Taking only the time to gulp down one beer Griff left Candy at the bar and hurried to Jeb Sadlers ‘Leathersmith & Saddlery’ His money was now very much burning a hole in his pocket. Not at first entering the shop he stood outside gazing in the shop window to take one last look at his prize. The glow of accomplishment and satisfaction fell from his features to be replaced by a crestfallen look of horror. His saddle, his very own saddle. The one that he had mooned over and drooled over. The saddle that he had dreamed of day and night, that it would one day be his, was gone. Well it wasn’t gone as such, it was still there in the window, in front of him. But now with a card beneath on which was written one word ‘SOLD’.

He pressed his head against the glass and rapped his knuckles hard on the pane. Stepping back as the window rattled it’s disquiet. For a brief moment Griff was sure that the window would cave in and smash into thousands of tiny fragments scattering them over the displayed leather goods. As did Jeb Sadler, he dashed out needle and thread in hand.

“Hey, young fella, aint got no call for to be damaging my property,” Griff pulled his hat from his head and slapped it against his thigh. Jeb felt sure the boy was going to burst into tears at any minute.

“What’s troubling yer son?” Griffs whole manner was one of utter disappointment. “That saddle Mr, how long does that take ya to make?”

“That sold one you mean?”

“Yeah, that SOLD one,” Griff spat out the word. The old man scratched at his near hairless head.

“It aint that son, there be a lot a fine stitching and work, that aint the problem, it’s the leather, it was tanned in a special way. Take near a month to get the same dye and texture an then….” Griff halted the man’s words with a yelled obscenity for which he immediately apologised.

“Maybe l got something else in the shop?” Jeb tried to appease the boy

“Thank you, but no l had my heart set on that one, been eyeing it for months,”

“Why didn’t ya come in an set some cash down on it, l’da kep it for yer,” Griff eyed the man with astonishment.

“You’da trusted me?”

“Why not yer got employment aint yer?”

“Sure on the Ponderosa,”

“Aint that the Cartwright place boy?”

“That’s right l work along with Joe Cartwright breaking horses.”

“Cartwright, Cartwright, well that’s the very fella, just let me check.” Astounded at the man’s words Griff followed the small man into his shop. The man went behind a cluttered desk and pulled out a ledger.

“You mean Joe Cartwright bought my saddle. Old man you gave my saddle to Joe Cartwright. That downright, dirty, two timing, side swiping, back stabbing stinking polecat…he knew it was mine. He knew, why he even…l’m gonna bust his hide. He can bust his neck breaking his own horses. I’ll break every bone…,”

“Now you settle down young fella, an rein back yer horses. l reckon as how yer got to thank Joe Cartwright, an that’s a fact. Iffun it weren’t fer Cartwright, him asking me to hold it. With the promise that iffun yer didn’t buy it when yer were back from the drive…l take it yer called Griff,” Griff nodded listening with all ears, but puzzled. “why l had three interested parties,”the sadler in fact had not a one. Joe Cartright had given the man twenty dollars to keep the saddle from being sold. Jeb Sadler if nothing was not just an expert leather smith and saddle maker he was a first a salesman.

“iffun it weren’t fer yer friend Joe, that saddle would be sitting pretty as yer like under some another fella’s butt.”

Griff stood dumbfounded watching the Jeb wipe a soft cloth over the leather. Stretching out his arm the man handed Griff the cloth. Jeb grinned to himself as he watched the boy. Griff’s hand almost trembling as he smoothed from pommel to cantle. His touch as tender as a lovers caress on the naked body of his sweetheart “l reckon yer don’t need any advise on how to mind that leather?” Wordless Griff continued his polishing and dusting lifting the saddle flaps and not missing any nook nor cranny. “l’m not one to halt a fella doing a good job, but aint yer got something fer me boy?” Griff’s recovery was complete his temper and anger soothed and calmed with every sweep of the cloth. Pulling a bandanna from his inside pocket he opened the knotted square of cloth and emptied the contents onto the desk.

“It’s all there Mr, every cent, you can count it out,”

“l believe yer son,” Griff returned to his adoration, whilst Jeb quickly checked the bundle of coins and notes. “reckon, but yer made a mistake here boy.” Griff spun around his eyes on the coins searching trying to calculate and yet knowing he had given the saddler the correct amount.

“Sir l counted it out myself just this morning, it caint be short,”

“Aint said it’s short boy, you’re a mite over the mark, twenty dollar to be precise,”

“Mr. that cannot be, that saddle was marked one hundred and fifty dollars. l know it was. I don’t want any charity l wanna pay correct on the nose.” Bemused Jeb thought the boy a mite strange. He thought Griff would be delighted at the reduced price. Jeb had to think fast. Joe Cartwright had asked the man not to let on about the down payment. Jeb Sadler was a man of his word.

“l aint giving charity to no man, l work hard and give my time to my art. Aint just a job making saddles boy. It’s an art and don’t you forget it. See that stitching, every stitch the same. See that pattern every curve and loop the same, can yer see that?” Griff stared wide eyed at Jeb’s finger as it traced over ever inch of the saddle. The man had no need to convince Griff that the saddle was perfect. Griff could very well see that it was. Jeb turned the saddle over. “Now see that there, see that?” the man pointed to stitches that to Griff’s eyes were identical in colour, shape and size. “that boy is my shame,”

“Your shame?” in disbelief Griff repeated the words were repeated.

“When l saw that false stitch, yer know l dam near took the dang saddle to pieces,”

“What? The thought that the man could destroy what to Griff was a thing of beauty was inconceivable, “why, l caint see no false stitch an anyways it’s underneath whose gonna see it whose gonna know?” Now it was Jeb’s turn to look astonished. He prodded a hard straight fore finger into Griff’s chest causing him to step back and rub at the injured area.

“l’m gonna know boy, me boy, that’s who. Me, Jeb Sadler, the man who made the saddle an now is trying to pass it off as perfect. l caint do it. In fact l caint sell that saddle boy,” Griff’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“What ya mean yer caint sell it. l want that saddle. l just gave ya the dang money for the saddle”

“That’s what yer youngsters don’t understand, aint everything about money, it’s about honesty and pride. Pride in a good job and in yer workmanship…aint about money.” Jeb looked at the boy he seemed to be completely mesmermised by the old man’s words. Scratching the back of his head, he came to a sudden decision.

“Yer can have that saddle boy for no more than one hundred and twenty dollars and yer gotta tell no man nor beast ’bout that stitching. My reputation is at stake here, yer understanding me boy?”

Griff gave an outward sigh of relief, “Whatever you say Sir, l won’t breathe a word.”

“l trust yer boy, yer got an honest face,”

“l have?”

“Sure yer have, now lookee here,” Jeb sorted through a selection of bridles hanging on display from various pegs and hooks in the far corner of the shop, “here it is, here boy take a look, l knewed l had the same stain on a bridle…kinda made fer each other aint they?” The blue eyed boy gulped, a bridle an saddle, they sure did look a good match.

“l don’t know, won’t be leaving me much till next pay day,”

Jeb Sadler was not an easy man to put down, “Now son, first yer aint asked the price and second, yer already got money, yer saddle aint costing yer the hundred an fifty, so’s yer thirty dollar up already, aint yer?”

“l reckon l am at that,” Griff agreed with a grin.

“Tell yer what l’ll do fer yer, yer can’t go buckling that saddle to an old worn out cinch, now all yer need is ta give me twenty dollar and you get the saddle, bridle and cinch”. Fingering the bridle and and cinch Griff knew they had to be his. Jeb’s sales technique was so successful that by the completion of the transaction both man and boy wore moon shaped grins.

“Can l ask ya something, l don’t wanna seem kinda foolish?” Griff questioned before leaving the shop.

“Sure son, what else can l help yer with?”

“Don’t ya think it’s kinda strange you being a saddler an your name being Sadler?”

“Not at all son aint strange or foolish, jes reckon l was born ter be what l am.”

By the time he left the shop Griff was lighter in heart and in pocket but was now the proud owner of not only a saddle, bridle and cinch but also a pair of stirrup leathers. He was the happiest he had ever been in his short life. Reverently he placed his goods. His very own belongings into the back of the wagon and covered them with a blanket courtesy of Mr Sadler. Griff would have to go more than steady till the next pay day but that was a small burden to carry.