Littlest Cowboy
IKE LEARNS THE VALUE OF LIFE FROM A TERMINALLY ILL BOY...
After a woman in town is frightened by Ike's inability to speak, he lets his frustrations out on the other riders. His frustrations present themselves in a nightmare. He and the other riders are at an elegant ball. Everyone is dancing. He asks a woman to dance. As they are on the floor, he hears people laughing at him. He looks down and realizes he has grown a horse's tail.
When
Teaspoon needs a rider to go to Pine Bluff to negotiate the price of the
use of the water hole, Ike volunteers. Teaspoon is hesitant because negotiation
may be needed. Buck volunteers to go with Ike. Ike, however, sneaks out
and leaves for Pine Bluff on his own. Once there, he is beaten. He is later
taken in by a saloon girl. When her house catches fire, he is unable to
make the sheriff understand and she is killed. The sheriff arrests him
for murder. Buck arrives and explains things. The sheriff lets them go.
Ike becomes more sullen and hostile toward Rachel and the riders. He feels as though everyone treats him as if he were a dummy and refuses to talk to anyone about it. Meanwhile, Helen, Rachel's friend, arrives at the waystation with her son, Arthur. Arthur is dying from a heart condition and has been in the care of his grandfather, who refused to let Helen see him. She took Arthur away to fulfill he last wishes, one of which was to see some real life Pony Express riders.
The
riders -- except Ike -- immediately grow fond of Arthur and show him what
life is like as an Express rider. One night, as Arthur is reading his book,
The Littlest Cowboy, Ike shows up drunk. After Teaspoon refuses to let
him into the bunkhouse, Arthur takes care of him. Arthur talks to Ike about
being sick and how he hates it that he can't do all the things he would
like to. He leaves Ike his book.
When Arthur's grandfather arrives, he takes Arthur and threatens to jail Helen. On their way out of town, they are stopped by Ike. He refuses to let Arthur go. As one of the gradfather's bodyguards is about to shoot Ike, Arthur runs out to stop him. He tells his grandfather that he doesn't have much time left, but that it's his time. He makes his grandfather promise to take him to the mountains, another wish he had. He, Arthur, and Helen head to the mountains. Ike comes to terms with his limitations and is forgiven by all. As Lou returns from her run and Ike leaves for his, she gives him a gift -- a book entitled The Littlest Cowboy Rides Again.
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