SWOLLEN IN THE SADDLE (2)

A little trail drive that went wrong

The Big Drought: Swollen in the Saddle

One day, Billy Briscoe and I were dispatched to trail some of our and the Briscoe’s cattle into Faith, to the stock yards where they would be bought. Because of the drought, we had to follow the cattle rather than drive them. If they walked too fast and didn’t get enough grass to eat on the trip, they would lose weight. So, we took about three days, just to travel from Thunder Butte to Faith.

The first day out, we came to the Moreau River, where the cattle drank and settled down in the shade of the trees. Our horses were dripping wet from the heat, so I pulled the saddle off mine. He was a very skittish bronc type. The flies covered him to soak up the moisture when I pulled off the saddle. The flies started driving him crazy pretty quickly, so I had to ear him down to get the saddle back on. When the saddle was on, he whirled and kicked me in both upper thighs. He got a direct hit, and I fell to the ground thinking that my legs were broken. I managed to get back into the saddle and we got the cattle going again, but I was riding a "contest" saddle and my legs swelled until my jeans nearly split and wedged me tightly into the saddle. When it started to get dark, we bedded the cattle down and I tried to get off the horse, but I couldn’t manage it. I was so swollen in my jeans that I was wedged tightly, so Billy undid the cinch strap and the saddle and I slid to the ground—saddle and all

We were pretty tired so we slept soundly all night, even though I was swelled into the saddle. By morning, the swelling had gone down enough that I was able to get out of the saddle. Then, we were faced with a pretty bad hunger and no coffee. After talking it over, Billy rode a couple of miles to Rattlesnake Pete’s place where he bummed some coffee grounds and Pete gave him a slice of goat meat for us to split. That was one of the best breakfasts I ever remember. We spent the rest of that day and the next night with Rattlesnake Pete and his goats. Since my legs were pretty much back to normal, we finished the trip into Faith.

 

------Eagle Cruagh

 

Reviews

[Helena Parris]

Ow! I agree with Thewill. The narrator is so nonchalant about the whole thing, even when he gets an injury that would have most people screaming to the heavens "911!" he merely gets on his horse and rides off. And when he finds his legs are swollen so badly he is stuck in his saddle (the last hours of that journey cannot have been pleasant), he clunks merrily to the ground, saddle and all, and sleeps it off. In the morning he's more concerned about the lack of coffee than anything else, and finishes the tale with sort of an anti-climax "...we finished the trip into Faith."
Like Thewill, I get the feeling that I'm sitting at a campfire listening to a cowboy relate a mildly interesting story. I half-expect him to finish up with, "Anybody want the last of this coffee?" It makes clear that when this cowboy sets himself to a task, he finishes it, come what may, and does so without fuss.

[Norma M Sutton]

OUCH. That's one ride I don't think I'd care to remember. Other then breakfast. Goat is good when fixed right and not from a ornery old stinking billy goat lol

[x]

A slice of cowboy life as can only be told...by a cowboy.
I get the feeling the tale is being told while sitting around the campfire, such is the way the story comes across. It is hard and matter-of-fact in its style and there is complete nonchalance or detatchment coming through with the telling of the injury and I find this is entirely appropriate, given that the narration is being expressed by a cowboy and this treatment of the story...leads the reader to believe he is a pretty tough one at that....so great layering for the reader in the writers attitude expressed throughout the script. It suited it very well.
Most meaningful line in the whole narration....'That was one of the best breakfasts I ever remember'. In this line the trials of the whole story are eclipsed with a kind of relief found in the enjoyment of the very simple meal.
So, there is the ordeal of the episode but it all comes to rest with the enjoyment of the meal and by all accounts, it was a breakfast to be reckoned with so again, the attitude of the cowboy is evident.
A great glimpse into the real life of a cowboy.

[Phibby Venable]

I love the name Faith, as traveled toward..and this is great writing, John,
and keeps the interest all the way through!

[Tracie Skarbo]

Oh my god! You poor thing! Glad to hear it was your thighs though and not your knees you would have been out of the count for sure! Bet you had some pretty purple horseshoe tattos for a while...yikes! I am sorry but it would have been so strange and funny to have come across a man sleeping in his saddle like that. You have truely lead an interesting life! Can't wait for the next chapter in the trail rides of your life. :)

[Ellen Hammond]

Ooooouuuch that would hurt!!! Are you able to look back at it now and see a funny side to it? I think it would take a while, atleast until the swelling was gone. Thanks for sharing these tales of the trail.,