Ride 'Em Cowboy

FICTION Ride 'Em Cowboy Tony Smith WAY DOWN THE ROAD WAS A MAN WALKING. He was coming toward us. He had a long coat that went all the way down past his knees and a hat that looked like a WWI airplane pilot's hat. His britches legs were stuffed down the inside of his tall black boots. What I remember most, he was leading two of the prettiest ponies I ever saw. After we looked for a few seconds, Papaw said, "Why that's Melvin." I asked Papaw, "He's so far away, how can you tell who it is?" He answered, "I can tell by the way he walks." Then he said, "Tony, let's go back in before we freeze to death." I said, "I will in a minute or two. I want to look at them ponies some more." As Papaw went back in the house, I watched the man with the ponies get closer and closer to me. Then it came to me, "Melvin. Oh, yes, I remember Melvin. He's Papaw's oldest boy and Mom's oldest brother." He was about forty-six years old. I also remember he was the one who told me he would give me a dollar if I would pee on an electric fence. When I did, I got shocked. When I asked him for my dollar, he laughed and said, "Why I thought you had better sense than that." He never did give me my dollar. But them sure was pretty ponies. I watched as he walked on up in front of the barn and hitched them up. One of the ponies was black, and the other one was brown with white spots on him. It looked like an Indian pony. When he got the ponies tied up, Melvin turned and began to walk toward the porch where I was standing. I asked him if they were gentle. He looked at me and said, "Why they are gentle as a lamb." He walked across the porch, opened the door and walked on in the house. Back then, Melvin was a big man. He was about six feet tall with shoulders as broad as an axe handle is long. His arms from his elbows up were as big as a #6 stovepipe. Even though he was married, with a house full of youngins, he was well known for drinking, fighting, and skirt chasing. When he walked into the house, I heard him say in a loud voice, "My name is Melvin Gibbons and I guess you know your'n." I heard Papaw answer him and say, "Yes I still remember my name, I reckon." Then they sat down and began to talk. 51 Papaw asked him, "What brings you out on such a cold day, Melvin?" He said, "I just got tired of settin' at the house so I decided to get out and go somewhere." By this time, I could not stand it no longer. I had to go and pet them ponies. Before I knew it, I was standing in front of the Indian pony and was petting it on the side of the neck. All at once Papaw opened the door. He hollered at me and said, "Tony, you get back in here now!" I didn't want to leave the ponies, but I knew if Papaw had to holler one more time he would give me a good whoopin , as he liked to call it. So I went back in the house. It had begun to get late in the day. All at once Melvin said, "Well, come out and look at my ponies before I go." I knew that Melvin had to go through by my house on his way home, and I wanted to go when he did so I could ride the Indian pony. We all got up, put on our coats and caps, and walked out to where the ponies were tied up. Melvin untied the Indian pony from the barn and led it out to where I was standing. He said, "Now Tony, I'll hold the bridle reins, and you just raise up and jump on the pony...