SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 9

back at the ranch del got the horse that jake was rideing up from the pasture. he ran his hands over the horses neck and down the fore legs then over the horses rump and down the right leg. but on the left leg just over the gaskin muscle he found a big lump. and when he toucheed it the horse kicked at him. it didnt have any hair to speak of growing over it. he carefully went around the out side of the lump with his fingers. feeling for anything that might have made the lump. but each time he touched the lump itself the horse would try to kick him. he finally gave up. he would need a vetranarian in order to search for anything more. he put the horse in a small corral and fed him. loading his horse in his trailer he headed to town. he needed to find jerry. at the sherrifs substation he he asked the desk clerk where he could find jerry. the clerk called jerry on the radion and was told to have del wait at the local cafe. it might be a while. del thanked the man and went across the street to the cafe. except for three men seated at a table the place was empty. the three were talking loud and laughing. del took a seat at the lunch counter and when lloyd the owner came to wait him he ordered a glass of ice tea. when lloyd brought the cold drink he leaned close and said, "listen to them yahoos, they have been laughing about getting some old man bucked off his horse a while back. i never saw them before, have you?" del perked up and slowley turned his head so as to hear a little better.""give them what ever they are drinking and ill pay for it. jerry is on the way. what are they driveing?" lloyd pointed out the window at a white pickup truck with a decal on the door. del slowley got up and pulling a napkin from a holder on the counter just stepped to the door where he could see the lisence plate on the truck he wrote it on the napkin. then the name on the truck door MAIN LAND ENERGY. he turned and bunped into one of the three men. "what you doin mr?"he asked. " just looking, never saw that name around here before. where yu boys from?del acteed friendly and smiled. " none of your business cowboy, now get out of our way!" the speaker pushed past del and was followed by the other two. they rushed to the truck , pileed into it and roared away. lloyd stepped up "not very sosialable were they?" " nope, they been here before?"del asked. "nope, do you think they had something to do with ole jake getting killed?"lloyd was curious. "i dont know. we better let jerry handle it tho. dont say nothing to anyone else ok?"del was folding the napkin and putting it in his shirt pocket.

SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 8

the next morning in the dark del is loading his horse in his stock trailer. he feels a presence and turns to find sharon standing there in the dark she hands him a brown bag and a thermos. " you might get hungrey before you get back" was all she said. " thank you." del went to the cab of the ruck and got in fireing the engine. he poured a cup of coffee and pulled out of the yard headed to jakes. it was just getting light when he pulled into the yard att jakes, the brand inspecter was right behind him. del took the inspecter to the corral that held the cow with the misbranded calf. the inspecter looked them over and agreeded it was a mis branding. " did you see who did it?"he asked. " no, i just found them i wanted tolet you know this was going on."del stood his ground. " rebrand the calf, bar out the wrong brand. i cant do anything until we have at least a name of who is doing it. this is the hardest thing to prove with out a witness. and yes, i know the scavengers are going to be moveing in from all directions. i wish i could do more." the inspecter was shakeing his head on the waay to his truck. del stood there clinching his fist. when the inspecter had left he unloaded his horse and put his chaps on then mounting and calling brother he headed back up country. reaching the back of the pasture he turned to the area where jake had been found. what he expected to find he didnt know but the fact jake rode so well still lay heavy on him. what had caused him to fall off and crack his skull? as he and the dog approached the site he slowed down and rode away from the actual site and began makeing a circle, rideing slow. the horse tracks were still visible. on his ssecond circle he came to a spot where a horse had stood for a while. a large pile of dried manure marked the spot behind a large boulder. del stepped off his mount and didnt let him walk close to the site. as he walked up behind the boulder he could see that useing it for a blind you could look back up toward the spot he had found jake. then at the base of the boulder he found two shell caseings. useing his handkerkeif he picked them up and wrapped them and put them in his chap pocket. turning to go he saw the scratch on the moulder. he stood there a moment before he realized that who ever was doing the shooting had used the boulder to rest his rifle while he sighted in on what ever he was shooting at. but jake hadnt been shot. del mounted and rode back to the spot where jake had died. once there he tried to mentaly draw a line from the shooters boulder. they didnt match up. he moved until he did line up. it wwas with a big rock and searching around he found where chips had been knocked from the rock, maybe by bullets. he would have to have a look at jakes horse when he got back to the ranch. it had been a while but maybe something remained.