Cowboy Loy

Loy loved to watch the Saturday morning cowboy shows on the television. Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, The Gabby Hayes Theatre, Annie Oakley were all on his "have to see list". But he also enjoyed Black Beauty, and My Friend Flicka equally as well because he loved the horses. When he was playing outside he was always mounted on his big stallion, Silver. Yes, the same Silver he let the Lone Ranger ride on Saturday morning.

One night a thunderstorm brought some heavy rain and made big mud puddles all around Loy's house. Across the street along side a gravel driveway leading into the Gonnigam, Bass, Hill Lumber yard was a really wide and really long mud puddle. It was the size of the Rio Grande, or the Mississippi Rivers. Loy knew he would have to check it out as soon as he saddled up Silver.

It was a beautiful day for riding the trails. The sun was climbing into a clear blue sky and the day would be hot after the sun got higher. Loy threw the saddle blanket and saddle on big Silvers back and swung into the saddle as he started to gallop away. Good thing Loy was holding the saddle horn or Silver might have left without him. Silver was the biggest, bravest, and strongest horse in Loy's stable. Just the horse needed to check out the Rio Grande river.

Loy had his six guns on his sides, his cowboy hat tied to his head, and his new cowboy boots on his feet. Today he had on brand clean pants and shirt too. Mom was taking him to the grocery store after her nap. Mom was a waitress at the Standard Truck Stop on night shift and was real tired when she got home in the mornings. She would lay down for a couple hours each morning and Loy was suppose to stay in the house and watch TV. But Silver and the Rio Grande were calling for his attention on this beautiful day.

As Silver carried Loy at a full gallop down the hill from his house, Loy knew there was trouble ahead. He could see some stage coach robbers riding up the banks of the river. They were riding hard but even so their horses were no match for the speed of Silver. Silver quickly caught up with the slowest robber and Loy lassoed him, pulling him off his brown mare. Loy jumped from Silver's back and hog tied the hombre faster than he could blink an eye. There were two more bad guys still trying to escape and Loy whistled for Silver, grabbed some mane and the saddle horn as the big stead galloped by swinging back into Silver's saddle. Silver instinctively went on the chase again.

"Wow! Look out! He's shooting at us Silver." shouted Loy. Loy's hand was instantly drawing a six shooter from the holster and returning fire. Silver side stepped a falling rock and his hooves splashed into the river as Loy pursued the robbers along the Rio's banks. "Careful big fella! Another falling rock." Loy warned. Splash, splash, splash, as the chase continued.

A good shot from Loy's gun brought down the second robber and as he fell from his old gray mare he splashed in to the Rio. Loy knew he had to save him from drowning so he turned Silver toward the center of the river. Splash, splash, splash, splash, as Loy reached down and took hold of the villains collar. He turned Silver toward the bank where he dropped the wounded man.

Once again he returned to the chase. One more bad guy to capture. Loy rode Silver across the street, around the big flat rock, behind the gnarly old tree, gaining on the third ruffian the entire time. Then to Loy's surprise the ruffian forced his palomino into the river and up the opposite bank. "Jump Silver! Jump high and far!" coached Loy. SPLASH, SPLASH, as Silver made it only half way across the Rio. Oh no! Silvers hooves slid on the muddy bottom of the Rio and KERSPLASH. Loy had been dumped off Silvers saddle right into the river. Loy was wet and muddy from hat to toe of the new cowboy boots. Six guns and holsters clogged with mud, his cowboy hat was holding water like a canteen.

Loy stood in the center of the Rio Grande trying to catch his breath from the cold water shock. Then a much bigger shock happened.

"Loy what in the world are you doing in that Mud puddle? Look at your clothes. Oh no Loy! How could you do this?" Mom took Loy's hand and tried to pull him from the mud puddle but Loy's boots had sunk in the mud and she was forced to step into the puddle to avoid falling in with him. Oh Boy was Loy's Mom upset. Whew!

That was the only time Loy ever put Silver in the stable wet.

INTRODUCTION | RUNAWAY LOY | BIKEMAN LOY

Loy's Follies
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