by Lash Laramie
Prue squinted against the bright sunlight and searched the shimmering horizon, but she still couldn't make out the landmark she was looking for. She gave the reins a gentle tug, bringing the horse to a stop. Pushing the wide-brimmed hat back so that it hung from its lanyard, she mopped her face with her bandana and then took a long pull from her canteen. It got hot in her native Australia, hellishly hot at times, but the Oklahoma territory was proving to be a close second. The fact that it was so hot in July was equally galling to her senses. July was a milder winter month back home, but then a lot of things were backwards here in America. Still, she didn't regret the trip.
She had been corresponding with her cousin Patricia since they were both six years-old and having completed her schooling at seventeen she'd talked her father into letting her travel to America to spend the summer on his younger brother's horse ranch. The trip to the Oklahoma Territory had been chaperoned by her father's business partner, Mr. Cyrus Turner, who having prolonged negotiations to conduct in New York City, had accompanied her as far as her uncle's ranch before proceeding on his way east.
Her Uncle John and Aunt Jenny had made her feel right at home, but it was with her Cousin Patricia that she'd formed the closest bond. They had each grown up with older brothers, and Prue especially had always yearned for a sister. Their correspondence had filled that void to some extent while she was growing up, but even on the fast clipper ships the letters took a long time to cross the vast Pacific and didn't come nearly often enough to suit her. From their first meeting at the train station she'd recognized her cousin as a true kindred sprit and their bond had only grown closer as the summer progressed.
She set the hat back on her head and gave the horse a little kick to get him going again. As she loped him along the fence that separated her uncle's ranch from the neighboring Miller spread, she wished desperately that Trish was with her as she normally was on their Sunday rides. Unfortunately, she was in bed with a cold. It was why she was only plain riding today.
She smiled at the thought of the expression. It was Trish who had coined the terms 'plain riding' and 'fancy riding'. Normally on Sundays they'd get dressed up in the formal riding habits that Prue had brought from Australia - her own and one as a gift for her cousin.
"Give the boys a little treat," as her cousin would say in her mischievous way. Most days they'd just be plain riding though, which meant they'd wear the more practical boy's clothes. Her Aunt Jenny had got them both some denim dungarees and work shirts from the dry goods store and shrunk them up in a boiling pot so they'd fit better.
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