admiringly as he watched her hoist a bale to
her shoulder.
“ I’ve done it all my life”
she said with her grin as she made her way to the ramp to carry it
to the cart.
With the three of them working it took no
time at all to empty out the boxcar of the unused feed and hay.
“ Should I clean it out?”
Maggie asked Perry as they hauled the last bags of feed to the
cart.
“ Naw, it’s cleaner than I
expected and they will haul away the used hay” he told
her.
It was cleaner because Maggie had been
flinging out the piles whenever she had an opportunity. With that
many horses they had made a lot of manure and it would have piled
up and been ground under their hooves had she not kept on top of
it. She mounted up on Sampson and saw as Perry got up beside the
man on the cart. She wondered how he had gotten to the depot or if
the man was with the circus as she led her horses behind the slow
moving cart.
“ How did you know I would
arrive today?” she asked Perry who looked back at her awkwardly
over the bales of hay from the front seat of the cart.
“ The train wired ahead,
you’re early” he said admiringly. People never were on time and she
was early, who’d of thought?
Maggie subsided into silence since she could
see how difficult it would be to carry on a conversation over the
cart. Besides she had to keep the horses under control.
That many horses attract
attention. That many black horses attract a lot of attention. They were
nervous, excited, and a little shy as they began to feel the
release after being cooped up for so many days and nights. Their
coats shined in the sunlight as they trotted and walked, trotted
and walked, showing off a little. It was very slow following the
cart and Maggie wished they would hurry up but the nag pulling the
cart had only one pace, plodding.
It took a while to get across Columbus and to
the fairgrounds where large tents were set up and there were people
everywhere. Perry led her to a non-descript tent before having the
cart stop and climbing down. “Wait here” he called to her as Maggie
looked around.
There were people all over doing all sorts of
things, setting up other tents, practicing acts from what she could
see. Many looked at her just as curiously.
“ Maggie O’Malley!” Cecil
called as he came from the tent Perry had gone into.
She smiled as she slipped off of Sampson to
shake his hand.
“ How was the trip?” he
asked.
“ Long” she said with a
grin.
“ Yes, I heard it was
delayed, I was so hoping to meet you at the depot but I was needed
here to set up. You got here early, that speaks well of you!” he
complimented her. “Let me show you the tent we have for you and
your horses and the temporary paddock for them, I’m sure they want
to run about after being cooped up for so long.”
Perry climbed up on the cart again and
directed the driver ahead of Maggie and Cecil as they walked along.
Maggie led Sampson and two horses were tied behind him, two behind
them, and so on until the whole dozen came along. They made their
own procession.
“ You’ll be responsible for
the gear we bought, keeping it in good condition, letting me know
what might need replacing if anything gets broken but we have those
feathers and other nick knacks ready for the dears” Cecil was
telling her.
They came to one of the permanent buildings
on the fairgrounds where a small tent was set up next to a large
paddock with overgrown grass inside it.
“ I thought they could earn
their keep by mowing it down for us” Cecil joked.
The cart stopped and Perry got down to join
them.
“ Now Perry can introduce you
to some of the clowns who can help you get your horses settled in
and show you around.”
Maggie nodded wondering when they would want
her and her horses to perform.
“ I found someone to work
with you, I’ll send her over later so she can get used to the
horses and you two can work on your act” Cecil told her. “If there
is anything you need, you just
her shoulder.
“ I’ve done it all my life”
she said with her grin as she made her way to the ramp to carry it
to the cart.
With the three of them working it took no
time at all to empty out the boxcar of the unused feed and hay.
“ Should I clean it out?”
Maggie asked Perry as they hauled the last bags of feed to the
cart.
“ Naw, it’s cleaner than I
expected and they will haul away the used hay” he told
her.
It was cleaner because Maggie had been
flinging out the piles whenever she had an opportunity. With that
many horses they had made a lot of manure and it would have piled
up and been ground under their hooves had she not kept on top of
it. She mounted up on Sampson and saw as Perry got up beside the
man on the cart. She wondered how he had gotten to the depot or if
the man was with the circus as she led her horses behind the slow
moving cart.
“ How did you know I would
arrive today?” she asked Perry who looked back at her awkwardly
over the bales of hay from the front seat of the cart.
“ The train wired ahead,
you’re early” he said admiringly. People never were on time and she
was early, who’d of thought?
Maggie subsided into silence since she could
see how difficult it would be to carry on a conversation over the
cart. Besides she had to keep the horses under control.
That many horses attract
attention. That many black horses attract a lot of attention. They were
nervous, excited, and a little shy as they began to feel the
release after being cooped up for so many days and nights. Their
coats shined in the sunlight as they trotted and walked, trotted
and walked, showing off a little. It was very slow following the
cart and Maggie wished they would hurry up but the nag pulling the
cart had only one pace, plodding.
It took a while to get across Columbus and to
the fairgrounds where large tents were set up and there were people
everywhere. Perry led her to a non-descript tent before having the
cart stop and climbing down. “Wait here” he called to her as Maggie
looked around.
There were people all over doing all sorts of
things, setting up other tents, practicing acts from what she could
see. Many looked at her just as curiously.
“ Maggie O’Malley!” Cecil
called as he came from the tent Perry had gone into.
She smiled as she slipped off of Sampson to
shake his hand.
“ How was the trip?” he
asked.
“ Long” she said with a
grin.
“ Yes, I heard it was
delayed, I was so hoping to meet you at the depot but I was needed
here to set up. You got here early, that speaks well of you!” he
complimented her. “Let me show you the tent we have for you and
your horses and the temporary paddock for them, I’m sure they want
to run about after being cooped up for so long.”
Perry climbed up on the cart again and
directed the driver ahead of Maggie and Cecil as they walked along.
Maggie led Sampson and two horses were tied behind him, two behind
them, and so on until the whole dozen came along. They made their
own procession.
“ You’ll be responsible for
the gear we bought, keeping it in good condition, letting me know
what might need replacing if anything gets broken but we have those
feathers and other nick knacks ready for the dears” Cecil was
telling her.
They came to one of the permanent buildings
on the fairgrounds where a small tent was set up next to a large
paddock with overgrown grass inside it.
“ I thought they could earn
their keep by mowing it down for us” Cecil joked.
The cart stopped and Perry got down to join
them.
“ Now Perry can introduce you
to some of the clowns who can help you get your horses settled in
and show you around.”
Maggie nodded wondering when they would want
her and her horses to perform.
“ I found someone to work
with you, I’ll send her over later so she can get used to the
horses and you two can work on your act” Cecil told her. “If there
is anything you need, you just
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