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unexpected jolt to their balance. None of
them were knocked off their feet as they nervously looked around
wondering why their floor had moved. Maggie swung back in time to
pull back in alarm as the door slid along its track and nearly
guillotined her after bouncing back along its track from the jar.
It closed and she reached for the handle with a racing heart
realizing how foolish it had been to stand in an open doorway with
a moving train about to bump their car. She could hear the men
already making sure of the connection and calling to one another as
it was soon attached. She opened the door a crack to see the clerk
wave at her and she returned the wave. Quickly, almost too quickly
the train was set in motion again and Maggie and her horses were on
their way adjusting to the sensation of the movement of the train.
Maggie left the door ajar but stayed well away from its possible
movement as she turned to comfort her horses in their unfamiliar
environment. Her presence alone was enough but her words, pats, and
encouragement appeased any fractious behavior. They settled down as
the train made its way to its next destination.
    Maggie stayed well away from the open door
but watched through it and the slats of the car at the passing and
constantly changing scenery. The train went quickly as it built up
steam and the trees went by alarmingly fast, faster than she could
ride on one of her magnificent horses. If she watched too long she
became dizzy at the speeds they were reaching but she found by
looking out at the scenery that her queasy stomach settled. She
breathed a sigh of relief as the train slowed for its next
scheduled stop watching anxiously as the horses adjusted to the
braking train. She took the opportunity to look around and saw a
depot not unlike the one in Jackson as she looked out. This soon
became old hat as the train started and stopped at various towns.
Her car was put onto a siding and hooked up to a north bound train
at some point causing her some anxiety as the men uncoupled her car
and hooked her up to the other, they weren’t as smooth as the
others and one of the horses went to its knees at the jarring that
occurred. She checked on him and found him startled but okay, his
knees just needing brushing off and he was unhurt.
    It became tedious to stop and start at the
various towns even on this different train. The landscape began to
change as they headed north and all day long she watched as she
went further and further north and away from all she had known. She
had a scare when someone tried to jump into her car but Feathers
rushed him snarling and growling and his astonished face
disappeared before he even got into the rail road car he had
thought would be easy to hop with its tantalizingly open door.
Maggie thought to close the door after that but with the oppressive
heat of so many horses in the car, the heat of the summer, and the
aroma of horse dung she needed as much air flowing in the car as
possible. The open slats now made sense for the stock car. She
flung the manure out after leaving one town knowing they would have
a lot more for her as time progressed and hoping to alleviate some
of the fresh manure smell from the car. She didn’t mind horsey
smells, she was used to them, but the flies and aroma could be
eliminated somewhat by getting rid of it.
    Slowly the day turned into afternoon and she
found herself hungry. She eyed the little door in one end of the
car that led to the other cars and wondered if she could make her
way to the dining car. She brushed off her dungarees and checked
her shirt for stains, other than horse slobber and sweat she felt
herself presentable running her fingers through her short hair to
check for hay. She closed the side door while she was gone making
sure it slammed shut and then made her way to the door sliding up.
Feathers had followed her and a couple of the horses were watching
her “stay” she said in a commanding voice as she slid out and
gulped at the