Downtown Parade

We rolled into Memorial Park in Houston and spent the night. Early the next morning the Salt Grass Trail riders began to saddle up and get ready for the big downtown parade. I was attached to the Port City wagon which included Vernon Frost Jr. and John Mecom Jr. As we moved through the middle of Houston I was right behind the chuck wagon on the Port City covered wagon. I looked up and saw a chilling sight. A young woman on the sixth floor of one of the downtown office building was getting ready to throw a large wreath right on top of me. I got a firm grip on my horse's reins and moved close to the wagon. The wreath landed right on top of us and my horse bolted. I looked to the right and there were children on the sidewalk enjoying the parade. I looked to the left and there was a mass of people on the other sidewalk. I did not want to trample anyone. And so, I gripped my reins firmly and headed my horse straight for the chuck wagon. The impact knocked my mount to his knees and I stepped off and grabbed his head. John Mecom jumped out of the wagon with a rope in his hand. We tied the rope around the horse's head and jumped in the wagon. At first we had to drag him, but then he began to trot along behind. As we moved down the street the chuck wagon door broke open and pots and pans began to fall into the street. Babe, the Port City cook, ran along behind the wagon, picking up pots and pan and cursing. At the end of the parade we went down a quiet thoroughfare and made it to the Port City Stockyards, about six miles away. My horse continued to trot along behind. The crisis was over.