small town big catch 14

karl nafzigger sat behind a big mahoganey desk in his office in down town pheonix. like the desk he was a big man 6 foot six and 300 pounds. but he wasnt fat. for a man of 55 years he held a good figure to his german frame. accros from him sat a man in denim work clothes, his straw hat in his lap. " they got a care taker out there daily karl. they think the killing was on purpose. but i swear i only shot to warn the old codger. he got killed......" " i know all about that , you should have rode on. on one hand we got to many snoops there but on the other the old man is out of the way." nafzigger was shuffling paper around. " you boys get back out there and finish that survey. i need to figure what the cost of land prep will be.you boys get back up there as soon as possible. i got a whole crew of dirt movers and equipment ready to move in there." "but what about that care taker?" the man asked. " what about him?, get rid of him , pay him off, do what you got to do. i got a hearing on the land trade this week we need to get moveing." nafzigger didnt look up he signaled the meeting was through. the man turned and slowley went out the office door. at the receptionist desk she handed him a envelope. he pushed it between the buttons on his shirt and rested it next to his belly. he went on out to his truck. he had worked for nafzigger a couple of years and had always been well paid for his work. but nafzigger had never told him to eliminate some one. scareing a old mans horse was one thing but eliminateing them was something else del was being as quiet as he could. sharon and mike were still asleep. it was a good hour until sunup and he wanted to be in jakes pasture then. his horse clumped up into the traier. del shut the trailer gate as easy as he could and latched it when he started the truck he didnt let it idle and warm up, he dropped it into gear and let it start rolling out of the yard, the air outside a cool feel, a few clouds skirted the horizon and there was no breeze. out on the road he mashed the accelarater and rolled up to 55 mph. the dust rolled out behind the rig as he moved along. it wasnt that far to jakes yard. when he rollled into jakes yard he pulled down by the barn and corrals. the sun was just peeking over the blue mountain range.before unloading his horse he pulled on his scared and worn chaps. then unloading the horse he cinched up his saddle. tapaderos covered the stirrups , his 50 foot of rope hung over the right side from the saddle horn the coils neat and snug. a couple of piggin strings were laced through the gullit of the saddle and hung down the left side of the rig over the horses shoulder. del with out thinking put his hand on the pistol he carried in his chap pocket. he didnt want to ever use it but he had been warned. takeing a little hop he stuck his left foot into the tapadero and swung on up into the saddle. he rattled a foot in the tapadero and started the horse off into the riseing sun. he needed to check this pasture and when satisfyed head home. he had two horse shoing customers there that afternoon. it was going to be a long day. as he slowley made his way up the gentle slope he kept a weathered eye for cattle and stray horse tracks. he found neither as he rode along he kept seeing peices of red plastic ribbon on the ground. he stopped and got down and found they were attatched to a big nail that was driven in the ground. he startd looking about and found there was a line of these one every fifty yards or so. he pulled a couple and stuck them in his chap pocket. he kept looking all around. remounted he rode on looking for cows. ahead was a wind mill. when he rode up cattle stood about, some bawling. the discharge pipe from the windmill had been pulled aside and the water was running down the hill in a small stream the trough was empty. cussing ablue streak he pulled the pipe back over the trough it would be a couple hours before there would be enough for a cow to drink.looking about he found more of the red ribbons nailed to the ground above the well.here he found foot prints of work boots.remounting he could look down country and see the barn and house a good two miles away. as he rode along the boot tracks he absently minded un butoned the chap pocket and eased the gun around in case he needed it. all along the trail he kept seeing the red ribbons. then ahead he saw a cloud of dust made by a vehickle as it left.he rode on. when he came to where the vehickle had been parked he found a mess. trash scattered everywhere. empty soda and beer cans. sanwich wrappers as well as choclate candy bar wrappers.del started collecting everything and makeing a pile of it but then he picked up a crumpled paper and when he flatened it found it was a payroll recept from nafzigger. he carefully folded it and put it in his shirt pocket. he then struck a match to the pile of trash and watched it burn.when down to ashes he mounted and trotted back to the wwindmill. the cattle were drinkig up the water as fast as it came from the well. it was a good hour before all the cattle had drank the breeze was slight and the well pumped a slow stream.glanceing at the sun del mounted his horse and turned him down hill. he was going to be a long time shoeing the horses the customers were bringing. he hhoped jerry would be there ogaling sharon. he had to admit she was a fine looking woman. he said out loud as he rode along," she got all the looks in this family"

SMALL TOWN BIG CATCH 13

a hour later the state land commisioner arrived. he had a brief case buldging under his arm. as he came into the room he looked to each person with a open face revealing nothing.he sat the breif case on the desk corner then fell into a arm chair that had been placed there for him. " good day gentelmen, ime glad you could meet with me here." he began "i understand theres some confuson about the old man jakes ranch . ill try to clear it up best i can. you all know who nafzigger is and what he does. well he has petitioned the state land department for a trade on some deeded land he has north of pheonix. its four sections of rock, hills, cactus and mesquite and palo verde. its worthless. he wants the two sections of jakes state land. should the trade take place it would break the ranchinto peices, makeing it worthless.jake was aware of the petition. he was fighting it . then he was killed. accidently or not he was still dead and nafzigger increased his efforts for the trade. we at the state office are charged with keeping the state owned lands in trust and maintaining its value. nafzigger has been plying a state senater to pressure us to make the trade.what i want is for you all to find me some evidence as to nafzigger committing something out of line, illegal would be better. he has a habit of building houseing developments in out of the way areas then selling the houses dirt cheap. you can see what it would do to the community."the commisioner stopped to take a sip of water and draw a long breath. gil sat there in total silence trying to absorb all the man had said. the commisioner looked at him" i would like you to ride the ranch out daily , specially the state land portion. report any activity you find there. as long aas its state grazeing lands they could be trespassing. we could use that if we tie them to nafzigger" " well ime the care taker as it is so i guess it wouldnt be to hard to follow those instructions." gil answered.