“Life was a queer business, she thought.  On occasions it threw people together haphazardly without regard to consequences.” From Frederick J Thwaites No Rainbow In The Sky

When life was a lazy day in a paddock, it was hard for Gallop to see it any different. Pulling the cart was a morning walk, and there was always the prospect of a bag of yummy oats once they had returned. Standing there, he closed his eyes and napped.

He was awoken by bags being thrown into the cart. Damn, he thought, weight to carry. Gallop knew his value was summed up by his ability to pull the cart. He’d seen what happened to Trotter the former carthorse. Gallop was determined to last the distance, no matter how far.

He felt the tug of the reins as the bit in his mouth guided him to turn towards home. The cart was heavier than before, but he knew if he put his back into it and he’d established a rhythm. Before long he was ambling at a steady homeward pace.

They came from nowhere. Two men on horseback, guns drawn, malice of voice. They ejected the driver and took over the reins. The crack of the whip frightened Gallop. They led him in a strange direction. There was to be no peace this day. How he longed for his paddock.

Written for: https://debbiewhittam.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/50-word-thursday-4/