On another evening in Gail's room, the friends exchanged stories about their other love: horses. Gail asked Barbara if she could ride a horse. That brought back a very fond memory and she told about it.
One fall day during her sophomore year in high school, Barbara's class was treated to a day trip to a farm in a suburb west of Chicago. The farmer ran a small side business offering horseback rides, and part of the school outing was to introduce city children to rural activities including a ride on a horse. For Barbara, seated in a saddle upon a gentle chestnut gelding, it was love at first ride.
Since she had never been on a horse before, she got instruction from a sun-burned, weathered old man named Jake who said he had spent most of his life working with horses.
"Normally, I'd have you ride a mare, a female horse, which most girls prefer to male horses," Jake told her in the stables where she saw over a dozen horses. "Mares are usually gentle, but this time of month they're in heat."
"It doesn't feel that hot out," Gail said.
Jake smiled at her innocence, but did not explain. "So you'll ride a gelding today, a male horse. They're usually more settled and dependable than either a mare or a stallion."
It was all Greek to Barbara, but she listened intently and remembered everything Jake told her.
He showed her the horse, already saddled and bridled and ready to ride. "His name is Sam, short for Samson because he's a little bigger than most his age."
Barbara followed as Jake led Sam by the reins out of the stable and into the sunlight. She learned a headful of do's and don'ts -- more than she thought she would ever remember, but she did. Before she knew it, she was riding, and feeling as if she belonged in the saddle. Everything looked different to her from up so high, so much higher than riding a bicycle.
First, Jake had her walk Sam, then picked up the gait to a trot. Not long afterward, Sam was cantering and Barbara was more in love with riding than ever.
"You did very well," Jake said after supervising her for almost an hour of riding. "I think you have a natural way with horses. Sam liked you, I could tell."
"I'd sure like to ride him again, sometime." Barbara hoped that would not be impossible.
Jake offered a solution. "There's a streetcar line that passes near the farm. It might mean a long ride on a Saturday or Sunday, but you could come out here and ride Sam again. I wouldn't mind letting you ride for free, if you do a few clean-up chores around the stables."