HERO ON HOOFS

It had been a very long day for the poor lonesome cowboy Lucky Luke and his faithful companion Jolly Jumper.

“Gladstone. Here we spend the night, Jolly”, said Lucky Luke.

“That will be sleeping in second hand hay and that cowboy sleeps again in a luxury bed”, the white stallion said.

Lucky Luke stopped at the livery stable and dismounted. David Miller, the owner of the livery stable, saw the couple coming.

“Do you have room for my horse?”, asked Lucky Luke.

“Of course. Go inside and take care of your horse”, answered David.

Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper went into the stable. Jolly Jumper got taken care of extensively.

“Say Luke, what would you say if we swap for once?”, Jolly Jumper suggested.

“How do you mean?”, Lucky Luke asked amazed.

“You in the hay and I in a bed in a hotel”, was the explanation of Jolly Jumper.

Lucky Luke couldn’t stop laughing anymore to big annoying of Jolly Jumper. The stallion was so insulted that he turned his back at Lucky Luke. Lucky Luke shrugged his shoulders and went out of the stable. By the long journey he had become quite hungry and he was also longing for a bed. Next to the livery stable Lucky Luke saw a hotel. The cowboy went inside to inform about a room.

“Is there yet a room free?”, asked Lucky Luke.

“We have 1 more room free”, said the receptionist.

“I take it”, said the poor lonesome cowboy.

He paid for the room and brought his stuff there. Here after Lucky Luke went to a restaurant.

In the eating place Lucky Luke ordered an extensive meal for himself. While he was eating he heard interesting news.

“Wild Jack has escaped and is in this town”, said a cowboy.

“It seems that he can ride every horse”, someone else said.

Lucky Luke heard everything and thought:’ He won’t be able to ride Jolly Jumper.’ His meal got continued.

Suddenly a dirty looking cowboy came out of the stable with a horse.

“You are mine now”, said Wild Jack.

“I am only of Lucky Luke”, reacted Jolly Jumper.

“Nothing to do with that”, said the bandit.

He did another attempt to mount on but Jolly Jumper wiped him out of the saddle. But Wild Jack didn’t let himself be discomfit and did a new attempt to mount on. But this time it failed too. At the third attempt Jolly Jumper threw him high into the air and with the landing the white stallion had his lasso ready to tie him up. Wild Jack fell into the lasso and Jolly Jumper pulled the lasso tight. Here after Wild Jack laid on the ground and Jolly Jumper pulled his tongue at him.

By the laughter of the bystanders Lucky Luke too came outside. He looked at his horse and understood right away what had happened. Sheriff Lee Taylor came by and was highly amazed to see the catch of Jolly Jumper.

“That is Wild Jack. He escaped from my jail and is caught by a horse”, said the sheriff.

“Not just any horse but Jolly Jumper”, answered Lucky Luke.

He couldn’t stop laughing anymore. But the other s also found it amusing. Jolly Jumper gave the bandit to the sheriff who thanked the stallion extensively.

“Because you have caught this feared bandit I am forever thankful to you. You get the best hay and whatever you want”, said the sheriff.

“A luxury hotel room with a few attractive mares and enough hay is good enough for me”, answered Jolly Jumper.

“It will be arranged”, said Lee.

Not much later Wild Jack was behind bars. Jolly Jumper had gotten the most luxury hotel room and all mares were lying at his feet. There was also more than enough hay for the hero.

“What a life for a poor lonesome horse”, Jolly Jumper said enjoying.

In opposite to Jolly Jumper Lucky Luke had gotten a bad room on the highest floor. It was more a attic room than hotel room. He slept bad and Jolly Jumper not at all.

“It is just so ridiculous for words. I sit in an attic room while my horse is partying in the most luxury hotel room with his mares! We leave at once”, said Lucky Luke.

He grabbed his stuff and went to look up his horse.

“Jolly Jumper, the party is over. We must go ahead again”, said the cowboy.

Mumbling the mares left the hotel room and Jolly Jumper too was indignant because he had to go ahead.

Lucky Luke knew now for sure that he would never come into Gladstone. The poor lonesome cowboy rode on a grumbling Jolly Jumper towards the sunset.