BIG HORN 17

when roy dove back in later in the day his horse was covered in dry sweat. roy unloaded the horse and led him to the barn to unsaddle.con had seen him drive in and walked down to the barn. roy ad his head down uncinching his saddle when con sat down on a bench by the front door. roy looked up"well your right. there is a lot of cattle down in that country.i dont want to even guess how many. i made a big circle and never ran out of them.the fence to the south is down. i fixed a few spots in it but left a couple open. theres cattle down below comming back to the 13 to water. what is that down there? its not part of this out fit is it?" " thats the luke air force base bombing range. i think the name was changed a few years ago but thats what it is. becareful going in there." con told him. " i went in a little ways but i saw more than i wanted to know about. maybe get down there earlier and catch them cattle comming to water. then fix all the holes in that fence."roy explained. "good idea, did you see any people tracks?"con asked. roy s head jerked up"yeah a few, but nothing fresh. they all seemed to go north to the hiway. they came through the bombing range tho." the two cowboys hadnt noticed but earnesto had walked up and stood quietly a few feet away.when roy said the foot prints came out of the bombing range earnest simply said" some of my family are coyotes, they lead the mexico mexicans accross the bombing range for a fee. thats how they live." con looked over at him" do you know the way accross that range?" " no i dont do such things. i know some people have died there. i want nothing to do with it."earnesto turned and walke away. con watcheed him walk away" that guy surprises me more every day" he then explained to roy what the border patrolman had told him. when he got through roy simply patted his chap pocket and nodded. " i wasnt going to wait for some one to tell me to do it." con stood up" did you set the triggers when you left?" roy nodded" they were tied open when i got there. but i set them. we going back in the morning?" con nodded. " unless something happenes here to stop us." " well the way this outfit runs it wouldnt surprise me if something does happen." roy led his horse to a close water hose and started washing the dried sweat from the animal. con mumbled " me either"

BIG HORN 16

the next morning con was finishing a cup of coffee standing in the dark at the end of the barn. he was watching the eastern sky. he always like to watch the sunrise. it was a good time to think. roy came up to him, "ime ready to go to work, what can i do?" con looked at him the dark, seeing his facial out line. " take the truck and trailer and a horse and go to the 13 tank. i set the triggerers the other day. see what we got caught. ime going to wait for the border patrol. if you see any illegals or any one suspicious get back here.you dont need another go round in the hospital." roy didnt say another word but went in the saddle room and came out with his bridle in hand. con watched as he went to the corral and caught a horse. earnesto had fed them earlier. as roy was saddling his horse earnesto came from the corrals. "do you need me to do something today?"he asked con. " ime waitting for the border patrol. and the adobe crew. i guess clean up around the big house. but stay close. do not let any one through the gate but the border patrol the adobe crew or the patrona. everyone else waits at the gate until you get me. ok?" "BUENO!" earnesto walked off toward the bender house. a little later roy roared out of the yard with his horse in the trailer. the sun was just peeking over the tabletop mountain. con went to his trailer and got his log book out. he hadnt written anything in a few days. he wanted to keep it current. he was on the second page when he heard a car door slam out side. he got up and went to the door. a short stocky border patrol man was standing at the front of his truck looking about. " good morning!" con called as he steped down the steps from the trailer house. the officer turned and smiled" you brought this a long way! i couldnt believe it when i drove up.that lady who stopped at the office said you needed someone today. how can i help you?' con proceeded to explain about the trail passing dead horse and going to the hiway. then told the officer about the pile of cigarett butts they found where the vehickle had beed parked. the officer listened. "i read the report. has anyone been back through there?"the officer asked. "i havent seen any more tracks there, but theres another water hole over west of here. at it i found one set of tracks like some i saw at dead horse. they went toward the hiway. but i also found this." con pulled snuff can from his pocket and opened it. inside was two cigarett buttsone long one short. "the long one was laying beside the ashes of a camp fire. the short one was one the husband of my boss was smokeing." "thats a popular brand in mexico. we see them here at times but you cant buy them on this side of the border. i bet the track you saw at the tank was a scout. i would keep a sharp eye out. your bosses husband haveing one could be explained in a differnt number of ways. does he seem suspicious acting to you?"the officer was curious. " its hard to say, i dont like the guy to start with. i wouldnt be surprised at anything he does."con voiced his dislike for george. " i wouldnt go alone out there, and unarmed. " the officer waved his arm in a arck to the southj. " keep me posted. he handed con a business card" i need to go , we got these guys comming through this country like crazy. just be careful." con watched as earnesto opened the gate and let the border patrol truck out. " well he said it. go armed"