GO EN RODEO EN 10

all evening joe didnt say to much as he cooked supper. when the meal was done and three men were sitting there enjoying a cup of coffee joe finally asked; " whats the big deal? i understand people wanting the horse but he is such a stand out......" "you dont get it , if they steal him it will be to resale him, to get him off the circuit. so we cant ride him. thats a down right crime. but what they probably will do is take him some place a ways away from here and turn him loose just long enough that we cant use him sunday. they would consider that a good natured prank. it gives them a better chance of winning some thing. those guys will see the rifle and forget it.. its the ones who will just steal him and resell him. that we really got to watch." ed explained. " this isnt the first time something like this has taken place. but between the three of us i think we can keep it from happening." joe ducked his head" i never dreamed something like this would happen. i figgured everyone entered here was straight up." " most are. but theres a certain amount of them who never were honest or could hold a steady job. that big bull dogger is one he is just down right mean. the only thing he respects is a gun. " jerry said under his breath. joe hadnt noticed it before but jerry had a bulge in the front of his shirt right at the waist band of his pants. it made joe shivver. that night ed took the first watch over the horses. his rifle laying ready. all around them the contestants camps were quiet. jerry took over at mid night then turned the watch over to joe with just a hour or so left until day light. when it got light enough to see joe took the horses to water. when he returned with them he hobbled both close to camp. the grass was short but there was still enough for them to fill up on. once he was satisfyed with the horses joe went on into camp and starte breakfast. he saw the coffee pot was already setting on the fresh made fire. he looked around and saw ed leaning against a pine tree watching the horses graze. his rifle leaned against the tree in easy reach.jerry had gone back to their camp and cared for their horses. as joe was pouring coffee for himself and ed he saw the big bull dogger trudging toward them. ed straightened up and picked up the rifle and layed in the crook of his left arm. he watched the mountain of a man comming toward them. when he had come in speaking distance of ed he waved and asked" hey ed, can i get a seat on your bulldogging horse?" ed glared at him with no friendlyness"no, we got three rideing him now i think thats enough." " you know anybody else got a horse i can get on? how bout one of those two yonder?"the big man asked. ed knew he was testing the air. " nope no dogging horses there. and besides they arnt mine. ill put the word around you need a ride."ed accepted the cup of coffee joe brought him.. joe made it a point to not offer the big man any, the last thing they needed was that guy sitting around their camp checking out what they had. before the bull dogger could turn to go jerry had walked up behind him and just stood there looking at the mans back. when he turned and saw jerry he almost fell over "excuse me " he said as he stepped around the quiet jerry. it was then everyone noticed jerry had his hand resting on the lump in his shirt front. ed caught jerrys eye and shook his head slowley the man left back towards camp. joe brought jerry a cup of coffee then turned to ed" i see what you were talking about, "

GO EN RODEO EN 9

dutch gervin was a big man.. a mean man and a man who people feared. he was a bull dogger who hadnt won a dime in over a year. but he kept showing up to rodeos. he didnt ask for a ride on your bull dogging horse, he told you. no one had turned him down at 6 foot 6 and 260 pounds and a mass of muscled across his chest folks just handed him the bridle reins. after all what was one run? what no one could figgure out was where he got the money to keep going down the road. but if they had taken the time to check his back trail they would find that after each rodeo shut down and moved on to another western town there was always a armed robbery of a small business. as joe and ed and jerry walked through camp leading sox back to camp dutch had stood there alone and appraised the sorrell horse.. he was already scheming on how to own the animal. he was so busy watching the smooth way of going the horse had he didnt notice that jerry had seen him doing just that. dutch had never approached jerry or ed about rideing on of their horses. he knew that he couldnt intimidate the brothers. it was also rumored that jerry always had a loaded pistol on him at all times. dutch knew he could win a fist fight with just about any one except a 45 caliber lead injecter. at camp joe had strung a picket line ovrhead between two pine trees. just at dusk he noticed both of his horses wernt grazeing. their bellys full. they were standing with a hind leg cocked and at rest.this was a good sighn. he went out and unhobbled both horses and took them to water. when they had finished drinking he returned to camp and tied each to the picket rope with enough slack they could lie down should they wish to joe went about his camp chores like he normally would. the fact that ed sat against a pine tree with his rifle resting across his lap was like it was a every day ocurence. he started cooking a supper. presently jerry came sauntering into camp. he sat a bag of food next to the fire. "you didnt know it but you got house guests for the night."he grinned over at joe who didnt even look up " your welcome at anytime, the coffee is hot, help your self. "joe was peeling a potato and pointed toward the coffee pot with his knife. jerry poured him self a cup and one for ed. when he took eds to him he bumpted eds foot. when ed looked up jerry pointed back to the main part of camp with his chin. dutch was standing there looking after them. ed accepteed the cup , took a sip and mumbled" i see him." it was going to be a long night.