Longarm 359 by Tabor Evans

Author:Tabor Evans
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

An hour later, Longarm had filled his modest order for provisions and had it all stuffed into a cotton sack that he could tie on to his saddle. He didn’t much like spending Lizzy’s money . . . it just didn’t sit well with him, so he used some of his own dwindling funds.

When he arrived at the stable, Jesse was saddling a blue roan gelding while another man was saddling an ugly little pinto.

Longarm was no cowboy, and he had never claimed to be a good judge of horseflesh, but he wasn’t completely ignorant when it came to horses.

“You bought these two ugly horses?” he asked in amazement.

“Sure did,” Jesse said. “Got ’em for only forty dollars.”

“Each?”

“No, for the pair.”

“He skinned me alive,” the stable owner said, finishing saddling the pinto. The man was a thin fellow wearing filthy bib overalls, with no shirt or shoes, and chewing on a plug of tobacco, which caused him to spit constantly. “I never saw such a tough man to deal with as Jesse.”

“Jesse, I never seen two sorrier horses than these,” Longarm complained. “Why, they’re just a couple of big-headed runts!”

“Oh,” Jesse said, dropping the stirrup after tightening the cinch to his satisfaction. “You may be right about this pair not being tall and flashy, but I got an eye for quality and even though they ain’t real beauties, they’re stout and I’m betting anything they’re damned fast.”

“What makes you think so?” Longarm said, still skeptical.

“I rode both of ’em.”

“You did?”

“Sure!” Jesse grinned. “Rode ’em both bareback around and around the barn and out toward that river. The blue, he bucked me off, but I got right back on and kicked him in the guts and he found some manners. And the pinto, he tried to bite my hand off, but I punched him in the eye, bit down, and then twisted his ear around about four times, and he become an instant gentleman.”

Longarm just stared at the cowboy and then at the ugly pair of geldings with the feeling that he should have done the horse buying himself.

“Jesse did ride hell outa ’em both,” the stable owner said. “This cowboy sure gave these two ponies some God-fearing religion! Why, I’ve had quite a few cowboys try to ride them and none of ’em stuck.”

“Great,” Longarm said. “But I’m not a cowboy and I don’t want to fight with a damned horse every time I get near him.”

“I’ll handle that,” Jesse said with absolute assurance. “Don’t you worry, Custis, I won’t let these ponies hurt you none.”

Longarm surveyed a corral of horses. “How about we let you have those two and I buy a . . . a better-mannered and taller animal? I like the looks of that tall sorrel.”

The stable owner beamed. “Why, mister, now you’re talking about a fine animal! That sorrel is the handsomest horse in the pen. He’s only four years old and broke for a kid to ride.”

“How much do you want for the horse?” Longarm asked.

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