RomanceEverAfter

Fiction & Essays/The Cowboy & the Mustang Mare

As Tom stoked the campfire coals on the second night, he began to feel poorly about lying in wait outside those canyon walls. He hadn’t seen hide or hair of the mare for two days, and wondered if she would ever reappear.

He began to think that maybe this wasn’t the kind of horse for him after all. He knew that wild horses like lots of space and the open range. They love to run and they just keep running whenever something stirs their spirit. Sometimes they don’t know why they run, or where they’re heading, but that’s not important so long as they are free to race with the changing wind.

Even if he could coax her out of that canyon, get a saddle on her, and maybe even settle her down some- she might still yearn for the open range. If that happened, Tom would know, and only be the sadder for holding her in.

Tom peered deep into the moonlit canyon, but he couldn’t see her. He knew she was still in there, but she surely wasn’t ready to come out.

He stared down at his dusty boots and smiled a long smile, kicked the charred cold campfire and thought how lucky he was to have seen her in his pasture that misty morning.

He knew that the best wild things are captured only with the eyes and in a point in time when they make themselves available to be seen. You can’t touch or hold them ever- no matter how much you might like to. You can hope they will stay put a spell so you can enjoy them, but you always know they will be moving on in their own good time.

Tom pondered, "I guess that’s the way it was meant to be". He took one last thoughtful look, turned from the canyon and started to walk slowly back to town.

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BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE:  Wayne Bayliff

Mr. Bayliff is the recently retired President & CEO of the National Automobile Club and National Motorist Magazine.  Mr. Bayliff has traveled extensively and documented his adventures in several articles. Mr. Bayliff has also added fiction and poetry to his versatile writing portfolio. His first novel, a political thriller, 'The Osiris Graves' is expected to be completed and published soon.

Also read another short story by Mr. Bayliff at The Cruise.