The Ride
by VStarTraveler
Summary: Near the end of what might have been the fifth season, John must go on a business trip that could have an important effect on the future of the High Chaparral. While he is away, other things happen that will affect that very future. A limited drabble fic told in scenes of exactly 100 words each, this is a sequel to HC01-The Fight.
Author's Notes: This story is a sequel to my earlier story entitled "The Fight". If you haven't read it yet, you might want to read that first since the major event of that story is reflected here. Like that story, this one is written as a series of drabbles, short scenes of exactly 100 words each (not counting the drabble number and title), where each word counts for both content and quantity. The start and end are written, and I currently have about sixteen to eighteen scenes envisioned, but that may change, so I'm not promising a specific number this time!
Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction, written entirely for fun and not for profit. This interpretation of The High Chaparral is entirely my own, and The High Chaparral and all of its various components remain the property of their respective owners.
Drabble 1: Setting the Stage
Sixteen hooves beat down on the rustic trail.
Four horses kept a happy gait, not too slow but also not the all-out gallop that would be needed if danger threatened. Their relief at the next relay station was just a few miles ahead.
John Cannon wasn't so happy. While a Concord stagecoach was designed for nine passengers, when one was his size, anything beyond four made it crowded in a hurry. Here, it was quite crowded, with the next relay station still miles ahead.
Joe Butler looked across at his boss and commiserated. Santa Fe was still five days away.
~HC~
Follow-up Author's Note:
Concord-style stagecoaches pulled by four to six horses generally averaged about 60 to 90 miles per day (depending on conditions, terrain, etc.), with stations about every 12 miles or so where the stage stopped to change horses and let the passengers take a break. The 1958-1963 television series "Laramie" starring John Smith and Robert Fuller dealt with such a stage relay station on the Sherman Ranch one stop outside of Laramie.