Chapter 599 - Lonesome Cowboy (1/2)

Chapter 599 Lonesome Cowboy

Until today, Zhang Heng had only two horse-riding experiences—colt he rode in the park when he was young. These colts were usually led by experienced staff and walked around the area at speed close to ten miles per hour.

In other words, this was the first time he chose a horse as a means of transportation. He was looking forward to the scene of riding a horse. From a safety point of view, Zhang Heng decided to do it step by step.

So he picked the shortest and thinnest brown horse with a hair loss problem. Compared to the other horses, it looked relatively docile. When approached, the steed showed no resistance, and as it lowered its head to eat, Zhang Heng walked to its side.

He tried to stroke its back, to which it sneezed and shook its body twice. Seeing that Zhang Heng didn’t intend to leave, it stopped moving around and continued its hay meal. Zhang Heng made up his mind. He knew that wasn’t as good of a horse as the others. No matter how good the horses were, their potential could only be fully realized if they met the right owner. For Zhang Heng, there was no other horse more suitable for him than this tame brown horse.

Riding a slow horse came with its own advantages, including a lower risk of falling. After choosing his mount, Zhang Heng released the other horses, saving them from being roasted along with the bar. Instead of rus.h.i.+ng to Lincoln County, he rode his new horse in the town for two laps to relive the feeling of riding a horse.

He still remembered a little bit of what he learned from the park. For example, he was not supposed to put his feet into the stirrups too much. This was to prevent the rider from being dragged like a rag doll when he fell. Zhang Heng also remembered the staff teaching him something about holding the reins right, but he could not remember it anymore. Other than that, he also could not remember the correct way of sitting on a horse as well. There was one thing he could recall, a little bit about starting and slowing down the horse. After spending some time practicing riding the horse, he managed to do it, but he was still not very skilled.

After all, he was just a novice who had to rely on himself to learn how to ride correctly. Thanks to his excellent balance and controllability, he did way better than most beginners. After practicing for a while, Zhang Heng felt good enough to embark on a journey. Putting on a felt hat, grabbed the reins, and set off in the direction of Lincoln County.

In the vast Gobi, a cowboy with two guns was riding his galloping horse under the scorching sun. It looked like a scene from a movie. However, it all depended on how one defined galloping. In fact, the horse was only moving a little faster than walking.

However, there was nothing much to complain about since Zhang Heng did not need to walk across the Gobi on his own legs. At the same time, he did not dare let the horse run free as well. The first reason was that he had to prioritize his safety, and the other was to prevent the horse from dying before it got him to his destination. If that happened, Zhang Heng would have to walk all the way to Lincoln County. A man and a horse had now officially embarked on a voyage to Lincoln County.

When the sun had reached its zenith, Zhang Heng managed to find a slightly cooler spot. He then got off his horse and filled himself up with some water and food. After making a rough estimation, he figured it would take him at least five days to reach Lincoln County at the current speed. There was more than enough food to get to the destination, save the water supply that was only enough to last him and the horse three days. One could survive without drinking water for a day or two.

According to the now-deceased Rich, there were other mining towns along the way to Lincoln County. To get there, however, some detours would have to be made. If he included the detour time, he might just arrive at Lincoln County seven days later.

Fortunately, Zhang Heng was not in a rush.

After lunch, Zhang Heng and his horse carried on the journey again. This time they traveled for another five hours. The scenery in the Gobi was magnificent. However, a little monotony would set in after looking at it for a long time.