any obvious control. They ran around the arena as Maggie worked to get Sampson back under control. Her distraction kept her from realizing the mass of people watching the center ring as she managed to get them going in a large oval.
No one really realized they were out of control as she finally calmed Sampson and began to look up. The lights on her were blinding and she looked back at her horses realizing their unease at the unfamiliar crowds and probably acting up from her own nervousness. Concentrating on her horses and calming them down she didn’t realize what a show she was putting on. Sampson calmed she switched to Ashes broad shoulde
rs, petting him and calming him down, she switched to Satan’s, then Ebony’s backs, and on until she had ridden all twelve of her massive beasts, on the last six though she had thought about the ‘show’ and switched from hopping from back to back to jumping, even standing, and leaping. The applause was deafening.
She brought them all to a halt sitting once again on Sampson’s back where she quickly leapt off and began to make signals to the horses, sending six this way, six that way and playing with them as Cecil had seen the first day he met her. Their rushing of the tuxedo clad woman had the audience thrilled, it all looked so dangerous and the performance seemed so real. Only Maggie knew how skittish the horses really were with all the lights, the noise, and the people. She didn’t know how long she was out there playing with her horses but she saw Charlie signal her with a finger across his neck. She took that to mean to finish up and she stopped all the horses and signaled them one by one to their back legs until she had six on one side and six on the other with their front hooves lashing dangerously close to her head. The audience went wild in appreciation and Maggie leapt to Sampson’s back as she headed out of the arena. She stood up and accepted their applause, ducking down in time not to hit her head with its top hat on the bar across the top of the entrance before sitting down astride Sampson once more and galloping her herd back to their paddock. They were breathing hard but she could tell they were a lot more relaxed and had had fun in the familiar games they had always played with their Maggie. She slid off after releasing Sampson to the corral and smiled as he dipped his head as though to speak to her.
“That was fantastic!” a little boy came up to hang over the fence. The horses weren’t done, they were still worked up and one of the younger ones made a dash at the boy in fun but to the little boy it didn’t look like a game, he thought the horse was after him and screamed “arghhhhh!” before scrambling down and backing away with other young boys who had followed them from the tent backing away as well.
“Schwartzie!” Maggie called to the younger horse who heeded her instantly but swished his tail showing he was still full of spit and vinegar.
Sapphic Cowboi Page 5