BIG HORN 28

the next morning as con stepped down from his trailer he saw a border patrol capitan walking toward him. he had climbed the fence. his truck parked at the locked gate. as he approached roy came out from the house behind con. " good morning!" con waved as the man approached. the capitan didnt respond he had a serious scowl on his face. roy stepped up" did ya catch the man at the pick up spot last night?" the capitan stopped in front of the two cowboys" when we set up our our surveylance the guy was already there. he never moved. we watched him for over a hour.when we finaly approached him we found him dead. shot in the head. the mexican woman with him was shot too.. were you two here all night last night?" "yes we were here. you dont think we did it do you?"con almost yelled. roy turned and took a step or two them came back." why would we kill them?" he was incredolus. con was shakeing his head. the capitan asked " is there any one else here?" " no every one ele is at the hospital in town. your barking up the wrong tree pard." con was firm. a horn started blareing down at the gate. roy looked down that way then back at the capitan" thats fawn down there, your blocking the gate." without a word the capitan spun around and started back followed by con and roy. con got the gate unlocked and the border patrol man pulled into the yard. fawn followed and drove straight to her motor home. before con could shut the gate a county deputy pulled across the catttle guard. roy stepped back looking right and left. con stood firm. " what is this?" con asked as the deputy got out of his car. " the border patrolman and the deputy stood together as the border patrolman said" the man killed was this womans astrainged husband. that why we are looking at you." " you all have been haveing problems with him all along." the deputy spoke up. " ill admit george made some threats but we havent seen him in a few days. and shooting him and his girl friend wasnt something we would do."con was shocked. roy had stepped up next to con in a defensive posture. " does fawn know about this?" con asked. " yes we questioned her this morning.if the guy was smuggling drugs or involved in any way we wanted him. but not dead." the deputy stated. " we want this train of drugs stopped. you need to tell us everything you know." "you know all we know. we just want them stopped from crossing the ranch. we had no idea who the pick up man was. when we catch the smugglers we send them back and give the back packs to this guy" roy pointed to the border patrol man. con was seething" look if this is all you got we gotta go to work. if we find anything else we will contact you."con stepped to the gate roy turned and started walking to the barn " i got horses to feed" he said as he walked away. the two law men looked at each other. they didnt like being dismissed but they had nothing else. they went to their cars and drove out over the cattle guard. con shut and locked the gate behind them. as con started walking toward the barn fawn called to him from her motor home. he went to her. as he stepped into the motor home he could see fawn had been crying. she had a glass of whiskey in front of her on the table. " ime sorry you and roy are wrapped up in this." fawn mumbled. " we are ok, but what about you? we need to anything for you?"con asked. he could see fawn still held some feeling s for george. " no, ill be ok. let me pull my self together. ill have to go make arraingments for them later. i shouldnt have to deal with his mistress but they couldnt identify her. they can get buried together i guess. its the decent thing to do."fawn took a sip of whiskey. " you and roy go on doing your jobs. ill bring earnesto and miriam home in a day or so. she is going to help me decorate the bender house and move in. ime ok really" con nodded and went out side and stood there a minute then went to catch up with roy.

BIG HORN 27

the next just at day lite a convoy of assorted pick ups and trailers pulled up to the gate at the cattle guard. con thre the dregs of his coffee from the cup and set it down and started walking to the gate. roy was at the barn saddling his horse. cons horse stood saddled where it was tied. roy took the horse and led him to the corral to wait on the trailrs to load. upon reaching the gate con was met by a short stocky papago indian who was driveing the lead vehickle. "is this the right place? the big horn ranch?" the man asked. con nodded and as he pulled the gate open hepointed to the chute for loading trailers" back up right there" he said. in short order roy was loading the indian cattle in trailers. he had mixed the 20 head of slicks with them so a few head were on each load. every one was smilling and happy. they shook hands all around then drove out. before con could shute the gate the arizona brand inspecter drove in. with out saying a word he crawled over the fence and started looking the cattle over. roy looked at con with a unasked question on his face. when the inspecter came back to them he had a serious appearence" where are the cattle belonging to george?" con blustered up" he has no cattle here. theres a restraining order to keep him off the property. the court has all the paper work on this deal who do you think you are comming here with that acusation?" the inspecter took a step back, he didnt expect to run into opposition on the subject." well, dont ship or sell anything until i get back from the office! that man has been raiseing holy hell around the state about you stealing his catle. as of right now these cattle are impounded!" " i got two trucks on the way. the cattle that are branded belong to my boss. the are going to marana to the sale barn. impound them there if you want. its your butt thats on the line. "con spit the words out. the inspecter put his hand on his pistol that was belted to his waist." dont make me enforce my order!" " then take your hand off that pistol and get in your truck. GET!"FAWN WAS STANDING BEHIND HIM. " ill have your badge before sun down. GET OFF MY RANCH!" the inspecter looked to con, then roy and finally the short wild haired woman who stood behind him.he marched to his truck without another word, then left. before anyone could catch their breath the cattle trucks turned in off the hiway. " load them boys ime going to go clean up ill go with them to willcox."fawn said. con had started ride away but stopped" willcox? not marana?" fawn grinned. let that popenjay go sit at marana waitting for them.george can keep him company." roy rode past con and started laughing" lets get them loaded. wheels under them and smoke over them." when the loaded trucks pulled out for willcox fawn was in her jeep right behind them. she said not to expect her home as she would spend the night in casa grande with miriam and earnesto. con turned to roy after he had shut the gate"build a firelets brand a few!" roy grinned.by middle of the afternoon the two cowboys had branded all the smaller slicks. a few big bulls and cows remained. they took a break and went for water letting the horses rest a minute. as the two cowboys sat in the shade sipping cool water a man walked out of the deser from the direction of the dead horse tank. he went to the pick up and opened the door peering inside. con reached into his chap pocket and produced his pistol. he hadt noticed but roy already had his out and laying in his lap.the man hadnt seen eith one and kept searching the pick up. " que pasa amigo?" con called the man froze. then turned slowley toward where he had heard the voice. " i need the truck. one of my people is hurt." " where?" con asked the man point back the way he had come from. con looked at roy then said" i dont know whats worse branding those big slicks or wet nurseing these guys. but maybe we will get some info out of them. what do you think?" " ill unsaddle the horses. see what you can find out, dont go alone with that guy."roy stood up and pt his pistol in his waist band of his pants" rerady in a minute. and turned to the horses. con went to the house and got the keys to the truck. he looked the mexican over when he came back but found no weapns. they put him in the middle with con driveing and roy at the passenger door. the mexican pointed the way. about a mile from the dead horse tank the found 5 more mexicans sitting in the shade of some mesquite trees, the all had back packs and sat there watching as con drove up close to them. no one moved. on the ground between two of the men layone more with his head pillowed on a back pack. roy walked over and knelt beside the man who pointed to his ankle. roy ran his hand down the leg and the mexican jumped and sucked in breath. looking at con roy shook his head"it could be broke." con was passing a canas water bag around to everyone. finally he asked the man they hauled back what they were doing. " we take these packs to the hiway. there a rich gringo takes them after he pays us each a hundred dollers. we meet him at mid night." the little man explained. " he told us he owns this rancho. so there is no problems." con listened shakeing his head." load the back packs and this hombre in the truck.then go back to mexico. your rich gringo wont be meeting you. he dont own this ranch. and if you stay here the border patrol will pick you up. they are watching now." the other mexicans started putting the back packs in the back of the truck then lifted the hurt one into the bed of the truck makeing him a bed among the back packs. then one by one they turned back south and started walking to mexico. con handed the one they gave the ride to the canvas water sack. then he and started back to the ranch. a couple hours later they had pulled up to a border patrol check point on the hiway. con explained what they had found out and showed them the hurt mexican. they radioe for a ambulance. then took the back packs they started going through them one by one. each one had a bundle of ragged clothes on top but on the bottom of the pack bag was a plastic wrapped bundle of drugs. " we will set up a surveylance there where they come out of the desert. if that guy is to meet them there at midnight maaybe we will get him. i want to thank you guys."the capitan was shakeing con and roys hands.