Why, we can do that.

Saturday movie matinee.
The black and white photos on the Now Playing theater play bill poster out front were of Tom Mix movie star, trick rider, and sharp shooter. The first cowboy silent movie star filmed long before John Wayne appeared on the screen. The year was 1927 and Two brothers came out of the darkened theater that Summer’s afternoon after seeing yet another action-packed silent movie starring their cowboy hero Tom Mix. The two walked over to the older brother’s horse name Dan and the horse was tied to a hitching post out front at the edge of the gravel road. A buckskin colored seven-year-old work horse lapping water from a trough. The brother’s father, Charlie had traded a new Case pocket knife for the tall horse and gave the nice-looking animal to the fifteen-year-old older brother. They both climbed on and rode off headed towards home with the older in the saddle and his brother Hubert sitting astraddle the horse behind the saddle. Home was a tenant farm near Marietta, Oklahoma. About an approximate 11-mile ride. So off they went at a brisk stroll.
All along the way riding home the two talked endlessly about their cowboy hero and trick rider Tom Mix. The older brother mentioned wouldn’t it be fun to try some of Tom Mix’s movie stunts. The younger brother agreed but what. The two horsemen were approaching a wide creek where there was a small wooden bridge off to the left. However, there was a rocky ledge to the right of the bridge that overlooked the creek. The older mentioned to the younger, how about we get a running start and run Dan and jump over the creek like Tom Mix did in the movie. The younger brother said since it was your idea Carl, you try it first and I’ll watch. So, the older brother rode the horse back about fifty yards and told Dan to let’s go and gave Dan a heel to the horse’s under side and the horse took off running. Dan was gaining speed and approaching the rocky ledge and suddenly stopped and the older brother took flight and splashed face first in the creek and hit rocky bottom. Resulting in bruises and a few scrapes while soaking his pants and shirt. Not to mention bruising his fragile ego. So much for my dad’s movie horse riding tricks.