That said, my daddy walked off from me. I watched him go. I knew my daddy meant what he said, but I didn’t heed his words.
It was some three days later when Mitchell and I were brushing down the horses in the stalls my daddy was renting, Mitchell said to me, “That man from Alabama, one wanted you to ride for him, he come askin’ me ’bout you. Came to the stables earlier.”
I stopped my brushing and peered across the horses at Mitchell. “Did? What he want?”
Mitchell kept on brushing. “Wanted t’ know if you were on your own or if you was debted t’ Mister Edward.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“Told him I didn’t know your business. Told him too, he wanna know your business, he best be talkin’ t’ you.”
“My daddy’s dead set against my racing that grey or any other horse he doesn’t approve of.”
“Well, s’pose he got his reasons.”
“Said he doesn’t want me hurt.”
Mitchell grunted.
“Said he’ll whip me bloody I ride without his permission.”
“Good ’nough reason not t’ ride, then. But don’t be too surprised if that Alabama man come t’ talk t’ you.”
I wasn’t. Early the following morning the Alabama man came to the stables where Mitchell and I were tending to a gelding. My daddy wasn’t around. On this particular morning my daddy and Willie Thomas had gone off into the surrounding countryside looking for horses and weren’t expected back until late in the day. Ray Sutcliffe came right to the point. “I want you to ride for me, boy.”
I looked at him as if surprised.
“I just lost my rider,” he explained. “Came down with the stomach flu again or some such thing, and here I’ve got a race to run by noon. I wanted to speak to the man you work for, but I understand he’s gone for the day. I wanted to do him the courtesy of asking him again, but I need a rider now, and you’re the best I’ve seen. Now, I know Mister Logan doesn’t want you to ride for anybody but him. He made that clear. But if he’s got no hold on you and if you want to ride for somebody else, you can.” He looked at me pointedly waiting for a response.
I gave him one. “He’s got no hold,” I said. Mitchell looked at me, then kept on with what he was doing.
Ray Sutcliffe smiled. “Well, you ride for me today, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
I glanced at Mitchell and took my time before I asked, “Mister Sutcliffe, what’re you figuring as worth my while?”
Ray Sutcliffe seemed surprised that I had put the question to him. More than likely, he was figuring I would just take him at his word about making my riding “worth my while.” “You’d be getting my rider’s pay,” he said. “Same as I’d pay my own rider.”
“Well, Mister Sutcliffe, I know what a rider’s pay is around here, and it’s not worth losing my job because of it. My boss told me not to ride a horse that’s not his, so I know I’d be in real trouble with him if I did. No, sir, I thank you for your offer, but I don’t figure to risk my job for just rider’s pay.”
My words seemed to put Ray Sutcliffe on the spot; they seemed unexpected. “Well, don’t you worry none about that, boy,” he said, talking down to me. “I’ll talk to Mister Logan myself and let him know the situation. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
“He might understand,” I said, “but I’ll still be in trouble with him. I can’t do it.”
It was then I saw Ray Sutcliffe’s eyes true for the first time. The man was desperate. Maybe he’d made a wager he was counting on winning a little bit too much; I didn’t know. All I knew was that he was desperate for me to ride, and I figured him to pay me a good price if I did. “I said I’d make it worth your while, boy, and I will.” His voice was now testy. “This here’s a good horse you’ll be riding, an excellent horse. I’ve got a considerable wager on him, and that wouldn’t be the case if I didn’t know what an excellent horse he is. Tell you what. I’ll double your rider’s wages.”
I glanced again at Mitchell, who kept on grooming the gelding, but his eyes did meet mine, letting me know he knew the same as I about this man Ray Sutcliffe. “No, sir,” I said again. “Double a rider’s pay isn’t going to help me out any with Mister Edward Logan. He says a thing, he means it. I go against his orders and I won’t be able to go back to Georgia. I ride for somebody else, then I know I have to go on my own. I go on my own, I’ll need more than double a rider’s pay.”