Tully's Journey: "The Best Stories Always Become Legends"

By Annie Clark Cole

Forced to live her life as a man, Tully Williams, accompanied by her exceptional horse Ransom is on the run. Along the way, the harsh reality that she has lied to become a horse doctor, the unimaginable happens. As Tully dreams of a secret love, she becomes conflicted between good and evil. Will she find herself? Will Tully experience love and transform herself into the beautiful woman beneath her disguise?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Nov 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781684710010

Book preview

TULLY’S

JOURNEY

The Best Stories Always Become Legends

ANNIE CLARK COLE

Tully’s Journey

Copyright 2019 by Annie Clark Cole. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means–electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise–without prior written permission from Annie Clark Cole or her legal representative, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews, and or permitted by the United States Copyright law. Tully’s Journey is a novel based purely on fictional characters and story. No actual person or event is portrayed in this book.

Cover Design by Sanjay N. Patel

www.sanjaynpatel.com

Cover Model––Lacy Brinkman & Bill Cowboy Sallas

Copyright-2019 Annie Clark Cole

[e-mail]

Annieclarkcole.com

Interior Design: LuLu Publishing Co.

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1002-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6847-1001-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number TXu 2-146-328

LuLu Publishing Co.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 10/25/2019

EDITOR

JAMES CARPENTER

Dedication

BEA ROUSE

Bea is a friend and source that I have called on many times. Whether it be for a photo shoot project, film production, or legal advice Bea has gladly given of her time. She is a remarkable woman and very much appreciated.

Chapter 1

Many times, in the not so distant past, wagons heading for California rumbled down the dirt roads of a little town just west of Fort Worth. Tully had an urge for freedom as she watched what she feared might be the last of the wagons roll away, leaving her behind.

One day I’m gonna join up with one of those wagons, she thought.

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Tully Williams was in a race against time, for she knew her step-father, Buddy, was on the verge of a mental breakdown from all his drinking.

Time and time again, he had promised they would leave in the early spring, but plans weren’t developing fast enough for her. Even she knew that preparing to leave home and joining a wagon train would take more funds than Buddy prepared for. The money wasn’t coming in fast enough, and each time she came home with a payday from the local mercantile, he expected her to hand it over. She suspected he was not saving her hard-earned money for their trip westward, but squandering it on himself. Maybe listening to Buddy is ridiculous on my part, she thought.

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Tully’s mama died in the winter of 1856, leaving her with just a step-father who only used her for whatever income she could provide. She, on the other hand, was a goodhearted, young, naïve girl in need of someone to care for her. Unfortunately, Buddy was all she had for support; he wasn’t at all concerned about her education or nurtured her nor taught her anything she needed to know to be an adult. He also proved to be an emotional drain on her, causing her self-doubt and creating an unhealthy dependence on him. Before her mother passed, she was very happy and showing signs of blossoming into a beautiful lady. That all changed once Buddy became her sole parent. He delighted in filling her head full of nonsense and negativity, reminding her time and time again that she would never amount to anything.

Her only fulfillment and pastime was time spent with her horse, Ransom, who helped fill the void in her life. She longed for the time when she would leave Buddy and be on her own, rid herself of his negative influence, find happiness, and begin anew.

She loved the days she took Ransom on long rides when he would race the wind, creating a brilliant smile on her face as she dreamt of the day when she would be free—and tempting her to just keep going and ride into the sunset. Ransom must have sensed her desire to leave for when she loosened the reins, he would throw back his mane and run as if he were taking her far away from the agony and pain that awaited her at home.

Money wasn’t coming in fast enough. It will cost me at least two hundred dollars to make the break and join up with a wagon train, she surmised.

Tully was a natural beauty who captivated the eyes of both young and old. Even though she was a young woman, she had a confident swagger. No one seemed to take note that her tall frame could fit perfectly into men’s work clothing. On more than one occasion she unknowingly and unwittingly fooled people into thinking she was a young man, simply by the way she dressed.

Tully was determined to have enough money to provide for herself after she left home. As she pondered over what she needed in order to make the break, money was at the top of her list, then a wagon, a pack horse, and supplies to last for several months.

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One windy afternoon, Buddy was burning underbrush and carelessly started a fire in the front pasture. At first, he and Tully had it under control, until they went to refill their buckets. When they returned, the entire pasture was on fire. In her effort to stomp out the embers, Tully edged too close to the flames and caught her hair on fire. She lost one long pig-tail and singed her bangs, leaving very little hair on one side of her head. When the fire was finally contained and then put out, she walked down to a small lake to wash her face. As she knelt by the water she saw her reflection. How am I going to fix this? she thought. I suppose, I’ll have to give myself a haircut and even it up on both sides, she decided. No use crying over spilt milk! At least I didn’t burn my face. No matter how bad she had it, she always managed to look on the bright side.

That night before bed, she took her mother’s scissors and started cutting. When she was through, she looked in the mirror and saw Buddy standing behind her.

Why I be damn–– you look just like a man., he said.

Tully shook her head with displeasure. Just what I wanted to hear, she thought, sarcastically.

Buddy suddenly had an idea. Maybe I can get Tully hired out to do a man’s labor so she can make more money. He was sure if she could pass as a young man she could draw a man’s wage, and that would mean more money for him. As he thought about it, he became convinced that with her income, plus the little bit he was making, they could overcome the poverty facing them.

Within the week, he managed to convince Tully that they should move away where no one would know them. He analyzed the benefits, which seemed favorable to her also, since she desired to make enough money for her trip to California. Her plan was to escape without Buddy.

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There was no doubt that Tully would be good at whatever she did, for her real father had taught her to ride and rope as good as any man.

She had been named after her daddy, so changing her name would have made little difference.

After Buddy’s plan was in motion, he loaded the wagon with their belongings and moved close to Fort Worth. It was mostly all ranch country and there wasn’t much of a town, just a mercantile and saloon.

After the move, it wasn’t long before she was introduced around town as Buddy’s son, although no one noticed or seemed to care. She wore loose fitting clothes to hide her figure and a sloppy felt hat pulled down too far on her head.

Within a few months of working at small jobs, she made friends with Mason Keller, an eighteen-year-old who worked on a nearby ranch. Mason thought the new kid in town needed a friend, and since Tully was good with horses, they had that in common, or so he thought.

Later in the week, she mounted Ransom and headed out of town a few miles where Mason had entered a horse race. She wanted to see if it was true that he was as good as he thought he was. She had never seen a horse race, but she was confident that Ransom was as fast as any race horse around.

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Gambling in Texas was centuries old and even before the Europeans came to America to establish their thoroughbred horse races, the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians gambled regularly, especially in Oklahoma and Texas, where horse racing had become a popular sport.

When Tully arrived at the Choctaw Indian Reservation, Mason was in a panic. One of his teammates failed to show up and he was rushing around trying to find someone to take the absent riders place. Finally, he saw Tully and asked if she would fill in with her horse, Ransom. He needed an alternate rider in order to qualify for the race. No one had reason to question her gender because of her appearance. This was the first time Mason noticed her horse.

Tully, you have a mighty fine horse. What kind is he?

I’m not sure. My Pa gave him to me before he died.

No doubt everyone thought the same, for people seemed genuinely interested in Ransom. His tail swished as he strutted about, giving the impression of being from a champion pedigree. With Tully in the saddle, the two-looked like royalty. How did Tully come about finding a horse like that? Ransom looked like he was dipped in a pot of gold and his hair was more like fur than hair. Mason wondered about the horse’s pedigree, for he had never seen such a horse. He also noticed Tully’s features, which were pretty close to perfect. There’s something different about her, he thought.

There was little time to get everyone ready, so Mason hurriedly explained that each team had four riders, and they would test their skill against each opponent team in the form of a relay race.

Listen carefully, he barked. Each participant will be handed a baton and race alongside the opposite team rider.

Tully could feel the tension in Mason’s voice when he shouted the instructions. Now listen up, when you all race back, hand-off the baton to the next teammate as fast as you can, then that rider repeats the same action until the very last person of our team finishes the race. The team to finish first…wins, and we’re here to win! Everyone shouted yes! with excitement.

Tully was pleasantly surprised when they announced that they would be racing for fifty dollars, which would be shared among her four team members. This is a sizable sum, she thought,

Before the race began, the participants drew straws for their racing order, and of course, as luck would have it, Tully drew the last position, which often resulted in the team winner.

She was very uncomfortable living a lie to be part of the race, but learning the size of the purse made it worth it. She knew the opposite team would not stand a chance against Ransom, and the money she would win would go a long way in accomplishing her goal of leaving Buddy.

As the teams lined up and determined which hand would be used to hand off the baton, the horses became restless, acting up a bit.

Ransom seemed to sense that he would be racing. Tully bent down and patted his neck, but little good it did for he kept dancing around, anxious to run. She heard the whinnying of the horses and the heavy breathing as Ransom’s ribcage expanded between her knees. He was waiting impatiently for the first sign that it was time to run.

Settle down Ransom, she whispered, as they waited for the gunshot to ring out.

At last, a loud shot sounded and the first two team horses were off.

The race was on, and everyone was screaming as the two opposing horses were stretching with their long strides to make the turn and head back to deliver the baton to the next rider. Tully watched as their team fell behind. I’ve got a lot of time to make up, she could see. The other team had already handed off their baton and was heading toward the turn, and now it was up to Tully and Ransom. I have to win, she thought. She grabbed the baton, loosening the reins and gave Ransom a nudge that he was waiting for.

"You know what you have to do, she said. She noticed the fire in his eyes and a huge gulp of air as it entered his nostrils. In an instant, he folded himself back and reared toward the sky. She had never seen him put on such a show. The crowd of people had begun screaming with excitement as they watched the stallion run. His strides were long and all eyes were focused on Ransom as he caught up with the opposing rider, and then left the horse, who was thought to be the contender, in the dust. Ransom passed him by so fast that people hardly noticed that their team had been behind.

There’s something plenty special about that horse, someone cried out from within the crowd. As Ransom rounded the edge of the post, Tully gave him the final nudge. Let’s go home, boy!, she cried out, as she kicked his flanks. Ransom knew what to do, as foam gathered around his bits.

Tully was in her element, doing what she loved. She was in complete rhythm with Ransom. Run, boy! she continued to coach.

His hooves kissed the ground as he picked up speed, galloping toward home to become the winner. In reality, it was no race at all, for Ransom made the turn in record time, pleasing the crowd that would soon forget the names of the other horses in the race.

After the event was over and it was time to leave, Mason asked if Tully would like to join the team another time, which of course would mean more money. Her only reservation involved Buddy, because she did not want him to know she was racing and making good money doing it. Racing was much easier than cleaning stalls and lifting 50 pound bags of feed, she thought—but was it worth it? She was concerned that Buddy would find out and take her money. The money she earned would be hers as long as he didn’t find out.

There was also something else that Tully had to consider, and that was Mason, who unsettled her.

Chapter 2

The old mercantile was poorly constructed and resembled more of a lean-to than a store. It stood in close proximity to the dirt road that ran straight through the small town outside of Fort Worth. There wasn’t much left after the war, but there was plenty talk about the Texas & Pacific railway starting up and offering people jobs. It gave hope for a better day, but it wasn’t happening fast enough. The settlers were burdened with food shortages and desperate for changes to make things better.

It had been a cold wet winter and the only road had developed pot holes big enough for a wash tub to set inside. Tully had been working with livestock over a year, and the exposure to the harsh winter had left her with rosy cheeks and chapped rough skin. Not much to look at, she would often ponder.

Standing on the steps of the general store, like the boys her age often did, she had managed to fool everyone. With a man’s hat covering most of her short-cropped hair, it was difficult to think of her as a young woman. I can’t wait to get out of this place! she lamented. As she looked at the soggy mud, which had turned into deep furrows from the wagon wheels that rolled through town, she thought there had to be a better life–– somewhere else.

Upon reaching her seventeenth birthday, life seemed to be going downhill. She was worked herself to death, and the way they lived was not at all what she had hoped for. She felt she had lost her identity, but in reality, anyone who took the time and looked deep enough could possibly see a lady behind her disguise. She much preferred being polished, and sporting stylish clothes like most girls her age; but unfortunately, all she could see was chapped skin and boys’ clothing a bit too big for her.

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Tully loved her parents, and she clung to the memory of her father returning home from the war. She would never forget the image of him riding up, leading a pony behind his horse. She had no idea that the pony was for her. He explained that the pony was a gift to him as a repayment for saving his friend’s life. Her Pa refused to discuss the war, leaving the horror of what happened on the outside of their home. Although he lived only a short time, he had managed to teach Tully how to ride and take pride in whatever she did. As she grew, she developed a closeness with Ransom, a gift from her Pa that turned out to be a beautiful Arabian stallion. Buddy resented the close relationship she had with the horse, since it was a gift from her real father.

After her father’s death, in desperation, her mother agreed to marry Buddy Watts, the first man to ask for her hand in marriage. She wondered about her mother’s decision, being that Buddy was just the opposite of her father.

Actually, he wasn’t good for anything, except to drink, chew tobacco and spit on the floor, which they had to clean up. They tried not to complain about his habits for fear he would take it out on them. He was a big man and expected to be waited on hand and foot. On occasion, he raised a hand at her mother, threatening to abuse her. This created a lot of tension for Tully, for she was sure Buddy was capable of hurting them.

As a child, she never saw Buddy strike her mother, but there were signs that he did. On occasion, there were bruises, and also marks around her mother’s neck, which indicated she was being severely mistreated. Tully used to wonder why her mother wore headscarves. Being so young, she had no idea that her mother was hiding marks on her neck that came from his abuse. When Buddy acted up, she and her mother routinely took long walks to give him a chance to cool off before he began threatening them again.

Tully was forced to work for six months before she thought to hide a portion of her income from Buddy. Her greatest fear was that he might try and force himself on her, and the money she hid needed to be available in her time of need. Before her mother died, she warned Tully if there ever came a time that he threatened or compromised her, that she should leave and find another place to live.

Her luck began to change for the good when she was hired on to work at the Johnson Ranch. A horse doctor named Manny, asked Tully to be his assistant. This was just what she was looking for. She knew the trade, for she had worked with horses and livestock, which came easy to her.

This happened at the right time, for now she had the opportunity to tuck away additional income without Buddy knowing. Soon after working with the horse doctor, she became knowledgeable with identifying diseases and performing minor surgery. Seeing