Later that afternoon it
came to her why she recognized you.”
Shane sheepishly looked up from his empty plate,
“Where’d that be from?”
“She used to be quite a horse woman in her younger
days. We raised some quarter horses that she showed in reining and western
pleasure. She enjoyed entering the big shows, like the Quarter Horse Congress,
every year. She won her fair share of ribbons too. She used to soak up all she
could about training horses and she read everything she’d get her hands on.”
Mr. Jensen smiled as he talked about his wife.
“She remembered driving all the way to Kansas with a
friend of hers to see you put on a clinic years ago. At least, she’s pretty
sure it was you. I remember when she took that trip; I couldn’t believe she
would drive that far for something like that.” Mr. Jensen squinted at Shane and
asked, “Was it you she saw?”
“Yes sir, it probably was. I put on a few clinics in
that area. It was a long time ago, though.”
“What brings you out here now?”
Shane sat quietly for a moment. He was going to have
to tell someone about his hunt for the herd, and he thought Mr. Jensen might be
a good place to start. “I came out here to see through a promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“It concerns the little mustang I left at your
farm.” Shane wasn’t willing to open up to this man or anyone else about what
had happened to his family. All people needed to know was that he made a
promise to set the mare free with her wild herd, and he was bound and
determined to see it through.
Mr. Jensen sipped his coffee, then sat back. “I
think there’s something you should know about that horse. I recognize the brand
on her hip. Do you realize what you’ve got?”
“Not really, I know she comes from a herd that runs
wild on the reservation.”
The old man smiled as he stood. “I’ll tell you what,
son, you look like you could use a home-cooked meal. You come out to the house
tonight and see your horses. I’ll tell you what I can about that mare over
dinner.” He took one more sip of coffee, then leaned over and said, “Let me
give you some advice. If I were you, I wouldn’t mention that brand around town.
You might stir up more interest than you want.”
Shane nodded to indicate that he heard his warning,
then the old man headed for the door. He thought Mr. Jensen was being a little
dramatic with his advice, but figured he would wait until he heard what the
Jensen’s had to say before he went nosing around town about the mustangs.
After breakfast, Shane went back to his room. He’d
slept for over seventeen hours and felt rested for the first time in a while.
He quickly grew restless watching TV, so he decided to drive around and have a
look at the countryside. Soon he might be packing into the foothills and
valleys surrounding the area, and he wanted to see what he was in for.
Shane also
knew if he sat idle for very long, his mind would begin to drift to the
memories that continually haunted him.
Sometimes he felt guilty pushing the thoughts of the
three out of his head, but for the present it was the only way he could
survive. So he left the little room and drove northwest toward the mountains in
hopes that seeing this country would be a good distraction.
He didn’t have to drive far before realizing how
special this place really was. The scenery was spectacular, and he couldn’t
help but be in awe. Soon he found himself on an elevated road, where he stopped
his truck to gaze down into a valley. Scanning across this amazing site from
his high perspective, it almost appeared as if the countless tree-topped hills
below had collided, sometime in years gone by. Each one was shoved up against
the other, as if once they had been in motion and then long ago had come to
this sudden eternal halt. They seemed to roll on forever, until they finally
ran into the base of the distant snow-capped mountains that rose high into the
clear blue horizon. It seemed in every
came to her why she recognized you.”
Shane sheepishly looked up from his empty plate,
“Where’d that be from?”
“She used to be quite a horse woman in her younger
days. We raised some quarter horses that she showed in reining and western
pleasure. She enjoyed entering the big shows, like the Quarter Horse Congress,
every year. She won her fair share of ribbons too. She used to soak up all she
could about training horses and she read everything she’d get her hands on.”
Mr. Jensen smiled as he talked about his wife.
“She remembered driving all the way to Kansas with a
friend of hers to see you put on a clinic years ago. At least, she’s pretty
sure it was you. I remember when she took that trip; I couldn’t believe she
would drive that far for something like that.” Mr. Jensen squinted at Shane and
asked, “Was it you she saw?”
“Yes sir, it probably was. I put on a few clinics in
that area. It was a long time ago, though.”
“What brings you out here now?”
Shane sat quietly for a moment. He was going to have
to tell someone about his hunt for the herd, and he thought Mr. Jensen might be
a good place to start. “I came out here to see through a promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“It concerns the little mustang I left at your
farm.” Shane wasn’t willing to open up to this man or anyone else about what
had happened to his family. All people needed to know was that he made a
promise to set the mare free with her wild herd, and he was bound and
determined to see it through.
Mr. Jensen sipped his coffee, then sat back. “I
think there’s something you should know about that horse. I recognize the brand
on her hip. Do you realize what you’ve got?”
“Not really, I know she comes from a herd that runs
wild on the reservation.”
The old man smiled as he stood. “I’ll tell you what,
son, you look like you could use a home-cooked meal. You come out to the house
tonight and see your horses. I’ll tell you what I can about that mare over
dinner.” He took one more sip of coffee, then leaned over and said, “Let me
give you some advice. If I were you, I wouldn’t mention that brand around town.
You might stir up more interest than you want.”
Shane nodded to indicate that he heard his warning,
then the old man headed for the door. He thought Mr. Jensen was being a little
dramatic with his advice, but figured he would wait until he heard what the
Jensen’s had to say before he went nosing around town about the mustangs.
After breakfast, Shane went back to his room. He’d
slept for over seventeen hours and felt rested for the first time in a while.
He quickly grew restless watching TV, so he decided to drive around and have a
look at the countryside. Soon he might be packing into the foothills and
valleys surrounding the area, and he wanted to see what he was in for.
Shane also
knew if he sat idle for very long, his mind would begin to drift to the
memories that continually haunted him.
Sometimes he felt guilty pushing the thoughts of the
three out of his head, but for the present it was the only way he could
survive. So he left the little room and drove northwest toward the mountains in
hopes that seeing this country would be a good distraction.
He didn’t have to drive far before realizing how
special this place really was. The scenery was spectacular, and he couldn’t
help but be in awe. Soon he found himself on an elevated road, where he stopped
his truck to gaze down into a valley. Scanning across this amazing site from
his high perspective, it almost appeared as if the countless tree-topped hills
below had collided, sometime in years gone by. Each one was shoved up against
the other, as if once they had been in motion and then long ago had come to
this sudden eternal halt. They seemed to roll on forever, until they finally
ran into the base of the distant snow-capped mountains that rose high into the
clear blue horizon. It seemed in every
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