The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Joe managed to stay awake for the rest of class and did as his father had instructed. He went first to the Ponderosa and tended to the remaining horses and cattle. After about two hours he then headed to the ranch of Mr. Walter, who was waiting with him on the front porch with a smile.
"Howdy Littl' Joe," Walter said as he held the rains for Joe.
Joe gave the elderly man a smile and a hug, his crankiness diminishing upon seeing his adopted Grandpa. "Howdy Mr. Walter, how're you?"
"Oh, I'm jist fine, jist fine. And I got a treat fer you! Now you take care of ya horse and get yur things in yur room. Then ya meet me by the coral…oh ya'll git a kick outta this Joe!" Walter said with all the eagerness of a child.
Joe grinned as he took in the elderly man. Walter was wrinkled face and bald as ever, but his child like glow made him seem forever young. He wore his normal work cloths and boots with that same old gray, dingy hat that Joe had given him three years ago. His skin was weather beaten and his hands were rough with work, but every line on his face had been earned and there was more laugh lines then frown lines and he always seemed happy.
"Alright, be there in a minuet," Joe said and he set about the tasks. Ten minuets latter Joe was standing by Walter at the coral staring at a magnificent gray stallion.
"Found him by your place. Came off the wrong side of a fight, had busted rump and two lame legs," Walter said with pride.
"He don't look lame to me," Joe said as he made his way to the coral to get a better look at the horse that was galloping around.
"He aint anymore, that's fer sure. Took me four weeks to git 'im up and around, but once his rump got better his legs were jist fine," Walter said, now glowing pride. "I think he's ready to be broken, what you think?"
"His left leg is dragging just a bit," Joe responded looking back over his shoulder.
"Hmmm….but it don't seem to be bothering him none," Walter concluded as he came up to Joe's side.
"Nope, sure don't," Joe gave Walter a big grin and asked, "Have you named him yet?"
"Not yet, thought I'd leave that to ya. Ya see Joe, I have a rule that I live by when breaking horses. Don't name a horse until you've broken it 'cause a wild horse with a name is just as good as lame. But Joe, 'm to old to be breaking horses, and as you pointed out the legs dragging on this one, so I was figuring that I'd teach ya what I knows."
Joe's eyes lit up and his face broke into the widest grin that it could manage. For a moment he couldn't think of anything to say, but only for a moment. "Really?! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Joe exclaimed as he hugged the elderly man.
Walter laughed and returned the hug for a moment before pushing Joe back and saying, "Now go git yur saddle from the barn and we'll get started."