“I don’t know, but I know one thing. I’m not taking another whipping either.”
We peeked over the bales looking out for our daddies, but when we didn’t see them, we settled down behind the bales to wait. “You don’t go back and face up to that whippin’, then what you ’spect t’ do?” asked Mitchell.
I considered. “Suppose I’ll go west. Maybe find George. There’s plenty of open land out there.”
Mitchell scoffed, “For a white man.”
“Maybe, but I figure a man of any color can try. I figure to get some of that open land out there, lots of it. Why, I’ve read they’ve got mountains that keep snow the whole year long, and the coldest streams filled with fish, and there’re all kinds of game out there too. I figure to get me some of that land and have a place same as my daddy with plenty of good livestock on it, horses and cattle.”
“Well . . . you dream on.”
I knew Mitchell was mocking me, but I didn’t challenge him. It was my dream, after all, not his. He could think what he wanted. Instead, I said, “So, what about you? What are you going to do?”
“Go where I can. One place ’bout the same as another t’ me. ’Spect it don’t matter, long as somebody’s not whippin’ on me.”
“You know,” I said, glancing over at the track, “we could take that train west out of here.”
“Jus’ hop it?”
“Well, I suppose we’d have to. We’ve got no money.”
“You got money. It’s jus’ in that Ray Sutcliffe’s pocket, that’s all.”
“Well, looks like it’s going to have to stay there,” I said. “I can’t risk going back for it and have my daddy find me.”
Mitchell didn’t say anything. He just tilted his hat over his face to ward off the scorching sun. I no longer could see his eyes. After a few minutes he hopped up. “Look here, Paul,” he said, “why don’t you go see what time that train’s s’posed t’ pull out? I’ll be right back.”
I got up. “Where you going?”
“I’ll be back,” he said again, and took off without answering my question. I didn’t call after him; Mitchell was Mitchell, and he certainly didn’t answer to me.
I left the cotton bales and went over to a platform where tickets were being sold. I found out there were two trains leaving in the next few hours, one going west and one going east. I knew which one I wanted to be on, so I walked the track trying to figure a good car Mitchell and I could hop and hide in to start our journey west. I worried about Mitchell, worried if he had gone back to confront Ray Sutcliffe. I prayed not.
For some while I walked along the cars and no one questioned me. My clothes were good, and I was counting on most folks who saw me to take me for a well-to-do white boy who was fascinated by trains. Still, I wore my cap low over my forehead and was thankful that my hair hung long over my ears and my forehead, somewhat hiding my face.
I continued to walk the track; then I headed back toward the cotton bales to wait for Mitchell. There were a number of folks now gathered on the platform; most of them looked like travelers. Among them were some folks whom I’d seen both times I’d raced. One, a tall, silver-haired woman standing with three younger women, looked my way and smiled, then pointed me out to the others in her group. Quickly, I glanced around for another route to the bales, but I didn’t find one before she called to me. “Aren’t you the boy who just rode that winning horse a bit ago?” she asked.
I was sorry the woman had recognized me, but I had to answer. “Yes, ma’am,” I said.
“And as I recall,” she went on, “you won another race a few days ago. My, you are the rider, aren’t you?”
She waited for me to reply. “They were good horses.”
“Certainly were,” she agreed. “I’ve got a stable of horses myself, and I know good horseflesh when I see it. I know good riders too, and you certainly are one.” I nodded my thanks and looked away, ready to be on my way. The woman, however, kept on talking. “I’ve noticed you’ve ridden for two different gentlemen. Are you hiring out as a rider, then?”
She gave me no chance to answer.
“Because if you are, I might have a place for you riding my horses. My three daughters here and I are just getting ready to board this train back home, and we’ve got a couple of new horses to take with us that I’m sure you’d be able to ride. Of course, you need to know I don’t put my horses up for as many races as some folks do, but you could do other work with the horses too, training, taking care of them, and such. You think you’d be interested?”