Thursday, September 22, 2016

Blackthorne--Review IX--Ep: 50-51


image from mbaldwinfineart.blogspot.com


Blackthorne

Cinemagenics 50-51

Review  Part IX

“The couple of these reviews only garnered like a half
dozen comments. I understand, but it is disheartening
to work so hard on catching the readership up on the
story so far, only to witness little interest. Of course,
the reviews are lengthy, & most folks don’t want to
read more than one page; there it is--and now to
continue.”--Glenn

Fifty: Deception--Buck & Johnny built a holding corral in
a small alcove in a cliff. They staked out three unbroken 
mares in it. From ten feet or further, the tall sage that was
cut & stacked against the railings hid the corral--it just
looked like an open passage between two large boulders.
Above them, the Appaloosa & his herd stopped to
investigate. The stallion & the mares conversed. The breeze
blew from behind him. He did not smell the hidden men. 
Several of the mustangs were restless in the herd. The
Appaloosa silenced them. The stallion trotted down the
hill & stood at the opening. The tethered mares urged him
to come to them. After a few minutes of alacrity, he came
into the corral, and began nuzzling the mare. The sound of
the first pole slipping across the opening spooked him. He
whirled around & bolted toward the pole, but rapid fire a
second, third, & fourth pole slid into place blocking him--
& there were two men with ropes behind the poles.

Fifty-One: Capture--The Appaloosa raced around the 
holding pen, as the mare screamed & strained against
their lariats. He jumped, bucked, & kicked out hind legs,
then rose up on them, wild-eyed & punching at the dusty
air. Johnny & Buck stood quietly, their faces flushed with
excitement. The Eagle said, “God’s heuvos, that’s one
damn magnificent horse! Buck said, “Hey, brother. it
worked--Chatawa is ours!!” Johnny responded, “No, my 
Buck, he is all yours, jumping right out of the clouds for
you, folding back his wings, the mist still steaming off 
his spotted rump. He has great medicine & a warrior’s 
heart. One day soon he will be pleased to carry your
big bones.”  Buck, “Well, he’s not mine yet, for he has
run wild for a time, & only the arroyo wind has been his
rider.”  Johnny, “With him at stud, you will build the
finest rancho in the territory. Bronson will shit himself
with envy.” Johnny slipped through the poles, & stood
up, his yellow lariat in one hand--then he said, “Do 
you see his split ear? You luck holds, hombre, for he
is Nez Pierce trained. Appaloosas like him have 
already been tamed & ridden, but their spirit has not
been broken. Now he is calm, & he waits for a new
Master.” Buck sprouted a huge smile. The stallion
stood in front of the mares. Johnny, “Sure, I know,
hellfire stud, these now are your women. We are not
here to hurt them or you. No, no, we will give you 
love. Do you remember love, Chatawa.”  The stallion
held the Indian’s scent in his quivering nostrils, &
upon hearing his Indian name, he calmed down. 
The Eagle continued, “Yes, I’m talking to you, brave
boy--with the ass like thunderclouds. Do you remember
gentle hands, the smell of buffalo?”  Johnny pointed
to Buck, “There is a buffalo , right there. You & he will
be compadres. You two prairie giants have seen
plenty of those big humps crashing to earth, huh?”
He moved closer to the Appaloosa, his rope looped
now. “”Chatawa, do you see this rope?” He tossed 
the rope loop on the ground near the horses hooves.
“That’s right, it’s just an old rope, not a snake, harmless.
It smells of horses, mesquite, buffalo crap, sweat, & me.”
He gathered up the rope & stepped closer. The dappled
stud lunged at him, but Johnny side-stepped, & flicked
the wide lariat loop over the horse’s head, then quickly
swing-wrapped it around a breaking post. The horse
stopped & stood tall. “You see, it’s alright, you are not
hurt.” The Indian bent down & plucked out a handful
of sweet bunch grass, & tossed it near the stallion.
Chatawa accepted the offering, & began to munch it.
Johnny unwrapped his end of the rope, & dropped it
into the red dust. Johnny & Buck leaned against the
railings, just smiling & enjoying the company. Johnny
said, “It grows late, boss. Let’s unstake the mares &
let them all calm down over night. We will continue
this in the morning. I tell you he has a great spirit--I
have never seen greater.” Buck said, “Yes, and he has
known love. That will be our key with him--his heart.”


Glenn Buttkus

Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub  

13 comments:

brudberg said...

Oh I do love the wrap-up here, what a magnificent ending capturing that horse, but there is more to come I guess. What work you have been doing on the series.

Kim M. Russell said...

I enjoyed the description of the scene at the beginning, with the sage hiding the corral. I just love that Appaloosa!

lynn__ said...

Can't help but admire your mastery of setting a scene...and that magnificent stallion!

Xenia said...

Beautifully written and I can feel the spirit of the stallion and visualise him. Thank you for sharing :o)

Victoria said...

I will confess to being one who hasn't followed the story line with clarity, but will also confess that I savor your ability to describe a scene, your sensory details, and throughout, your incredible skill at dialogue. Of course, I'm of the West, live across the street from horses, grew up riding. All I can say is that you capture the feeling of "my" country.

Margaret said...

First I've seen of this series. You have written them all? I have a QH - grew up reading horse stories and still have many of those wonderfully illustrated books. Billy & Blaze, Green Grass of Wyoming, Flicka, Tonka, Black Beauty, King of the Wind - anything horse drawn and written by C.W. Anderson... Recently enjoyed The Eighty Dollar Champion. Maybe we will see this in hard back one day?

Grace said...

I remember this part....great details in your story telling Glenn ~ Appreciate the second reading ~

Mish said...

Besides your expertise in playing a vivid movie scene inside of my head, I was drawn to the story line in terms of respect and understanding of the spirit of the horse. Beautiful.

Susan Anderson said...

As one who has always loved horses, I read this with great enjoyment. I think you got the tone and voice just right.

Thanks.

tonispencer said...

Glenn, I love your writing and way you set a scene. But i must confess to getting...not bored, but overwhelmed with such wordy "reviews". Maybe it is time to start writing new scenese or to make them less labor intensive. I am retired but I am busy with my life and carettaking my husband and soon yo be my mother as well. I am taking a haitus from dVerse for a bit to move my mother in. You put so much into these that it is only natural you will never get back what you put into them. I'm not laxy, just incredibly busy and sometimes, the verbosity turns me away. I hate saying that because I enjoy your regular poems muchly. Every OLN I know there will be one of these. And so it has beefor so long. Maybe a separate blog for these? I don't really consider these as poetry. I don't mean to make you angry or hurt your feelings but sometimes, these are a bit much to have to read.

Katie Mia Frederick said...

WeLL.. hello Glenn.. as my
mama alway said.. if you
don't have anything
kind to say
don't say
it.. hehe..
particularly
when one is involved
in a song of art that
comes from within.. a wild
spirit of horses too.. from a place
that has enough feeling and empathy
to tolerate and even accept what they are not
used to too.. from before.. what the Fuck is Poetry
but what
comes from
heart.. spirit
S o U L noW..
W H A T
the fuck is
a mundane
description
of every day life..
and a fucking three line
haiku..
when
you
can
do a full
symphony of
somewhere you've
never been before..
to share with others
who have enough look.. to read..
to each his/her/etc.. own.. but may
the naysayers stew in their own soup..;)

Anonymous said...

Oh, i need to follow this more closely. Wonderful, descriptive work, Glenn.

Theresa Milstein said...

I think you captured the capture well.