Wild Horses (Sadie's Montana #1)(91)

“She’s a picture!”

“Isn’t she?”

Reuben nodded, then voiced his exasperation. “Sadie, what do you do if a tangle just won’t come out?”

Sadie walked over, lifted Cody’s tail, and told Reuben to go get a pair of scissors from Mam.

“Make sure the scissors are old, not the expensive ones she uses to cut fabric, if you know what’s good for you.”

“You mean, you’re going to chop her tail right off—that far up?” he yelled as he dashed out the door.

Sadie answered but knew Reuben didn’t hear anyway, at the rate of speed in which he catapulted through the doorway.

When he returned, Sadie cut expertly through the coarse, black hair. The tail was shorter, but sleek and straight, and the stubborn tangle lay on the concrete floor of the forebay.

Stepping back, she surveyed the brown mare, then told Reuben to throw the cut hair into Paris’ stall.

“Oh, no, I’m not going to. This bunch of horse hair would be any bird’s dream come true—all this strong horse hair to build a good solid nest. Imagine the possibilities! Birds aren’t picky, you know. They use almost anything to build a nest.”

Sadie grinned, then told him to throw it out in the barnyard where the birds would find it.

They cleaned their saddles with an old piece of t-shirt and good saddle soap. Then they shook the saddle blankets over and over until the dirt and hair flew across the forebay. They wiped down the brown leather bridles, then began saddling up.

Reuben grunted as he swung his saddle up on Cody who lowered herself, bracing for the weight to land on her back. It was easier for Sadie who was taller and more experienced, but she nodded encouragement to Reuben.

“We wouldn’t have to use saddles,” he lamented.

“I know, Reuben, but it feels safer if we’re going to ride along the highway. What if a large rig would come flying around a corner, blow its horn, and terrify the horses? They haven’t been around much traffic lately.”

“Cody!” Reuben yelled, then turned to Sadie.

“Why does she do that when I want to tighten the cinch?”

Sadie laughed.

“How would you like to run with a tight band around your stomach? She gets smart and puffs her stomach out while you’re tightening it so that it’s not too tight when you let go.”

“Yeah, but then the saddle slips sideways. I’d rather ride bareback.”

“Not this time.”

Sadie swung herself up, adjusted her skirt, pinned her covering securely, then spoke softly to Paris. The horse stepped out eagerly, raising her head the minute she was out the door.

Reuben followed on Cody, still mumbling about using a saddle. His blonde hair lifted and separated in the never ceasing, restless Montana wind.

Paris stepped sideways, tossed her head, pranced forward and backward, dipped her head, then shook it from side to side as if to let Sadie know she was displeased about the saddle. It was an unnecessary evil that pinched her sides and was much too tight around her stomach.

“All right, Paris, now settle down. Be a good girl. Come on, come on. This saddle isn’t going to hurt you.”

“Cody likes hers,” Reuben told her happily.

“Looks as if she does.”

It was Saturday afternoon, and they were riding their horses a long way to see if they might possibly be able to purchase an old buggy. They had watched the ads in the local paper until they found one that sounded promising.

Buckboard. Good condition. $500.

Call 786-3142



Sadie and Reuben had huddled nervously in the phone shanty as Sadie dialed the number, then whacked their palms together in a resounding high-five when she hung up. They had raced across the driveway and into the house to tell Mam.

Mam smiled as her eyes crinkled and she told them she hoped it was as good as they thought. Then she shook her head after they raced back out the door, the wooden screen door slapping its usual annoyance.

How could you expect that Sadie to grow up as long as she loved horses so much? She couldn’t care less about finding a husband as far as Mam could tell. It got discouraging at times, the way she just skipped over the part of life she should be concerned about most. After all, at 21 years old, her best chances were gone, and if she didn’t soon worry about starting a relationship with a decent young man, she may not have any chances, in Mam’s opinion.

Mam sighed as she watched Sadie and Reuben ride down the driveway. She hoped they wouldn’t encounter too many Amish people. Riding a horse wasn’t as ladylike as Mam thought it should be. A horse-drawn buggy was much more appropriate for getting around.

Then the thought hit her, and she sat down weakly and began fanning herself with the hem of her apron. Sadie and Reuben were thinking of breaking Paris and Cody so the horses would pull that rattling, derelict old buggy they were planning to purchase.

And that is exactly what they planned to do.

Reuben said the only harm the two horses could do would be to run and kick if they were both hitched to the same singletree. Sadie said the old buggy couldn’t be in very good shape for only $500, but she would not want to see it fly into a thousand pieces. This caused Reuben to throw his head back and howl with glee at the sheer thought of so much excitement.

When had the change in Reuben started, and where would it stop? The small, thin body that had trembled beside her as they stood on the ridge waiting for the horses to appear had been transformed into an adventure-loving youth who seemed to find no reason to be careful. He rode Cody like the wind, having very little thought, if any, of the chance of a mishap.