Title: A Different Breed of Woman 4/4
Warnings: Language, some violence
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm not making any money so don't sue, please.
Author's Note: This is the conclusion of my story, A DIFFERENT BREED OF WOMAN. The Samantha character is mine, as well as her two horses, but feel free to use them. Thanks to those who came up with the names of the Seven's horses. And, enjoy.
"Keep your weight off that horse's back Tanner!" A sharp female voice called. Her wide hazel eyes watched the bay horse and his buckskin clad rider for a few more seconds before waving them to her. "Vin," she said with all the patience she could muster, "you're getting in his way. This isn't Peso, and you're not on patrol. You're riding in a race. You must stay off his back."
"Aren't these stirrups a little short?" Vin questioned the woman on the steel gray stallion next to him.
Samantha Hunter rolled her eyes. "No," she seethed; irritated by the fact that he had asked the same question minutes earlier. "Like I said before, it's easier to stay balanced over the horse's withers if your stirrups are a little shorter."
Vin sighed, frustrated as well. "I'm sorry, I just feel like I'm going to fall right out of this tiny saddle."
Samantha had to admit that the lanky gunslinger did look peculiar riding in her small English saddle. "You're a good rider Vin, you're not going to fall off. I'd let you use my saddle, but it doesn't fit Bonfire." Samantha patted her worn custom saddle with the deep seat and high pommel. "Now try again. Take him out for a lap at a lope."
Vin did as he was instructed, pressing the bay gelding into an easy canter. This time, Vin managed to stay over Bonfire's withers, but had to hang on his reins to do so. Bonfire looked like a chess piece: his ears flattened, his neck curled tight and his mouth open. Samantha sighed. "It's only been a day. He will get this by tomorrow," she assured herself.
"Ease up on his mouth Vin! You want to rate him, not choke him!" Samantha almost growled. Normally the most patient of teachers, the stress of the past week had begun to take its toll on Sam's easy going personality. She watched as Bonfire let out an angry buck. "All right, come on back."
Both horse and rider looked irritated as they walked back. Vin scowled and Bonfire swished his tail back and forth. Samantha took a deep breath. "Okay, let's start from the beginning. First of all, loosen your reins by about four inches. Now relax. I think I've been making this seem too difficult." Vin did as she asked and both he and the bay visibly calmed.
"You have great natural balance Vin, let it work for you. Ride him like you would any horse. He's got a real soft mouth so you really just need to touch his mouth to get him to slow. When you feel comfortable, let him out into a gallop. Not far mind you, we need to keep them fresh for tomorrow."
"You're worse than a drill sergeant."
"I may not understand everything that goes on in my life Vin, but trust that I know this. Just ride."
Vin eyed her like she was nuts, but did as she asked. He took a few deep breaths, as he would before taking aim with his rifle. He closed his eyes and felt the wind slide over him. Suddenly he felt in control, centered on his mount. He clucked to the bay and they raced down the field. Vin's hands were light and he stayed up off the saddle. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. He grinned. "Huh, what do you know."
Samantha clapped as they drew near. "I knew you could do it!" She called out. "Now let's go ride the course and make our plan." The two left the training field and headed toward the trail that had been marked earlier that week.
The first annual Four Corner's Summer Race had brought a lot of excitement to the dusty, Colorado frontier town. Not least of which came in the form of Samantha Hunter and her two racehorses, Bonfire and Chance. Ever since they had stepped off the stage Sam and her alter ego, Joseph Hunter had been the source of much controversy.
Two days earlier, Samantha's jockey and friend Jose had been gunned down while scouting the course. He had been killed instantly. Then Sam had been attacked at the livery. Vin had also discovered that her husband, Joseph Hunter didn't exist at all, except as to allow Sam to ride her fiery gray stallion. Her one true confidant in town, Sam had asked the tracker to replace Jose as Bonfire's rider. He had accepted, although, not without hesitation.
They walked the course slowly, carefully searching every portion of the course. Sam pointed out places that could be used to pass and places in the trail ideal for blocking oncoming competitors. Vin pointed out rough spots in the trail where the riders would have to be careful. Samantha also filled him in on how she wanted Bonfire to run.
"Don't even think about me for the first lap and a half. I'll have Chance pretty far back. You and Bonfire try and stay up three or four from the lead. He rates real nice anywhere you put him. My hope is that someone is going to try to press the pace. By now everyone knows what kind of a kick Bonfire has. If the pace is too easy, he should have enough left at the end of the race to bring you in nice and easy. I think the only horse that could possibly beat him in an all out sprint is Chance, if he got the perfect break. Your job is to conserve as much energy as possible and make your move a quarter mile from the finish. Try to take the first lap in four or so, but don't let the leaders get too far in front."
"Oh," Vin scoffed, "no problem. What you're saying is that I have to go fast, but not too fast. And that I have to let the others get ahead of me, but not by too much. Right?"
Samantha laughed. "Yeah I guess that's about it."
"And you will be where during all this?"
"If all goes to plan, we'll be comin like a freight train the last three quarters of a mile. Of course it is racing, and racing luck does come into it. Ride like you feel you should and you'll be fine. Watch Thunder though. I've got a feeling they're not below stretching the rules a bit." Vin nodded tightly, absorbing the information.
The rode quietly up to the trickiest portion of the course, where it wound up through the Ridge canyon just west of town. This was where Jose had been shot. Samantha stiffened and got visibly pale. Her eyes darted to the high walls to either side of her.
"You all right?"
"Yeah, I will be. Just got the image of putting Jose in the ground is all. Let's get out of here." The trotted their horses up an incline that led out of the canyon to the top of the ridge. At the summit, the trail veered off in two directions. The trail to the right was the one that the riders would use the next day. It had a shallow slope that wound to the floor easily enough for the horses to canter down. The pass to the left was more like a break in the rock than a trail. It was so steep it was almost straight down, loose rock covering the entire surface. She shuddered at the thought of riding down it, although it did cut down the distance into town considerably. Still not worth the risk, she thought.
"Got all this straight?" She asked Vin, trying to clear her mind of Jose's image. They had buried him earlier that day. Sam had stayed near the back of the small crowd. Jerry Weston, her foreman had also been there, as well as Vin and the rest of the Seven.
"Yep." The tracker replied.
"Good. Now let's get back and give these two and ourselves some rest. We'll need it for tomorrow."
That night Sam put on a show of Joseph arriving back in town. She dressed in men's clothes, glued on her mustache and sideburns and taken off the long hairpiece that looked like a ponytail. Then she went down to the saloon and took a few drinks. She even played a few hands of poker, being sure to avoid Ezra, the sarcastic southern con man. She had managed to avoid him for nearly two days.
'Joseph' played a few hands with Buck and JD, quickly relieving them of their money. JD glanced over at Buck. "He's almost as bad as Ezra." Sam smiled to herself.
"Hell JD, he's almost as good as his wife!" The two friends snickered, remembering how Samantha had beaten Ezra out of a large pot a few days earlier. That was a feat, they figured, worth remembering. Joseph talked with them for a few hours, relaxing in their company. Ezra walked over later that evening, a deck of cards in his hands.
"Would you care to partake in a game of chance?" The southerner asked.
"No thanks. Sam told me about you and I figure I'm better off without taking the risk. I'm not the card player my wife is."
Ezra's face remained impassive, but his voice betrayed his true emotions. It was barely perceptible, even to those that knew the gambler, but he sounded almost, wistful. "Yes. Your wife is truly... exceptional. Where is she now? I haven't spoken to her in a few days."
That's because I've been avoiding you, Samantha thought to herself. "She up in our room, asleep. Been a long day, what with Jose and all."
"Of course. Well, seeing as I can't relieve you gentlemen of any winnings I will be bidding you good night." With a last, suspicious glance in Joseph's direction, Ezra went upstairs. He waited for a few minutes, making sure that no one was following him, and then crept down the hall to Sam's room. He tested the door, but it was locked. Not that it discouraged him in the least, for he deftly picked the lock and went inside.
Meanwhile, Samantha was blissfully unaware of the two sets of eyes trained on her. "That him?" A tall man in a suit asked.
"Yep. You have the money?" A dirty faced, husky man asked.
"Half now, half when you finish the job. Make sure he doesn't finish the race." Then the man in the suit left.
Ezra opened the door to Sam's room and half expected himself to be more surprised when he saw the empty bed. He spotted her suitcase near the trunk and hefted it onto the mattress. He opened it, only to find different assortments of shirts, pants and skirts. He was about to close it when he had a thought. Running his fingers down the edge of the bag he found what he was looking for. The false bottom dropped easily away to reveal the long shiny mass of coppery hair.
"Seems like you've been keeping a secret Miss Hunter," he murmured. "Good to know." Quickly and efficiently he placed the contents of the satchel where he had found them. Then he placed the bag at the foot of the bed and made his way to the door. He made sure to lock it behind him.
Fifteen riders lined up at the starting line the next morning. They filled up the street. People scurried to find the best place to watch. Chris positioned himself by the start/finish line, between Orrin Travis and a man in a suit that looked vaguely familiar. Travis called everyone to attention. "All right everyone settle down. Thanks for all who showed up to participate and all who came just to watch. Four Corner's first annual...."
Samantha stopped listening after that. She pushed the black Stetson away from her eyes. The binding surrounding her chest was snug, but not so snug that it was debilitating. She was dressed somberly in black pants and a dark green shirt as a sign of mourning.
Chance was eager to be off and it took a lot to keep him in line with the other horses. She glanced down the line of riders to either side of her. Vin was three horses to her right, looking intensely competitive. Ezra was on her left, he and his chestnut starting the line. Thunder and his rider, Mark were directly to her right. The black stud pinned his ears at Chance and snapped at the gray, only to narrowly miss being bitten himself. Buck and JD were somewhere in the throng, but Sam had no time to look, because Travis fired the pistol into the air, signifying the start of the race. All fifteen horses surged forward, like a huge multicolored wave.
The horse raced down Main Street in a tight bunch, everyone fighting for position early. Samantha eased Chance back, content to let the others run their race early. They still had a long way to go. The race covered four miles over rough country and two circuits of the course. She had plenty of time.
From her position at the back of the pack she could see everything. Three horses from the lead ran Bonfire, Vin sitting still and not rushing. JD ran second, letting Seven stretch. She knew that if he kept his pace that fast, they would be finished soon. Another man on a chunky Palomino was first, whipping his horse to his utmost speed. She thought she caught a glimpse of Ezra's red jacket somewhere mid-pack, but she wasn't sure. Buck and Clyde were a few horses ahead of her and to her right.
The racers headed into one of the most treacherous sections of the course. The ground was uneven and the path narrow, almost inviting an accident. Sam was so caught up looking where Chance was going that she didn't even notice Thunder's rider edging the giant black horse back to race beside her. Samantha glanced sharply to her right. Mark grinned evilly and pulled on his left rein. Thunder moved obediently left.
Sam was forced to check Chance severely to avoid being hit. The gray stallion wringed his neck, but his stride shortened. Mark eased Thunder back to match strides once more. He veered left again, but this time Sam couldn't avoid him. Angry Chance lunged for the black and the two collided midstride. Miraculously Thunder raced on, almost as if the bumping had not taken place at all.
Chance was not so lucky. The gray stumbled and nearly went down on his knees. Sam came very close to being pitched over the front of her saddle. Only a handful of Chance's mane saved her. Finally the gray got his feet back under him. He tried to rush after the departing horses. "Easy, easy." Sam soothed. She looked over his shoulder at his legs, and thanked God that they appeared undamaged. She trotted the gray in a tight circle.
"Okay bud. Let's get that son of a bitch. Hyaa!" Chance took off after the pack, sensing that they were leaving him behind, even thought they had disappeared around a corner. They entered the canyon at a gallop, but still the other racers were not in sight. His hoof beats echoed, bouncing against the canyon walls. Then there was another sound; a bang and a ping as a bullet bounced off a rock to her left. There was another shot, then another.
Sam swore and hunched closer to Chance's neck. The gray flattened out and flew up the slope to the top of the ridge. Amazingly, they were not hit. At the top Sam steered Chance to the trail on the right. But she stopped when she saw a man with a rifle coming from that direction. They were trapped.
Sam's eyes traveled to the steep, rocky slope to her left. It was their only chance. She pulled Chance around to the left, sighting the riders coming around the ridge and heading back toward Four Corners. No one had heard the gunshots. A final shot rang out just as they slipped over the edge. This time the bullet found its mark, imbedding itself deep in Sam leg. She cried out and pulled sharply on the left rein. Chance reared, twisting in the air and landing off balance on the slope.
All semblance of balance gone, Chance reared again and started to slide down the hill. By some amazing miracle, Chance kept his hooves in front of him. The two half slid, half scrambled down the hillside. At the bottom of the knoll, Chance gathered himself and took off for Four Corners with no urging from Sam. She was too busy righting herself in her saddle.
Less than a minute later, the first rider flew through the finish line for the first time. JD, containing his exuberance, had pulled Seven back into fifth. Vin remained in fourth, while Thunder steadily began to move up. Ezra was still mid-pack. Three riders pulled up, including Buck. Chris walked over to his oldest friend. Buck was panting as he dismounted and his face showed disappointment.
"Threw a shoe," he explained. "Too bad too. He was running real nice."
"Too bad is right Buck. But at least he ain't hurt."
"Yeah. Where is everybody else?"
"Vin's in third. JD is fourth and Ezra is..." he shrugged, "somewhere."
"What about Joseph and Chance? They took a bad hit or two near the ridge and then I lost sight of 'em."
"They haven't been through yet Buck." He peered down the street. "There, here they come now."
The two men watched as Chanced flew through town, his rider hugging his neck like a vice. They had more than thirty lengths to make up on the rest of the field. "I know Joseph wanted to be far back, but that's ridiculous!" Buck crowed. "He'll never catch them."
Chris barely heard his friend. His eyes narrowed. Thunder's owner appeared at the side of the street his face red from exertion. His eyes shifted nervously and he wiped the sweat from his brow. Chris watched the man for a moment, then dismissed it. "Two miles left to run Buck. A lot can happen in two miles...."
Sam felt light headed. Chance raced on with no aid from her. She knew the only reason she wasn't in intense pain was the fact that her body was pumped full of adrenaline. "Come on Chance. Keep it up. We're catchin up." It was true. They caught the last racer at the beginning of the canyon. The rider on a paint made no effort to urge his horse to greater speeds.
They were in the middle of the pack coming down off the ridge. Chance was giving it everything he had. She felt the stallion stretch further, his muscles stressed to their utmost capacity. He had been running at top speed for more than half a mile, with a half mile left to run. There would be no place to ease up and catch a breath. The only hope they had was to run at top speed the rest of the way. Samantha only hoped Chance could do it.
She could see Four Corners in the distance. Chance broke through to the front of the pack and kept going. There were only four horses in front of them now. JD and Ezra were now both in top gear as they flew across the flatlands. Two lengths beyond them ran Thunder and Bonfire. The smaller bay was leveled out, running as fast as could to match strides.
Chance began to creep up on Seven and Chaucer. First he was at their flank, the horses' tails whipping back. Then Chance's nose drew even with their saddles and finally they were racing head and head. They were less than an eighth of a mile from the finish now. Chaucer gamely tried to keep pace with the gray, only managing to do so for a few strides before dropping back.
She and Chance drew even with the Bonfire and Thunder as they entered the town's limits. Bonfire was spent and Vin knew it. They started to drop back. Then it was only the gray and the black. Mark whipped his horse while Sam remained still. Chance was giving it everything he had. He was flying. People in the crowd talked about that drive for the finish for months afterward. Some said the gray sprouted wings before their very eyes. Others said that had you stood close enough, you would have been picked up and carried along in their wake. All Sam knew was that somewhere, somehow, Chance found a little more, dug a little deeper. And it was they who flew across the line first, the winners by half a length.
Chance dropped out of his gallop almost immediately. Sam rested her hands on his shoulders. His muscles quivered with exhaustion and his coat was nearly white with lather. His sides heaved and his nostrils were red. Yet his head remained high, a triumphant look in his eyes.
Judge Travis pushed his way through the throng that surrounded horse and rider. The older man reached up to shake Sam's hand. She took it. Buck pushed his way through as well, followed by Chris. JD, Vin and Ezra hung near the back of the crowd on their horses. Vin nodded to her.
"Well looks like you pulled it off boy!" Buck called out, grinning wildly. "Good job!" He slapped her knee. A look of sure agony flitted across her features. She groaned and her hands went slack on the reins. Buck looked at his palm and stared dumbly at the dark red blood. Chris's smile froze and dropped from his face.
"Nathan!" The black clad leader cried. He shoved everyone out of the way. Sam saw spots floating in front of her eyes. Her head spun. Then she dropped from Chance's back into Bucks arms....
She groaned. Sam's eyelids felt heavy. A stream of sunlight hit them and made her head ache. "Looks like someone has finally decided to join us." A soft voice played on her ears, but she couldn't place it. She forced herself to open her eyes.
Nathan's smiling face greeted her. "Afternoon. How are ya feelin?"
Sam tried to sit up, but with the sharp flash of pain shooting up her leg she thought better of it. "How's Chance," she managed to croak.
"He's fine. Real tired, but fine. JD and Vin took care of him after you collapsed. Here, take some water." The cool liquid felt like heaven as it soothed her parched throat and dry mouth.
"How long was I out?"
"It's noon on Sunday."
Sam moaned again and brought her hand to her face. She realized that the bushy feeling of her mustache was not there. She eyed Nathan suspiciously between her fingers. A look of amusement crossed the healer's face. "So you finally noticed."
She felt herself flush. "So you know?"
"It's kind of hard to miss. Especially when your mustache falls off." Nathan grinned and handed her the thin attachment. Sam took it warily.
"Do the others know?"
Nathan shrugged. "Not my place to tell them. I figure I know why you did it anyway. Chance is one hell of a horse."
A small smile crossed her lips. "That he is. That he is."
"Not like you can hide it forever though. Admittedly we've all been kind of busy lately getting set for the race, but once all the people leave we'll get back to normal. We ain't stupid you know, just preoccupied as of late. I'm pretty sure one or all of us are goin to notice you and your," he grunted, "husband limpin around on the same leg. Am I the only one?"
"Nope. Vin knows, and I'm pretty sure Ezra does too."
"I wouldn't be surprised. But do give us some credit. I think everyone would be more understanding than you think." There was a knock at the door. "Should I let them in?"
Sam fumbled with the mustache momentarily and then stuck it to her face. She only hoped it wasn't too crooked. The six other men poured into the room.
"Hey Joseph. How ya feelin?" JD asked, sitting heavily at the edge of the bed. Sam grimaced as the movement sent another wave of pain through her leg.
"Like hell." She responded darkly. "Do ya'll know what happened?"
Chris stepped forward. "It seems some people weren't too happy with you buyin up the Johansson ranch. Mr. Prescott specifically."
Ezra interrupted. "It seems the parcel of land that you purchased was very highly valued as grazing acerage. Mr. Tanner brought this to our attention when he spoke of the cattle grazing on your property. I assume you have been meaning to fence off your fields?"
"You assume correctly."
"Well, in checking with Ms. Travis at the Clarion offices, she informed us that Prescott had been making inquiries into purchasing the Johansson land. Unfortunately for him, the week he went out of town was the week you showed up, cash in hand. He's been after you for that land ever since. Do you recall any proposals to buy your parcel at an inflated price?"
"Vaguely, but I turned him down."
"Anyway," Buck continued the story, " that didn't sit too well with him. He hired Thunder's owner and rider to make it so you failed to finish the race. Somehow he knew you needed the money to finish payin off the farm."
"And how did you come to the conclusion that Thunder's owner was involved at all?"
"A few things," Vin informed her quietly. "Chris noticed Jim arrived late at the finish and was kinda out of breath and nervous. Plus Ez and I walked in on the two of them arguing over the rest of the money. Prescott didn't want to pay Jim for a job half finished. We listened in just long enough to find out what we needed and then busted in on them."
"We found a sniper rifle wrapped in paper in one of Thunder's tack trunks. Same caliber slug Mr. Jackson removed from your femur. No one ever said you had to be intelligent to be a criminal. Needless to say all three are now in our fair town's quaint jail accommodations. Mark even signed a confession."
"So I guess that's about it." Chris finished. The five gunslingers that had come to visit stood to leave.
Sam's heart began to race. "Not quite." She called out. Everyone turned to stare at Joseph. "I have a small confession to make." Now everyone was really paying attention. Nathan nodded encouragingly.
"I have lied to you. I am not who I said I was. And I feel I owe you all an...explanation."
"Well then spill it," Buck prompted.
Slowly, Sam reached up to her lip and peeled away her sideburns. Then she took off the mustache. "Hi."
"Samantha!" Buck cried.
"Hey Buck." She looked at each man's face, gauging their reactions. Vin just looked pleased and smiled to her. Ezra didn't look at all surprised. JD appeared to be in shock, his mouth hanging open. Chris' face revealed nothing, but there was no disapproval in his eyes, no resentment. Buck looked anywhere from shocked, to thrilled to angry.
"You could have gotten yourself killed! Racin is no place for a woman!"
"Bested you didn't I? Pompous, over grown child," she muttered darkly.
"She is correct Buck. Don't argue with the lady." Ezra's eyes danced.
"Perhaps we should just start again," Larabee's quiet, commanding voice took over. He held out his hand to Sam. "Hello, the name's Chris Larabee. These are Ezra, Buck, Vin, JD, and it seems you have met Nathan."
Chris shook the battle scarred hand. "Name's Samantha Hunter. Good to meet you all."
Nathan let the group speak for a few more minutes until he noticed that Sam fought to keep her eyes open. "All right, visiting hours are over. Samantha needs her rest. Now get."
Samantha closed her eyes and sighed.
"The day is done,
the battle won.
The blood that spilled,
is dry and still.
The lines were made
The bruises fade.
But wounds that bled
Leave scars in their stead."
No one had to say anything. They all knew what she meant.
THE END
Please tell me what you thought! If you want more like this tell me. Maybe in the ATF? Hope you enjoyed it.
Warnings: Language, some violence
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm not making any money so don't sue, please.
Author's Note: This is the conclusion of my story, A DIFFERENT BREED OF WOMAN. The Samantha character is mine, as well as her two horses, but feel free to use them. Thanks to those who came up with the names of the Seven's horses. And, enjoy.
"Keep your weight off that horse's back Tanner!" A sharp female voice called. Her wide hazel eyes watched the bay horse and his buckskin clad rider for a few more seconds before waving them to her. "Vin," she said with all the patience she could muster, "you're getting in his way. This isn't Peso, and you're not on patrol. You're riding in a race. You must stay off his back."
"Aren't these stirrups a little short?" Vin questioned the woman on the steel gray stallion next to him.
Samantha Hunter rolled her eyes. "No," she seethed; irritated by the fact that he had asked the same question minutes earlier. "Like I said before, it's easier to stay balanced over the horse's withers if your stirrups are a little shorter."
Vin sighed, frustrated as well. "I'm sorry, I just feel like I'm going to fall right out of this tiny saddle."
Samantha had to admit that the lanky gunslinger did look peculiar riding in her small English saddle. "You're a good rider Vin, you're not going to fall off. I'd let you use my saddle, but it doesn't fit Bonfire." Samantha patted her worn custom saddle with the deep seat and high pommel. "Now try again. Take him out for a lap at a lope."
Vin did as he was instructed, pressing the bay gelding into an easy canter. This time, Vin managed to stay over Bonfire's withers, but had to hang on his reins to do so. Bonfire looked like a chess piece: his ears flattened, his neck curled tight and his mouth open. Samantha sighed. "It's only been a day. He will get this by tomorrow," she assured herself.
"Ease up on his mouth Vin! You want to rate him, not choke him!" Samantha almost growled. Normally the most patient of teachers, the stress of the past week had begun to take its toll on Sam's easy going personality. She watched as Bonfire let out an angry buck. "All right, come on back."
Both horse and rider looked irritated as they walked back. Vin scowled and Bonfire swished his tail back and forth. Samantha took a deep breath. "Okay, let's start from the beginning. First of all, loosen your reins by about four inches. Now relax. I think I've been making this seem too difficult." Vin did as she asked and both he and the bay visibly calmed.
"You have great natural balance Vin, let it work for you. Ride him like you would any horse. He's got a real soft mouth so you really just need to touch his mouth to get him to slow. When you feel comfortable, let him out into a gallop. Not far mind you, we need to keep them fresh for tomorrow."
"You're worse than a drill sergeant."
"I may not understand everything that goes on in my life Vin, but trust that I know this. Just ride."
Vin eyed her like she was nuts, but did as she asked. He took a few deep breaths, as he would before taking aim with his rifle. He closed his eyes and felt the wind slide over him. Suddenly he felt in control, centered on his mount. He clucked to the bay and they raced down the field. Vin's hands were light and he stayed up off the saddle. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. He grinned. "Huh, what do you know."
Samantha clapped as they drew near. "I knew you could do it!" She called out. "Now let's go ride the course and make our plan." The two left the training field and headed toward the trail that had been marked earlier that week.
The first annual Four Corner's Summer Race had brought a lot of excitement to the dusty, Colorado frontier town. Not least of which came in the form of Samantha Hunter and her two racehorses, Bonfire and Chance. Ever since they had stepped off the stage Sam and her alter ego, Joseph Hunter had been the source of much controversy.
Two days earlier, Samantha's jockey and friend Jose had been gunned down while scouting the course. He had been killed instantly. Then Sam had been attacked at the livery. Vin had also discovered that her husband, Joseph Hunter didn't exist at all, except as to allow Sam to ride her fiery gray stallion. Her one true confidant in town, Sam had asked the tracker to replace Jose as Bonfire's rider. He had accepted, although, not without hesitation.
They walked the course slowly, carefully searching every portion of the course. Sam pointed out places that could be used to pass and places in the trail ideal for blocking oncoming competitors. Vin pointed out rough spots in the trail where the riders would have to be careful. Samantha also filled him in on how she wanted Bonfire to run.
"Don't even think about me for the first lap and a half. I'll have Chance pretty far back. You and Bonfire try and stay up three or four from the lead. He rates real nice anywhere you put him. My hope is that someone is going to try to press the pace. By now everyone knows what kind of a kick Bonfire has. If the pace is too easy, he should have enough left at the end of the race to bring you in nice and easy. I think the only horse that could possibly beat him in an all out sprint is Chance, if he got the perfect break. Your job is to conserve as much energy as possible and make your move a quarter mile from the finish. Try to take the first lap in four or so, but don't let the leaders get too far in front."
"Oh," Vin scoffed, "no problem. What you're saying is that I have to go fast, but not too fast. And that I have to let the others get ahead of me, but not by too much. Right?"
Samantha laughed. "Yeah I guess that's about it."
"And you will be where during all this?"
"If all goes to plan, we'll be comin like a freight train the last three quarters of a mile. Of course it is racing, and racing luck does come into it. Ride like you feel you should and you'll be fine. Watch Thunder though. I've got a feeling they're not below stretching the rules a bit." Vin nodded tightly, absorbing the information.
The rode quietly up to the trickiest portion of the course, where it wound up through the Ridge canyon just west of town. This was where Jose had been shot. Samantha stiffened and got visibly pale. Her eyes darted to the high walls to either side of her.
"You all right?"
"Yeah, I will be. Just got the image of putting Jose in the ground is all. Let's get out of here." The trotted their horses up an incline that led out of the canyon to the top of the ridge. At the summit, the trail veered off in two directions. The trail to the right was the one that the riders would use the next day. It had a shallow slope that wound to the floor easily enough for the horses to canter down. The pass to the left was more like a break in the rock than a trail. It was so steep it was almost straight down, loose rock covering the entire surface. She shuddered at the thought of riding down it, although it did cut down the distance into town considerably. Still not worth the risk, she thought.
"Got all this straight?" She asked Vin, trying to clear her mind of Jose's image. They had buried him earlier that day. Sam had stayed near the back of the small crowd. Jerry Weston, her foreman had also been there, as well as Vin and the rest of the Seven.
"Yep." The tracker replied.
"Good. Now let's get back and give these two and ourselves some rest. We'll need it for tomorrow."
That night Sam put on a show of Joseph arriving back in town. She dressed in men's clothes, glued on her mustache and sideburns and taken off the long hairpiece that looked like a ponytail. Then she went down to the saloon and took a few drinks. She even played a few hands of poker, being sure to avoid Ezra, the sarcastic southern con man. She had managed to avoid him for nearly two days.
'Joseph' played a few hands with Buck and JD, quickly relieving them of their money. JD glanced over at Buck. "He's almost as bad as Ezra." Sam smiled to herself.
"Hell JD, he's almost as good as his wife!" The two friends snickered, remembering how Samantha had beaten Ezra out of a large pot a few days earlier. That was a feat, they figured, worth remembering. Joseph talked with them for a few hours, relaxing in their company. Ezra walked over later that evening, a deck of cards in his hands.
"Would you care to partake in a game of chance?" The southerner asked.
"No thanks. Sam told me about you and I figure I'm better off without taking the risk. I'm not the card player my wife is."
Ezra's face remained impassive, but his voice betrayed his true emotions. It was barely perceptible, even to those that knew the gambler, but he sounded almost, wistful. "Yes. Your wife is truly... exceptional. Where is she now? I haven't spoken to her in a few days."
That's because I've been avoiding you, Samantha thought to herself. "She up in our room, asleep. Been a long day, what with Jose and all."
"Of course. Well, seeing as I can't relieve you gentlemen of any winnings I will be bidding you good night." With a last, suspicious glance in Joseph's direction, Ezra went upstairs. He waited for a few minutes, making sure that no one was following him, and then crept down the hall to Sam's room. He tested the door, but it was locked. Not that it discouraged him in the least, for he deftly picked the lock and went inside.
Meanwhile, Samantha was blissfully unaware of the two sets of eyes trained on her. "That him?" A tall man in a suit asked.
"Yep. You have the money?" A dirty faced, husky man asked.
"Half now, half when you finish the job. Make sure he doesn't finish the race." Then the man in the suit left.
Ezra opened the door to Sam's room and half expected himself to be more surprised when he saw the empty bed. He spotted her suitcase near the trunk and hefted it onto the mattress. He opened it, only to find different assortments of shirts, pants and skirts. He was about to close it when he had a thought. Running his fingers down the edge of the bag he found what he was looking for. The false bottom dropped easily away to reveal the long shiny mass of coppery hair.
"Seems like you've been keeping a secret Miss Hunter," he murmured. "Good to know." Quickly and efficiently he placed the contents of the satchel where he had found them. Then he placed the bag at the foot of the bed and made his way to the door. He made sure to lock it behind him.
Fifteen riders lined up at the starting line the next morning. They filled up the street. People scurried to find the best place to watch. Chris positioned himself by the start/finish line, between Orrin Travis and a man in a suit that looked vaguely familiar. Travis called everyone to attention. "All right everyone settle down. Thanks for all who showed up to participate and all who came just to watch. Four Corner's first annual...."
Samantha stopped listening after that. She pushed the black Stetson away from her eyes. The binding surrounding her chest was snug, but not so snug that it was debilitating. She was dressed somberly in black pants and a dark green shirt as a sign of mourning.
Chance was eager to be off and it took a lot to keep him in line with the other horses. She glanced down the line of riders to either side of her. Vin was three horses to her right, looking intensely competitive. Ezra was on her left, he and his chestnut starting the line. Thunder and his rider, Mark were directly to her right. The black stud pinned his ears at Chance and snapped at the gray, only to narrowly miss being bitten himself. Buck and JD were somewhere in the throng, but Sam had no time to look, because Travis fired the pistol into the air, signifying the start of the race. All fifteen horses surged forward, like a huge multicolored wave.
The horse raced down Main Street in a tight bunch, everyone fighting for position early. Samantha eased Chance back, content to let the others run their race early. They still had a long way to go. The race covered four miles over rough country and two circuits of the course. She had plenty of time.
From her position at the back of the pack she could see everything. Three horses from the lead ran Bonfire, Vin sitting still and not rushing. JD ran second, letting Seven stretch. She knew that if he kept his pace that fast, they would be finished soon. Another man on a chunky Palomino was first, whipping his horse to his utmost speed. She thought she caught a glimpse of Ezra's red jacket somewhere mid-pack, but she wasn't sure. Buck and Clyde were a few horses ahead of her and to her right.
The racers headed into one of the most treacherous sections of the course. The ground was uneven and the path narrow, almost inviting an accident. Sam was so caught up looking where Chance was going that she didn't even notice Thunder's rider edging the giant black horse back to race beside her. Samantha glanced sharply to her right. Mark grinned evilly and pulled on his left rein. Thunder moved obediently left.
Sam was forced to check Chance severely to avoid being hit. The gray stallion wringed his neck, but his stride shortened. Mark eased Thunder back to match strides once more. He veered left again, but this time Sam couldn't avoid him. Angry Chance lunged for the black and the two collided midstride. Miraculously Thunder raced on, almost as if the bumping had not taken place at all.
Chance was not so lucky. The gray stumbled and nearly went down on his knees. Sam came very close to being pitched over the front of her saddle. Only a handful of Chance's mane saved her. Finally the gray got his feet back under him. He tried to rush after the departing horses. "Easy, easy." Sam soothed. She looked over his shoulder at his legs, and thanked God that they appeared undamaged. She trotted the gray in a tight circle.
"Okay bud. Let's get that son of a bitch. Hyaa!" Chance took off after the pack, sensing that they were leaving him behind, even thought they had disappeared around a corner. They entered the canyon at a gallop, but still the other racers were not in sight. His hoof beats echoed, bouncing against the canyon walls. Then there was another sound; a bang and a ping as a bullet bounced off a rock to her left. There was another shot, then another.
Sam swore and hunched closer to Chance's neck. The gray flattened out and flew up the slope to the top of the ridge. Amazingly, they were not hit. At the top Sam steered Chance to the trail on the right. But she stopped when she saw a man with a rifle coming from that direction. They were trapped.
Sam's eyes traveled to the steep, rocky slope to her left. It was their only chance. She pulled Chance around to the left, sighting the riders coming around the ridge and heading back toward Four Corners. No one had heard the gunshots. A final shot rang out just as they slipped over the edge. This time the bullet found its mark, imbedding itself deep in Sam leg. She cried out and pulled sharply on the left rein. Chance reared, twisting in the air and landing off balance on the slope.
All semblance of balance gone, Chance reared again and started to slide down the hill. By some amazing miracle, Chance kept his hooves in front of him. The two half slid, half scrambled down the hillside. At the bottom of the knoll, Chance gathered himself and took off for Four Corners with no urging from Sam. She was too busy righting herself in her saddle.
Less than a minute later, the first rider flew through the finish line for the first time. JD, containing his exuberance, had pulled Seven back into fifth. Vin remained in fourth, while Thunder steadily began to move up. Ezra was still mid-pack. Three riders pulled up, including Buck. Chris walked over to his oldest friend. Buck was panting as he dismounted and his face showed disappointment.
"Threw a shoe," he explained. "Too bad too. He was running real nice."
"Too bad is right Buck. But at least he ain't hurt."
"Yeah. Where is everybody else?"
"Vin's in third. JD is fourth and Ezra is..." he shrugged, "somewhere."
"What about Joseph and Chance? They took a bad hit or two near the ridge and then I lost sight of 'em."
"They haven't been through yet Buck." He peered down the street. "There, here they come now."
The two men watched as Chanced flew through town, his rider hugging his neck like a vice. They had more than thirty lengths to make up on the rest of the field. "I know Joseph wanted to be far back, but that's ridiculous!" Buck crowed. "He'll never catch them."
Chris barely heard his friend. His eyes narrowed. Thunder's owner appeared at the side of the street his face red from exertion. His eyes shifted nervously and he wiped the sweat from his brow. Chris watched the man for a moment, then dismissed it. "Two miles left to run Buck. A lot can happen in two miles...."
Sam felt light headed. Chance raced on with no aid from her. She knew the only reason she wasn't in intense pain was the fact that her body was pumped full of adrenaline. "Come on Chance. Keep it up. We're catchin up." It was true. They caught the last racer at the beginning of the canyon. The rider on a paint made no effort to urge his horse to greater speeds.
They were in the middle of the pack coming down off the ridge. Chance was giving it everything he had. She felt the stallion stretch further, his muscles stressed to their utmost capacity. He had been running at top speed for more than half a mile, with a half mile left to run. There would be no place to ease up and catch a breath. The only hope they had was to run at top speed the rest of the way. Samantha only hoped Chance could do it.
She could see Four Corners in the distance. Chance broke through to the front of the pack and kept going. There were only four horses in front of them now. JD and Ezra were now both in top gear as they flew across the flatlands. Two lengths beyond them ran Thunder and Bonfire. The smaller bay was leveled out, running as fast as could to match strides.
Chance began to creep up on Seven and Chaucer. First he was at their flank, the horses' tails whipping back. Then Chance's nose drew even with their saddles and finally they were racing head and head. They were less than an eighth of a mile from the finish now. Chaucer gamely tried to keep pace with the gray, only managing to do so for a few strides before dropping back.
She and Chance drew even with the Bonfire and Thunder as they entered the town's limits. Bonfire was spent and Vin knew it. They started to drop back. Then it was only the gray and the black. Mark whipped his horse while Sam remained still. Chance was giving it everything he had. He was flying. People in the crowd talked about that drive for the finish for months afterward. Some said the gray sprouted wings before their very eyes. Others said that had you stood close enough, you would have been picked up and carried along in their wake. All Sam knew was that somewhere, somehow, Chance found a little more, dug a little deeper. And it was they who flew across the line first, the winners by half a length.
Chance dropped out of his gallop almost immediately. Sam rested her hands on his shoulders. His muscles quivered with exhaustion and his coat was nearly white with lather. His sides heaved and his nostrils were red. Yet his head remained high, a triumphant look in his eyes.
Judge Travis pushed his way through the throng that surrounded horse and rider. The older man reached up to shake Sam's hand. She took it. Buck pushed his way through as well, followed by Chris. JD, Vin and Ezra hung near the back of the crowd on their horses. Vin nodded to her.
"Well looks like you pulled it off boy!" Buck called out, grinning wildly. "Good job!" He slapped her knee. A look of sure agony flitted across her features. She groaned and her hands went slack on the reins. Buck looked at his palm and stared dumbly at the dark red blood. Chris's smile froze and dropped from his face.
"Nathan!" The black clad leader cried. He shoved everyone out of the way. Sam saw spots floating in front of her eyes. Her head spun. Then she dropped from Chance's back into Bucks arms....
She groaned. Sam's eyelids felt heavy. A stream of sunlight hit them and made her head ache. "Looks like someone has finally decided to join us." A soft voice played on her ears, but she couldn't place it. She forced herself to open her eyes.
Nathan's smiling face greeted her. "Afternoon. How are ya feelin?"
Sam tried to sit up, but with the sharp flash of pain shooting up her leg she thought better of it. "How's Chance," she managed to croak.
"He's fine. Real tired, but fine. JD and Vin took care of him after you collapsed. Here, take some water." The cool liquid felt like heaven as it soothed her parched throat and dry mouth.
"How long was I out?"
"It's noon on Sunday."
Sam moaned again and brought her hand to her face. She realized that the bushy feeling of her mustache was not there. She eyed Nathan suspiciously between her fingers. A look of amusement crossed the healer's face. "So you finally noticed."
She felt herself flush. "So you know?"
"It's kind of hard to miss. Especially when your mustache falls off." Nathan grinned and handed her the thin attachment. Sam took it warily.
"Do the others know?"
Nathan shrugged. "Not my place to tell them. I figure I know why you did it anyway. Chance is one hell of a horse."
A small smile crossed her lips. "That he is. That he is."
"Not like you can hide it forever though. Admittedly we've all been kind of busy lately getting set for the race, but once all the people leave we'll get back to normal. We ain't stupid you know, just preoccupied as of late. I'm pretty sure one or all of us are goin to notice you and your," he grunted, "husband limpin around on the same leg. Am I the only one?"
"Nope. Vin knows, and I'm pretty sure Ezra does too."
"I wouldn't be surprised. But do give us some credit. I think everyone would be more understanding than you think." There was a knock at the door. "Should I let them in?"
Sam fumbled with the mustache momentarily and then stuck it to her face. She only hoped it wasn't too crooked. The six other men poured into the room.
"Hey Joseph. How ya feelin?" JD asked, sitting heavily at the edge of the bed. Sam grimaced as the movement sent another wave of pain through her leg.
"Like hell." She responded darkly. "Do ya'll know what happened?"
Chris stepped forward. "It seems some people weren't too happy with you buyin up the Johansson ranch. Mr. Prescott specifically."
Ezra interrupted. "It seems the parcel of land that you purchased was very highly valued as grazing acerage. Mr. Tanner brought this to our attention when he spoke of the cattle grazing on your property. I assume you have been meaning to fence off your fields?"
"You assume correctly."
"Well, in checking with Ms. Travis at the Clarion offices, she informed us that Prescott had been making inquiries into purchasing the Johansson land. Unfortunately for him, the week he went out of town was the week you showed up, cash in hand. He's been after you for that land ever since. Do you recall any proposals to buy your parcel at an inflated price?"
"Vaguely, but I turned him down."
"Anyway," Buck continued the story, " that didn't sit too well with him. He hired Thunder's owner and rider to make it so you failed to finish the race. Somehow he knew you needed the money to finish payin off the farm."
"And how did you come to the conclusion that Thunder's owner was involved at all?"
"A few things," Vin informed her quietly. "Chris noticed Jim arrived late at the finish and was kinda out of breath and nervous. Plus Ez and I walked in on the two of them arguing over the rest of the money. Prescott didn't want to pay Jim for a job half finished. We listened in just long enough to find out what we needed and then busted in on them."
"We found a sniper rifle wrapped in paper in one of Thunder's tack trunks. Same caliber slug Mr. Jackson removed from your femur. No one ever said you had to be intelligent to be a criminal. Needless to say all three are now in our fair town's quaint jail accommodations. Mark even signed a confession."
"So I guess that's about it." Chris finished. The five gunslingers that had come to visit stood to leave.
Sam's heart began to race. "Not quite." She called out. Everyone turned to stare at Joseph. "I have a small confession to make." Now everyone was really paying attention. Nathan nodded encouragingly.
"I have lied to you. I am not who I said I was. And I feel I owe you all an...explanation."
"Well then spill it," Buck prompted.
Slowly, Sam reached up to her lip and peeled away her sideburns. Then she took off the mustache. "Hi."
"Samantha!" Buck cried.
"Hey Buck." She looked at each man's face, gauging their reactions. Vin just looked pleased and smiled to her. Ezra didn't look at all surprised. JD appeared to be in shock, his mouth hanging open. Chris' face revealed nothing, but there was no disapproval in his eyes, no resentment. Buck looked anywhere from shocked, to thrilled to angry.
"You could have gotten yourself killed! Racin is no place for a woman!"
"Bested you didn't I? Pompous, over grown child," she muttered darkly.
"She is correct Buck. Don't argue with the lady." Ezra's eyes danced.
"Perhaps we should just start again," Larabee's quiet, commanding voice took over. He held out his hand to Sam. "Hello, the name's Chris Larabee. These are Ezra, Buck, Vin, JD, and it seems you have met Nathan."
Chris shook the battle scarred hand. "Name's Samantha Hunter. Good to meet you all."
Nathan let the group speak for a few more minutes until he noticed that Sam fought to keep her eyes open. "All right, visiting hours are over. Samantha needs her rest. Now get."
Samantha closed her eyes and sighed.
"The day is done,
the battle won.
The blood that spilled,
is dry and still.
The lines were made
The bruises fade.
But wounds that bled
Leave scars in their stead."
No one had to say anything. They all knew what she meant.
THE END
Please tell me what you thought! If you want more like this tell me. Maybe in the ATF? Hope you enjoyed it.