The Texas Kid
by Patricia Henry
Chapter Two
The coach suddenly jolted.
Cecily looked out the stage window. �We seem to be going awful fast.�
�Hey, driver!� one of the men pounded on the roof.
Mose pulled back on the reins but the horses wouldn�t stop running. �Whoa! You dab darn no good-Whoa, I tell you!�
In the distance, a rider came over the hill. Cecily watched out of the stage window as the rider
began chasing after the stage. Within minutes the rider was racing along side the coach. From what Cecily could see, he was young. In his twenties, she guessed. Suddenly his horse was gone and she felt the stage slow, then stop.
Jess Harper kept hold of the lead horse�s harness. �What�s your hurry, Mose?�
�Ain�t mine, it�s that gray horse they gave me. Spooks easily. I told them that. But the line just don�t listen to me.�
�What got it going this time?�
�Bee landed on the horse in front of it. I frightened it away with the reins but that dab darn horse...that dab darn bee!�
�Mose, maybe it�s your fault.�
�Mine! How so?�
�Well you�re just so sweet that bees naturally come where you are.�
Mose frowned. �Reckon I am at that. To be lettin� you take my time jawin� when I should be
getting these passengers to the relay station. Awful sweet of me ain�t it? Some other driver would be snapping your head off for insolence. But not me! �Cause I�m just sweet.�
Jess laughed. �Well I�m glad I caught up with you. I�m late getting to the station. Was scared you had beat me there.�
�And I am beholding to you, Jess. for stopping these no good stubborn horses.�
�Mose, I�ll tie my horse to the back and ride on with you.�
�Climb aboard but be quick about it. I got two women on this run and I don�t want them sitting
in this heat.�
Jess tied his horse to the back of the stage. As he walked past the coach door, heading for the stage seat, a young girl stuck her head out of the stage window. �Howdy!� she said with a smile.
He tipped his hat. �Miss.� He smiled back at her.
As Jess climbed into the seat beside Mose, Cecily leaned back into her own stage seat. That was the Texas Kid. She just knew it was. She quickly opened her book. �Medium Height,� she read.
�Blue eyes and has no fear as he rescues women from the tragedies of life.�
Mrs. Corey was curious. �You look like you just got the nicest present of all.�
She nodded, thinking, �I have. I just met the Texas Kid.�
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