They were scheduled to meet up with Majors and follow him to the sight of the demonstration. So they were up early, had eaten breakfast and retrieved their horses well before Majors stepped out of the hotel.

"Good morning gentlemen." He called out to them as he walked through the door and down the steps to his waiting buggy.

"Morning." Both Teaspoon and Buck answered. Teaspoon approached the man, out of hearing range of the boys.

"Mr. Majors, about last night…"

"Not to worry, Mr. Hunter. O'Connor felt rather chastised about what he said and apologized profusely. He'll be here today and I have a feeling he'll be thinking positively toward investing."

"That's real good, but I still feel bad about talking to one of your potential investors that way. I just get a little upset when one of boys is besmirched. I'm sorry."

"It's over. Now, shall we go?"

They followed Majors' carriage, stopping to pick up Russell along the way. Buck had to admit that he was pleased to see Anna with him. She smiled at him as she took a seat in the buggy, then turned away, greeting Majors as the carriage got under way again.

The group stopped about five miles out of town.

"Our guests will be joining us in about fifteen minutes. Show them whatever skills you think would give them the best impression of the Pony Express. We'll end the demonstration by sending you riders off in different directions, carrying a message. I've already told you where your destinations are. You'll pick up a reply and head back here. The idea is to show speed and service." Russell completed his instructions.

"Okay. Buck, see that stand of trees? You take those. Ike, there's a nice thick patch of prairie grass over there. Become invisible. I think I see them coming."

Ike and Buck rode off on different directions. Buck virtually blended into the trees. Ike waited until the buggies were drawing closer, then laid his horse down behind the stand of grass, disappearing from view.

Majors spoke first.

"Welcome Gentlemen! As you know, we have invited you out here to view the skills used by our Pony Express riders. I would like to turn this little demonstration over to one of stationmasters, Mr. Teaspoon Hunter."

"Morning gentlemen. Nearby are two of my riders. Can any of you see them? They're within view. No?" Teaspoon turned and surveyed the landscape. Placing thumb and forefinger to his mouth, he let loose with a loud whistle. Ike immediately popped up and rode to a central area in front of the gathered men. No one had seen him up to that point.

Teaspoon whistled a second time and Buck moved slightly, coming into view. He then kicked his horse riding quickly toward Ike.

"Gentlemen, and Lady, this is what we call a pass off." Buck rode toward Ike, mochilla extended toward his friend. Ike snagged it and rode off as Buck pulled his horse to a stop, turning it back in the direction he had just ridden from. "The riders have just seconds to pass the mochilla to the next rider, so he can be on his way." Buck dismounted, looping the reins over the pommel of his saddle and moving a few feet behind the animal, where he waited for Ike to ride back.

"This is another form of pass off." Teaspoon said as Ike came galloping back, tossing the mochilla to Buck where he stood. Buck turned, running toward the horse, and vaulted over the horse's rump, landing into the saddle. The horse took off running. He turned the horse back, stopping next to Ike. Dismounting, Ike took Buck's horse and rode it a ways off. As he turned and rode back, Teaspoon continued his narrative.

"Each rider has two minutes or less to switch horses at the way stations." Ike rode up , threw himself from Buck's horse, threw the mochilla onto his saddle as Buck handed off the reins to him. Buck slapped the horse's rump as his friend bounced into the saddle. Buck did a swing up onto his animal's back and rode off to the west as Ike returned to the demonstration area.

"The boys must be skilled riders." Teaspoon continued as Buck wheeled his horse around, kicking it into a fast gallop and did a series of bounces from the saddle to the ground and back again. As he drew closer to the demonstration area he slid sideways in his saddle, becoming invisible to the viewers.

The businessmen watched carefully, seeming to pay attention to Teaspoon and the boys. Anna stood in the buggy, trying to get the clearest view she could. The young half-breed, who pulled his horse to a stop nearby, was becoming more and more intriguing to her. The buggy driver had moved off, trying to get a good view of the demonstration himself.

"And it sure doesn't hurt if they can handle a gun." Ike and Buck pulled their guns and fired, chipping away at a tree branch nearby, each bullet taking off a few inches of wood.

The horse pulling Anna's buggy was apparently unaccustomed to gunfire. It shied nervously with the first shot, throwing Anna back onto the floor, then took off running at the sound of the next bullet, without anyone at the reins to control it. Buck heard the noise, kicking his horse into action, Ike right behind him, even as Teaspoon yelled out.

All heads turned to watch the action.

Buck rode low, drawing closer to the runaway buggy. As he drew even with the horse, he reached over, grabbing part of the harness, then shifted from his horse to the back of the runaway. Ike came riding up behind him, grabbing hold of Buck's horse as Buck pulled the runaway to a stop. Jumping down, he ran back to the buggy.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he climbed into the bed of the buggy. Anna was struggling to sit up, her heart still racing from the excitement. Buck held a hand out to her, helping her up and into the buggy seat.

She sat for a moment, catching her breath, then threw her arms around Buck's neck, clinging to him.

"It's okay. It's over." He told her, holding her carefully until she was ready to pull away.

"Thank you. Thank you very much. You saved my life."

"The horse probably would have stopped before long." he said as Ike came along side, signing a question. "She's fine. Let's get you back." Buck climbed over the seat to the driver's bench, looking over his shoulder to check on Anna once more before slapping the reins against the horse's hindquarters and moving around in a circle to head back, Ike leading his horse.

Anna jumped down from the buggy as soon as it stopped and into the arms of her uncle. She was still shaking a little but was otherwise composed.

"Are you hurt?" Russell asked her, holding her out at arm's length, then embracing her again after she shook her head no. "Thank you both."

Teaspoon walked up between Buck and Ike.

"Good job, boys. You both okay?" They both nodded. "Good." He turned away, joining Majors.

"Do you want to continue?" Teaspoon asked him quietly.

"No, I think we've had enough excitement. Besides, this may have made more of an impression on these men than anything else we might show them." Majors walked over to the cluster of businessmen.

"Gentlemen, I think under the circumstances, my partner is going to want to take his niece back to town. I hope you won't be too disappointed if we bring this demonstration to an end. We had planned on recreating a delivery, but I'm afraid these horses might be a bit too tired after that chase to show you accurately how quick our riders are. Why don't we adjourn for lunch back at the hotel and conclude our meeting there?"

The businessmen shook both Majors and Russell's hands, tipping their hats to Teaspoon and the boys or even stopping to thank them as they went back to their carriages. As they rode off, Russell helped Anna back into the buggy, then joined her. Majors turned to the three men.

"We hadn't planned on ending quite this soon, so you have the afternoon free. William and I have to finish up this meeting, but we'd appreciate it if you would join us for supper again tonight."

"Alexander, Anna has just invited all of us to have supper with her and her fiancé and my brother's home."

"It's the least I can do." Anna said.

"Very well. And thank you for the offer. Gentlemen, we'll have a carriage waiting outside the hotel at…seven? Seven it is."

Buck and Teaspoon mounted their horses and followed the buggy into town.

On to Chapter Eight

Be sure to send some feedback!

Fan Fiction

Main Page