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April 2002 Storyteller Collaboration Modern Day Cattle Drive by Pigeye The dust was thick enough to choke an elephant, and the temperature had already risen to a sultry eighty-eight degrees. It was 8:45 in the morning. Gina could feel the grit in her teeth, and eyes as her horse plodded along, keeping pace with the nine other riders in the group. Her long red hair had already fallen from the tie she had so carefully brushed it into earlier, and was now flopping lose, sticking to the sides of her clammy sunburned face. Her whole body seemed to jolt and pound with every step her horse took. Dust kicked up into large brown clouds around the horses and riders as they trotted down the dirt trail to the open pasture, which was designated as this mornings meeting place. Gina had begged to walk her horse along the road, and meet up with the group later, but her request had been denied. The group must stay together...that was one of the rules. Stay together. Gina cursed her stupidity. How had she allowed herself to be talked into this trip, not to mention the money she had spent! Anita said it would be great fun. This definitely wasn't her idea of fun! Her back was killing her and her neck was stiff, causing her head to throb with a sick headache. Her legs were so sore, they felt bruised, and the heat was causing her ankles to swell in the tight lace up boots Anita had let her barrow for this trip from hell. But that wasn't the worst of Gina's misery's. She had a large raw saddle sore on her butt that made sitting in the hard leather saddle an agony. Anita had offered her some baby powder to soothe the inflamed injury, but it had done little good. Gina tried to tuck her heavy flannel shirt under her tender bottom, attempting to pad the seat of her saddle, but it hadn't done much good either. She was already hot and sweaty, and her sweat was causing her raw saddle sore to burn severely. Gina held onto the horn of the saddle and clenched her teeth as her horse, a tall brown and white Paint, picked up pace with the other riders jolting and yanking her stiff sore body. She blinked back tears, trying to stand in the stirrup's and relieve the pain on her raw saddle sore. Off in the distance Gina could see the large herd of obnoxious cattle she had learned to despise and hate over the past forty-eight hours. The odor of horse sweat, and cow manure was thick in the hot muggy air. Gina held a hand over her mouth and nose, seeking relief from the stink. They, the City Slickers, would move the cattle herd across the valley to their final destination, the Double D Dude Ranch. This was the third and last day of the Cattle Drive they, the City Slickers, had paid eight-hundred dollars each to be a part of. The cost had included the use of a Double D Dude Ranch horse and tack, three meals a day for the first two days; and breakfast and a bag lunch on the third day. The food was prepared by a crew of elderly women who drove a comfortable air conditioned SUV and delivered the meals to the evening camp, or to the afternoons resting place. A jokingly thin bed roll was given to each rider, also included in the price, which was kept tied to the saddle when not in use. Each rider also received a large set of saddle bags, for personal belongings, and a canteen for water. On the evening of the third day their would be a barn dance with a live band, cold beer, ice tea, soda pop, and a barbecue, with folks from town, employees of Double D, and guests all attending. Gina had once felt insulted when referred to as a "City Slicker" but not anymore! She WAS a City Slicker, and damn proud of it! She couldn't think of anything that would please her more right now than to get back to City Slickin' and the sooner the better! She longed for her hot City Slicker bath, a cup of hot City Slicker tea, and her soft cozy City Slicker bed! Right after she took some pain killers for her poor aching City Slicker muscles! The Trail Boss, a young good looking cowboy by the name of Rex Taylor, was already with the herd. He looked at his watch as the City Slickers rode up on their horses. "Your late." He said as he shoved a pinch of Copenhagen under his bottom lip. "We should have had the cattle rounded up and down across the creek into the valley forty-five minuets ago. Were gonna' have to make up for lost time, but that's Okay. You've been riding for two days now, so I think you all have the hang of it, and know what your supposed to do. We'll have to pick up the pace some, so take your places, put your heels into them nags, and get ready to ride!" Gina had to pee. She waved her hand, to request a moment to dismount her horse and go relieve herself behind a nearby tree, but no one noticed her frantic hand movements in the back of the group. John, Calvin, and Larry galloped their horses up to the right side of the cattle herd, ready to move them around, while Anita and her husband Phil took the opportunity to grab a quick drink of water from their canteens. Three other riders, Mr. and Mrs. Irving, and their eighteen year old daughter Lisa, rode up to the left of the herd, ready to cut them off. Eva and her nineteen year old twin sister Gloria trotted their horses up on either side of the trail boss, flirting and giggling, trying to talk him into the promise of a dance later. Rex Taylor tipped his cowboy hat politely, declining their flirty request claiming his wife would have all their hides, before he swung up into the saddle of his large brown horse, and whistled for his dog. With one wave of his arm, a small black and white speckled Blue Heeler nipped at the heel of a cow, and got the herd moving down to the creek. Gina held the reins of her horse with one hand, and the saddle horn with the other, trying to control the apprehensive animal, who was herd-bound and concerned the other horses would leave him behind. The big Paint shook his head, and pawed at the ground impatiently, before he whinnied a loud panicked scream. Gina had considered dismounting her horse to relieve herself real quick, but she could see now that idea wouldn't work...oh how she hated this brainless horse they had stuck her with! Anita and Phil rode past, working their horses up near Rex and the twins. Gina's horse shook his head in frustration, pulling against the bit. She relaxed the reins, and her impatient mount jumped forward, causing her to momentarily jerk back in the saddle. She grasped the saddle horn in a death grip as her horse jogged up behind Calvin's Palomino mare in a cloud of dust. The Mare pinned her ears angrily, then squealed before kicking at Gina's obnoxious Paint. Calvin gave Gina a dirty look as he tried to turn his moody Mare away. Gina knew the red ribbon in the mares tail was a warning that she might kick, but she had no control over the actions of the head strong Paint she was riding. She pulled back on the reins again, trying to steer the stubborn horse back over to her friends Anita and Phil, but the pig headed Paint pushed forward passing Calvin and gaining on the gray gilding John was riding along the edge of the creek. Gina held on, her butt bouncing painfully in the saddle. John and Larry were steering the cattle to the bottom of the grassy hill where the creek bed was shallow. The Irving's were keeping the cattle from turning away from the creek, and breaking free into the woods at the top of the thirty acre pasture. Gina's Paint pushed forward, nose up defying the bit, as she pulled back on the reins trying to stop him. Gina angrily fought back tears. She would never ever forgive Anita for talking her into going on this trip. Never! Rex Taylor was on the opposite side of the herd, watching Gina fight with her stubborn runaway horse, who knew he was headed for home. Rex yelled at Gina over the cattle, "Turn his nose in! Pull his head around to the left hard!" The other riders watched the scene, which seemed to move in slow-motion as Gina pulled the left rein hard, turning the horses head into his shoulder. The horse turned hard, and pushed into the herd of cattle. Gina turned the horses head harder to the left, kicking him in the ribs, trying to move him away from the cattle, but the stubborn Paint refused to obey, spinning around once before breaking out into a gallop right towards the creek. Gina screamed as she fell back in the saddle hitting her head on the horses rump. One hand was gripping the saddle horn, as the other hand flailed in midair attempting to regain her balance. The reins bounced and tumbled on the ground around the horses feet for a split second, before snapping with a loud crack under the thundering hooves of the runaway horse. Gina screamed again as the Paint jumped down over the steep muddy bank of the creek grunting like a pig, before crashing into the murky green water. Rex had managed to gallop his horse to the edge of the muddy bank, yelling "whoa! Whoa Danny Boy!" Gina screamed again as she fell forward over the horses neck, one foot out of the stirrup. A wake of cold water shot up over the horses head, splashing her across the face and chest. Rex yelled "Whoa Danny Boy!" again, and the horse stood still, not moving a muscle, wild eyed and winded. He looked up at the group of concerned riders on the bank, as if he didn't have a clue to how he had ended up belly deep in the creek, and soaking wet. Rex jumped down from his horse, and waded into the creek to grasp the Paints bridle and lead him out of the water. Gina sat in the saddle sobbing, water dripping from her face, hair, and clothing. Her flannel shirt had fallen from the seat of her saddle and lay in the mud near the flowing water. Anita had climbed down from her horse, and retrieved the shirt from the ground, wringing the brown water from it. She tried to comfort Gina, asking her if she was Okay, but Gina's only response was an angry glare of total loathing. Rex walked Gina's horse up the bank onto the grass where he went to work repairing the broken reins. He too asked her if she was Okay, and she answered with a snappish "yes, I'm Okay!" Rex was tired, and more than ready to get back to the ranch, where his wife was waiting with a warm kiss and a cold beer! Once he finished repairing Gina's reins, he asked her if she could still ride. "Yes, I can finish the ride Okay, but do you know how much farther we have to go?" Rex climbed back up onto his horse, and said wearily "about six more hours, give or take an hour if we don't stop for lunch." Six more hours! Six more hours of pain and torture in this damn saddle, on this dimwitted horse, smelling those stinking cows, in this stifling heat! Gina wanted to scream. |