Fathers and Sons Chapter Seven: Horse Trading
Sweltering in the sun which now blazed overhead, the men sought the shelter of the livery stable. Only Roy and Teresa remained outside. Roy watched as the girl picked up halter and rope and walked to the mares. She reached for the nearest mare, but the horse shied away and it took two tries before she was able to slip the halter over the mare's neck.
Roy climbed over the corral rail with no noise at all and eased next to Teresa. She jumped when she turned her head and found him next to her.
"Sorry." Roy mumbled "I kinda fergit that people cain't hear me neither."
"You just startled me; that is all," Teresa said, her voice reminding Roy of a cool waterfall.
"You shore have some pretty mares here, Teresa."
"Gracias. They have only been with us for a week. They belonged to an old hidalgo. Once they were fine riding horses in his stable, but he lost his wife and children in a raid of the Apache long ago and now he is too old to keep them as he wishes. They have become almost wild again, living in his pasture with nothing to do all day."
"They just need to meet people again, gentle like, and then they'll be fine."
"Yes, Roy, that is what I am trying to do, but I think I am very clumsy because sometimes they shy away, as you saw this one do."
"No, Teresa, you ain't clumsy. You're just a might hasty."
She looked at him, a question in her eyes.
"You just need to do it all a lot slower. Watch."
Roy reached up, putting his hand on the horse's neck, stretching his hand up to the horse's ears. He removed the halter as the mare dropped her head into his other hand.
"Roy! How did you do that? Show me!"
He chuckled. He took the halter and walked toward another mare. His walk was slow and soundless. Comin' gal, he thought. He stopped in front of the mare and held out a fist. The mare was a little wary, but when he didn't move, she dropped her head and sniffed his hand, sucking in her breath and then blowing it out in a strong snuffle along the back of his hand. He opened his fist and turned it palm up; the mare's nose fell into his hand. With his other hand, and always so that the mare could see what he was doing, he reached up her neck and scratched behind her ears. Her eyes went soft and dreamy and her head dropped.
He lifted the halter up over her nose and fastened it behind her ears before she was even aware of it. She snuffled again, but he just turned his back to her and started to walk away, the lead rope in his hand. She let him go two or three paces till the slack left the rope. Then she started walking behind him, matching his pace. When he stopped, she stopped. When he turned in another direction, she followed. Teresa walked beside him.
He stopped. The mare stopped. Teresa stopped. Teresa grabbed Roy around the neck and landed a kiss on his cheek. "You are a wonder, Roy!" she exclaimed. Roy turned scarlet and had no idea what to do next. Where the heck was Mano when you needed him? he thought.
The livery office, although dark, was spacious with a solid desk in one corner and cane chairs, enough that all might sit down. Once they had received a cup of coffee poured by their host, it was Ruiz who began speaking.
"Vaquero, these mares you have, have you any idea how old they are?"
"Sí, the old hidalgo who had them told me he had bred all of them. He could name their sires and tell me of their history, because he had bred them for his wife and children. Sadly, many years ago now, the Apache raided his rancho when he was from home and killed his esposa y niños. Terrible! This was more than ten years ago and he said the horses were quite young then. I would estimate they are now about 15 years old, but you can see they are still excellent horses."
"Vaquero, are they of the old Spanish bloodlines?"
"Sí, sí, Manolito. You can tell how fine is their pedigree just by looking, no?"
"Es verdad! The black mare is particularly fine."
"Ah, she belonged to the hidalgo's wife. He bred her especially from his prize stallion, Gregorio," Ruiz recalled.
"Gregorio? Not the horse that won the Sonoran championship-oh, 15 or 16 years ago?"
"Yes, the same!" Ruiz exclaimed. "Do you remember him, Manolito? He was the finest horse in all of Mexico and I was not the only one who thought so. If I remember, your papá tried to buy him."
"Yes, but the owner would not sell. Papá never said why, but he was angry that he could not have him to breed to our mares."
"Ah what a fine outcrop that would have been," Ruiz mused. "Manolito, do you remember our talks...before your mamá…"
"I don't mean to hurry nobody, cuz this here's serious business, but shouldn't we get on with it?" Buck interjected.
Mano laughed, "Yes, Buck, you are right. Our dreams are fine, but we are here to speak of today. So, Vaquero, what do you want for these fine ladies?"
"Well, they are worth much."
"Oh, they were, Vaquero, once to be sure, they were, but now…" Mano paused.
"Sí, tienes razón. They are no longer so valuable. Still I would like to get a good price for them as well as to know they go into good hands."
"The price then, Vaquero. The price?"
"Treinta dolares cada una!"
"Treinta!"
"Huh! Do he be saying thirty dollars a mare?"
"Sí, Buck, he do! This is a little high for only breeding stock, no? Veinte dolares, no más!"
"Veinticinco entonces."
Mano laughed. "Ay yi yi, it is a deal! Twenty-five dolares for each mare."
"Er Mano could we speak…a-lone? Now?"
"Sure Buck. Permiso, gentlemen."
Buck grabbed Mano by the coat sleeve and dragged him out of the office and deep into the barn.
"Are you plumb loco, Mano?" Buck hollered. "Twenty-five dollars for each mare? That's $150 and pretty much all we got!"
"I know Buck, but I think it will be worth it. These are wonderful animals and standing them to Diablo's son, Toronado, should give us fantastic horses. Real quality and an excellent start for our C-Bar-M operation. Our name would be known immediately."
"Aw right, calm down, Mano, calm down."
"Sí, calma." Mano's breathing was heavy. He put a hand on Buck's shoulder and stared at his friend, a smile on his lips and his eyes shining.
"So you think it's worth it to sink all our eggs in this here basket?"
"No question, Buck, no question at all. We would be fools to pass up the opportunity."
"Well, we ain't never fools, are we?" Buck's irony and raised eyebrow made Mano laugh out loud.
"No, Buck, we are not fools. Come let us go and arrange payment for our stock."
They walked back into the office to seal their deal, paying Vaquero with some of John Cannon's money that they had saved on the vacas. They would settle with John later. Mano folded the bill of sale and placed it in his jacket pocket with a smile. This was better than he had hoped, and they had not even pursued the matter of the mustangs. Time enough for that later.
"Teresa?" Roy asked as they leaned against the corral fence.
"Sí, Roy?"
"How old are you?"
"Roy! You should never ask a woman how old she is. That is most rude!"
"Oh, pardon me, ma'am, but I don't rightly know much about manners. I'm powerful sorry."
Teresa laughed. "You are forgiven, Roy. And I will tell you. I am 18 years old, soon to be 19."
"Soon to be? You mean you got a birthday comin' up?"
"Yes. My birthday is early next year: February 14, el día de San Valentín."
"Gosh! I don't know when my birthday is. Sometime after Easter. I think I'll be 21 or 22. I'm not awful shore."
"Roy, how terrible that you do not know your birthday!"
"Well, my momma and daddy died when I was still purty young and I don't rightly remember about birthdays and such. Didn't seem no reason to remember 'em."
"Well, then, we shall celebrate your birthday and mine on the same day. Then you will never forget, will you?"
"I reckon not." His face reddened.
Business concluded, the men walked into the yard, smiling and laughing. Teresa stared with soft brown eyes that seemed kinda glittery to Roy.
"Your mares fetched a very fair price, mi hita," Vaquero announced. Teresa knew she should smile but instead blinked back tears. She would miss the horses. And she had started to like this young hombre as well. So different was he from the boys in Casa Cueva.
"Roy, could you come here, please?"
"Shore thing, Mano." Roy jogged over to the far edge of the corral.
"Roy, I would ask of you one big favor."
"Anything, Mano, anything at all!"
"Well, my friend, I do not want to bring these mares back to the Chaparral quite yet. I think they need a little more work to make them, cómo se dice, agreeable? I would like you to remain here in Mexico and work with them."
"Mano, Teresa's done a fine job on these horses and she can do more, I know she can!" Roy exclaimed with surprising vehemence. Aha, Mano thought, eyeing him. You have allowed your heart to be touched, muchacho. Well, so much the better.
"Roy, I think that Teresa can indeed do more, but it would be better for my peace of mind if you were here to supervise her work and ensure that we get only the best quality horseflesh at the end, no?"
"I suppose so, Mano. If'n yore shore it'd be Teresa's work."
"But of course, amigo, of course!"
"Aw right then, I'll stay here. Er, but where would I stay, Mano? Not at yore daddy's. I don't like that big fluffy bed."
"Let us join the others and we shall enquire."
He saw Vaquero conversing with Ruiz and Buck discussing the mares with Teresa. Mano and Roy strolled near the four.
"Vaquero, hombre, as we confided to you in the office, Buck and I have a small place of our own in Arizona, the C-Bar-M. We intend that one day it will become a great horse breeding operation, but that will take time and we do not wish our business to become, cómo se dice, gossip for everyone until we are ready, entiendes?"
"Seguro que sí, Manolito. What are you suggesting then?"
"I have discussed the matter with our junior partner, Roy, who has agreed to stay in Mexico and oversee our operation down here until the mares are ready to be moved. We wish to return to collect them in the middle of February, if they will be ready by then, naturally."
"I am sure they will be ready. Teresa is most capable."
"I do not doubt this for one moment, amigo. However, there is a question that we must resolve and that is where will Roy stay while he is here south of the border?"
"But of course he would remain with us, Manolito!" Vaquero insisted.
"Or he could stay with my family," Ruiz chipped in.
"Gracias, Ruiz, my old friend, but I do not want him where my father can spot him or the game will be over before it has begun, eh? Vaquero, if you are sure it would be no inconvenience, then perhaps the best place for Roy would be with your family."
"No trouble at all!" Vaquero beamed. Teresa's eyes sparkled. Roy allowed himself a small, shy smile. Buck looked from one to the other, dumbfounded as Mano, Vaquero, and Ruiz started laughing. Some inside Mexican joke, Buck figured.
Once their mirth had subsided a little, Mano spoke. "One thing, Vaquero, we must pay you for Roy's accommodations."
"Not at all, Manolito. You are my friend and now my customer, and for my friend and customer, I can offer some hospitality. It is the Mexican way."
"Gracias, Vaquero, mil gracias."
"No hay de que."
"Ruiz, will you look in on their progress?"
"Sí, Manolito. Without question." Ruiz winked.
"Roy and Teresa, you both can learn a thing or two from Senor Ruiz, eh?"
"Does that mean it's okay and I kin stay here?" asked Roy in a tremulous voice.
"Yes, Roy, it means that until the middle of February you will be staying here, helping Teresa with the mares and generally ensuring that our animals are kept in good health." Mano reached inside his jacket and extracted some of Big John's folding money. "Oh, and here, amigo, is the amount Señor Cannon owes you for three weeks' work, so you will not be penniless."
"Whoo-wee!" Roy danced a jig which made the men laugh again, even Buck, who slapped him on the back.
"Well, I'll be, Roy boy. Didn't know you could dance, partner."