Disclaimer: Oh boy it's that time again. Ok here's the boring formalities. The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the popery of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. For entertainment purposes only, no money is being made off of this story. Feel free to post this story on your web site or send this story to a friend with disclaimers attached. (If you have your own disclaimer posted on your site, lease keep the "Thanks" part of the disclaimer and anything else that you think might help our readers to follow the story.)
Authors Notes and Thanks: Now for the other formalities (Author's Notes and Thanks). This is an Alternate Universe story, so if things don't fit into The Young Riders Universe as you know it, that's why. Hint: You might want to forget everything about Lou's past on this one -- I've changed her past. Therefore the history of Boggs, Jeremiah, and Theresa, and Mary (Lou's mother) are going to be different also. I'm going to try to keep everyone else's past like the creators of The Young Riders had it. But please forgive me if I had to change something of some one else's history for the story. Thanks to my beta readers, my two Cyber Sisters Lynn, Suzy, Greg Maja, Josh, Hanny, and Aimee. Thank you for helping and even on a few occasions giving the scene to write when I got "writers" block, for making sure I stayed "in character", and for proofreading for all my typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes. I couldn't have written this story with out you!
"Louise, why are in a dress? It's not Sunday Morning Church." Jeremiah asked as Kid showed him how to fix the step.
"Cause I felt like it." Louise said, blushing.
"But you never wear a dress unless Pa makes you wear one. And that's only to church and dances."
"Jeremiah, if your finished embarrassing your sister, you can go get your other sister from town. Ya'll are going to have supper out here tonight. Since you took your supper to school for lunch." Emma said.
"Can I help it if Louise didn't fix enough? Besides Pa said to tell Louise that he was eating out tonight with Miss Nelson."
Louise smiled. So her father had listened to her suggestion to take Cindy to dinner. Cindy had confided in her best friend about her interest in Dr. McCloud. Louise knew that her father had had an eye on Cindy ever since she came back from finishing school. (The same finishing school that Louise got expelled from for fighting. It wasn't her fault if Georgia boasted about how many slaves her family had. Louise had just tried to shut the girl up. It worked too.) But ever since Cindy had come back from school in May, she had looked a lot less like the little girl that went off and more and more like a lady. Boggs had forgotten all about the age difference. Even though Louise and Cindy were the same age, Cindy acted a lot older. Or maybe it was that Cindy acted a lot more like a lady should.
After Jeremiah returned with Theresa, they had supper and the kids were introduced to the riders. Theresa, who the riders at first mistook for a boy, was dressed like her sister was the day before with a hat on covering her long locks.
"I bet all of you a $1 that Louise can out ride any of you!" This came from Jeremiah. And Louise at this comment died on the inside. She didn't want to show off her riding skills. She had been complaining to Emma yesterday about the boys showing off during their training. Of course it was Cody who was bragging about how they were the best riders in the world. When the boys heard this they thought that the young boy admired his older sister. They did not think that there was any truth to the statement.
"You don't have a $1, Jeremiah. Let alone $6." Theresa pointed out. "You already owe Louise your allowance for the next month and half."
"That's ok because I won't need it. You know that Theresa. Louise is the best rider there is. She's proven it every year at the Founder's Day Picnic Race." When this was revealed, the boys thought that the men and boys of the town just let the lady win the race.
"Jeremiah, maybe I'll lose the race just to teach you not to bet anymore. You don't ever learn do ya?" Louise said referring to the poker "lessons" she gave Jeremiah on the nights that he had no homework.
However, unfortunately, the boys just thought that she knew they were better than she was and Cody had to open his big mouth again. "See, Jeremiah, you should take a lesson from your sister and keep your bragging to yourself, until you know what you're talking about. Ain't no man, let alone, lady that can beat us in a race."
"Oh really?" Emma and Louise said simultaneously. It was Louise that said, "I bet your first week's pay, Mr. Cody, that I could beat you in a race."
The room went silent. Cody looked amused and smiled and said, "You got that much money. Miss McCloud?"
"You let me worry about that." Louise said defiant.
"Now you gone and done it, you've just lost your pay, Mr. Cody." Emma said.
"Everyone knows not to get Louise mad right before a bet, she might actually let you win if you're nice to her." Theresa added.
"Of course, you don't have to take the bet if you're yellow." Jeremiah said.
Of course Jeremiah you would have to match your mouth with William F. Cody's mouth. Louise thought "Jeremiah, have Lightening ready to ride by the time I get back. I'm changing into my riding clothes." she said as she stared into Cody's eyes. With a look of defiance in her own eyes.
She went into the house and changed into the riding clothes that she had on that morning. When she got back outside, Jeremiah and the riders were waiting for her to return.
Teaspoon stood and watched the boys that had decided to participate in this grudge race between Cody and Louise. Not all of them were keen on losing a week's pay. So Buck and Ike leaned against the fence with Emma, watching the others seated on their horses. The horses sensing the riders excitement nervously pawed at the ground with their hooves.
Teaspoon watched them closely, knowing just how well that Louise rode he knew this was going to be a close race, just how close he wasn't sure but with Louise and two of his best riders in the race anything could happen.
"The winner of this here race will be the first person out to the big mesquite tree and back" he spoke to the participants "Am I clear?" he asked waiting to see them all nod, he lifted his bandanna high in the air "Good Luck everybody" He smiled and then dropped his bandanna signalling the start of the race.
The horses were spurred into action, leaving the way station in a cloud of dust, they galloped as fast as their riders could push them, as if they were all as one with their horses.
Cody grinned to himself as he led the race out to the mesquite patch This is like taking candy from a baby he thought, but the smile was wiped from his face as Miss McCloud passed him as he rounded the tree, and then it didn't take long for Kid and Lee to pass him too. Damn he thought as he rode on When am I gonna stop letting my big mouth get me into trouble.
As they approached the finish line, three horses were almost inseperable. The horses matched in stamina the riders matched n skill. If the race was held again it could be a different outcome, but today the luck had been with Louise.
Kid knew that he and Katy had raced their best, he couldn't really afford to lose his first weeks pay but his own greed had gotten the better of him and he was sure that Katy was the fastest horse in Sweetwater .
Howewver, Miss McCloud had raced a better race. She had bee the victor. Though Kid and Lee had not been far behind. Lee was just a head behing Louise and Kid was a nose behind Lee. Kid was even more impressed. Not only can she cook, but she could ride for the Express if she weren't a girl that is.
Dismounting, at the end of the race watching them all congratulating Miss McCloud Cody shook his head in disbelief. How had he let himself be beaten by a girl!
Kid knew he and Katy had raced their best, he couldn't really afford to lose his first week's pay, but greed had gotten the better of him and he was sure that Katy was the fastest horse there. However, Miss McCloud had raced a better race. She had been the victor. Kid and Lee wasn't far behind Louise. Lee was just a head behind Louise and Kid was a nose behind Lee. Kid was even more impresses. Not only can she cook, but she could ride for the Express if she weren't a girl, that is.
"Mr. Cody, I'll be expecting you to pay me when you get your first week's pay, unless you have the money now?" Louise said sweetly. "oh and you also owe my little brother $1." She turned to the rest of the riders and said, "My bet was with Mr. Cody, not with ya'll. However, I do believe that my little brother bet everyone."
Each of the riders paid Jeremiah $1. Then Jeremiah turned around and paid Louise what he owed her and pocketed the rest. "Jeremiah, remind me to talk to you about your betting." Louise said as she took the payment from her brother.
After Cody paid Louise his first weeks pay, she went to look for Lee. She was determined to find out why Lee was riding for the Express. She found Lee in the barn. "Hey"
"Hi" Lee said. "Kid's not here. He's on a run."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
Lou looked around making sure that they were alone and no one could over hear. "Why are you dressing like a boy and riding for the Express like this? Don't you know what could happen if they found out?"
Lee looked stunned. "Of course I know what could happen. You won't tell will you?"
"That depends on your reason."
Lee took a deep breath, "I have a twin sister that I'm trying to put through nursing school."
"What about your parents?"
"They both died in Mississippi. We couldn't find our mother's parents and our father's parents don't even acknoeledge us. When showed up on their doorstep they said they had no grandchildren. I wanted to go to school also, but we had no money. So we tried to get a job, the only people hiring women were the whorehouses. So I cut my hair and applied for a job with the Express. When they hired me as a rider, we were able to get Lynnette in a Nursing school. When she gets through with school and gets a job as a nurse, I'm going to school to be a veterinarian."
"That must take up all your pay." Louise said stunned.
"Yeah well I'd say it's worth it. My sister is worth my life if need be."
"I know. I have a younger sister." Louise smiled. "Listen, take this, it's what I won from Cody. Put it in your savings and when I can, I'll get you more. What I give you, you save for your own education and if you need anything, anything at all, you just let me know, I'll see what I can do. I want to help you out."
Lee looked at the rich girl stunned, more angry than anything, "We don't need your pity!"
"It's not pity, if it were pity, I'd offer you what my father pays me to be his nurse. I'm just trying to help out a friend. I consider all of you my friends. And I help my friends when I can."
"I'm sorry."
"That's ok. Just let me know if there is anything else I can do to help you out."
Six weeks went by and Emma's arm healed. The first dinner Emma cooked for the riders may not have had Louise McCloud physically present, but she sure was the topic of the conversation when Cody suggested that Miss McCloud would not be around any more.
Louise returned to cooking for her family and found that her friend Cindy had been cooking for her father and her siblings. She also got to catch up on the latest gossip, but Cindy could tell that her mind was back at the station.
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