For the rest of the week that was to be the course of things. Joe would wake up, ungodly early it seemed to him, to ride out to the Ponderosa and do his chores. He'd then go to school, only to return to the ranch to do his afternoon chores and then to Mr. Walter's where he would ride the stallion. The only break in Joe's routine was that more and more of Virginia City seemed to be disappearing and the class was getting smaller and smaller. This didn't bother the boy any though, he was too excited about his bronc busting lessons and riding the stallion to really care.
As far as the bronc busting went, Joe was a natural. He was so easy and confident in the saddle that it didn't take long before Walter declared that Joe could name the horse. This was a big honor to the young Cartwright and it took him an entire evening to think of a fitting name. He just sat out on the coral fence watching the stallion move until Walter came to fetch him to bed.
"I think I got a mane for him Mr. Walter," Joe said happily as Walter helped him down from his perch.
"Really now? Let's hear it," the old man said kindly.
"Wally, I think he's a Wally," Joe said as the stallion trotted over to him and stomped his hoof in agreement.
"Oh really? Wally hey?" Walter said with a glint in his eye as he watched Joe pat the stallion that was nudging him lightly.
"Yeah, Wally. You see Mr. Walter…." Joe started, but a wave of the old man's hand silenced him.
"Hush Littl' Joe," he said kindly and took hold of the boy's hand, "If you explain it the magic's gone. It's enough that you understand and that the horse likes it." The last part of Walter's sentence was lost in a coughing fit as the old man doubled over trying to get his breath back.
"Are you alright Mr. Walter?" Joe asked, worried. For the last week he'd noticed that Walter had been looking tired and warn and in the last few days he had developed a cough that left him winded.
Walter waved the boy's concern away, "I'm fine littl' Joe, jist a bit of dust is all. Come on to bed. You'll need your strength tomorrow; I've another horse fer you."
Joe's worried face lit up with glee at the news, "Really?! I can break another one?"
"Well, not yet, you've got to train Wally here first, then ya get to break the next one. But a boy with your talent shouldn't have no problems with at least starting that second horse tomorrow."
"Talent?" Joe asked curiously as he and Walter stepped into the small ranch house.
"Joe, you've got jist about the most natural talent that these old eyes has ever seen. There aint been nobody in all my years that took to horses as quick as you did. You jist seem to know what they's thinking and how they work. Aint seen nothing like it," Walter confirmed just before another coughing fit took him.
Joe gave a devilish smile as he headed over to his room, trying to ignore the ominous sound of the hacking, and when Walter was don h said, "Papa always says I'm half horse."