THE RUNNING IRON 7

when inspecter jenson drove into brooks yard he thought the place to be abandoned. brooks cattle trailer was backed up to the corral and stood unhitched with the tail gat open. when jenson walked into the corral he found the ladder cow and calf that had been quarantened at mikes corrals. they stood at the far end og the corral. jenson closed the corral gate when he came back out. as he walked to his truck brooks drove into the yard. when he got out of his truck his arm was bandaged from the elbow down. " what happened to you?" jenson asked. " bad sprain, what can i do for you?"brooks was defensive. " why did you move that cow and calf?. you were told they were quarentined."jenson put it right out in the open. " i thought they were cleared, the wound wasnt draining anymore." brooks stood his ground. " the vet had to release them. now your place is locked down until she says its ok. ime writting you a citation for it. also, what were you doing over on mikes side of the fence? i told you to stay off there !" jenson had his head down writting in his citation book. " i was running a lion on my side of the fence. i got some lead in him but he crawled under the fence. i went in to get the lion. but he wasnt dead. when i rode up he jumped up and snarled. my horse blew up. he bucked around there a few circles as the cat ran off. some where in the wreck i tore the ligaments in my arm. i put the fence back up, and went to the doctor. you can check it all out." brooks didnt back off a bit. jenson didnt know wheather to believe him or not. he tore the citation from the book and handed it to brooks. " go see the judge. dont miss the date or he will have you locked up." " ill go see mike andd explain about the lion. he will need to keep a eye out for him." brooks folded the citation and put it in his pocket." get that vet to come look at this calf. i cant afford to feed them to long." jenson got in his truck" go see mike right now. then stay home a few days. ill call the vet for you." jenson drove off leaveing brooks standing in the yard.

THE RUNNING IRON 6

on the second day after the vet had been at the ranch mike was up on the fence line between him and brooks. that the fence was rickety was no question. mike was rideing along slowley when he came to a set of tracks. they crossed the fence from brooks side and returned at the same place. the fence was propped up. mike sat there a moment. there were no cow tracks to be seen. there was no apparent reason for brooks to come over that fence. mike reined his horse around and followed the horse tracks. down below he could see emily pokeing along but watching him. she stopped mike followed the horse tracks until he came to a peice of ground that had been tore up. a disturbance of some kind had happened here but he found no reason for it.setting there he saw emily picking her way up country toward him. when she got there he explained what he had found.they both rode a big circle but found nothing but one horse track and a cow track. no ashes from a fire or any other evidence. with nothing to work with they rode on to finish their circle. but mike filed the incident away for later use. back at the ranch when they rode into the yard mike saw the corral gate standing open when he rode up to it he saw tire tracks where a trailer had been backed up to it. some one had loaded the ladder cow and calf. they were gone. emily sat there on her horse but didnt say a word.mike was starting to boil. she was waitting for the explosian. but mike rode past and started unsaddling his horse with out looking up he said"when i get done here i think i need to call that brand inspecter.. you wanna come along?" emily pulled the latigo through the cinch ring on her saddle" no, i better stay here and cook something for later." mike nodded and carrried his saddle inside and put it on a rack.turning he almost bumped into emily comming in with hers" you wont go off half cocked will you?" emily asked. " no, ill keep it cool. but if we have to follow the rules brooks needs to also. what he was doing up on the fence line is a mystery to me. now this, he is going to take all this too far some day." mike had gotten a hold of his temper. "well, let the law handle him, please?" emily begged. "i will, but he needs to get in line. if the law cant handle him i will." mike made it plain. a little bit later he drove out of the yard. emily stood on the porch and watched him go worried about what he would do. at the river side mike dialed the inspecters private number. when he came on the line mike explained his call. but half way through the inspecter told him to go home. he would be there with a update soon. he didnt sound happy.