COCHISE COWBOYS 13

while denton ate, inez sat across from him with a cup of coffee. she never said a word. when he had finished eating he pushed his plate to the center of the table and smiled at her. " that was real good, ime gonna miss that when your gone." he took a sip of his coffee. " thats what we got to talk about. i been thinking things over." inez was serious. " i dont think i want to go. i got no wwhere or no boby to go to. you treat me well with respect. when other people find out i been with the apache for two years they will probably shun me. you never have. ill work my butt off for you. i dont need much. i can do a lot to help you here." inez was almost pleading. " ill saay this, i like you being here. your a good friend. and you have already done a lot for me. lets take it one day at a time. you may change your mind. my concern is being able to support us both."denton told her. " remember i lived with the apache, they didnt have any money. ill plant a garden, you bring us a deer every so oftern. we will make do. il watch the entrence for myles compton and his cowboys. some times they have ......"she didnt get to finish he sentence. denton had a hard look on his face. " none of that, wind falls are one thing, ambusches are another. you might have just a touch of that apache left there."denton stood up. " as of right now this is your home as well as mine."he turned and walked out the door. behind he could hear inez let out a held breath and starting to pick up the dirty dishes. " i hope i havent done something stupid here." he said to him self. during the night at some point denton heard a mountain lion scream. not close but a ways back up the mountain. he sat up in his bed roll and laid his hand on his rifle and listened. but he heard no more. he slowley laid back down. but he could see the outline of inez standing on the porch and looking up the mountain. in her hand she held a rifle. as he drifted back to sleep that was the last thing he registered seeing, inez in the dark with a rifle in hand. at breakfast the next morning inez asked him" when you saddle your horse for the day can you leave me one too?" denton looked up and nodded. " ill see to it. he will be tied at the corral ." " it may take both of us keeping the lions off your cattle. just tell which way to go."inez explained " you ride the flat, the bottom of the canyon. ime going up some of the side canyons. we need more grass. maybe a few more cows." denton ponted up the side of the mountain. inez watched later as he rode away . she finished her house work then took a rifle and went to the bay horse denton had left saddled and ready. she stuffed the rifle down into the scabbord then untied the horse and led him a few steps. he humped up, standing the saddle up on its forks over his withers. " oh its like that huh?"inez jerked the latigo strap up ahole tightning the cinch. then grabbing the cheek peice on the bridle pulled the horse into a circle with inez on the inside. as the horse came around she jumped and caught a stirrup with her left foot and swung on over the broncs back catching the stirrup on the far side. the horse snorted but could do no more than spin a circle. inez laughed" your not so bad." when the bay stopped spinning she released his head and kicked him out into a long trott, his head held up on a tight rein.they had country to cover.

COCHISE COWBOYS 12

OUT SIDE THE CANYON THE TWO COWBOYS TURNED THE LITTLE HERD SOUTH. DENTON HAD LOOKED THEM OVER AND FOUND THEY ALL WORE A UNFAMILIAR BRAND. A FEW MILES ALONG IN THE DISTANCE THEY COULD SEE A CLOUD OF DUST RAISING OVER A KNOT OF HORSEMEN. UN FRONT OF THAT BUNCH A WHITE HORSE COULD BE SEEN WITH A TALL RIDER. " UH OH I HOPE YOUR NOT WANTED IN MEXICO." DENTON SAID. " not that i know of. only been down there once before. why?" "thats kosterlinsky. he the head man for the black rope ruales down there." denton was glum. as the riders drew near the ruales circled the cattle and stopped them. kosterlinsky rode up on the two cowboys flanked by two hard looking mexicans with black rope hat bands on their hats. "hello colonel, are you looking for these cattle?" denton asked. wes was shakeing but trying not to show it. "we saw you from the ridge there" kosterlinsky pointed to a long ridge." you have the sanchez family cattle. where do you think your going with them?" " we didnt know who theyy belonged to, they were left at my rancho last night. i figgured them to belong south of the border so we were returning them there."denton stod firm. "if you come back to mexico i will deal with you accordingly. "the old prussian spoke through gritted teeth. "we wernt there to start with, we want to be good neighbors. we didnt steal these cows. we were returning them."denton leaned a bit forward to make sure kosterlinsky heard him, but it also freed up access to his side arm. "if you didnt steal them then who did?" the prussian sneered. " i never saw them before, but they left the country rather suddenly." denton rested his hand on his pistol butt. wes cut a look at denton and turned white. "left the country? are you one of slaughters men?"kosterlinsky asked a bit softer in the tone of his question. " i was, but no longer. i have my own ranch to tend. but i try to follow his directions as much as possible."denton moved his hand to the saddle horn at kosterlinskys change of attitude. "BUENO!"kosterlinsky waved at his men. he spun the white horse and started herding the cattle south with his men. as they rode away denton heard wes let out a breath he had been holding." you ok?" he asked. " i am now. i thought we were dead for sure." wes was still shakeing. " that old bluffer has a attitude every time we run into each other. he acts like he dont know me but he does. ill lay money on the fact the sanchez family never sees those cows. he knew being on this side of the line was wrong. but he probably needed to sell something to pay that bunch of killers who ride with him.so we solved our problem and his bringing those cattle back here. "denton explained as they watched the cattle and riders disapear up ahead. denton dug in his shirt pocket and came out with 20 dollers in silver coin" here, this will get you fed until you find work. thanks for your help." " any idea where i might find some work?"wes was looking at the coins in his hand. "san bernadino is right up there ten miles or so. john hires a few men. tell him i sent you. youll get a meal and a bed for one night for sure."denton pointed to the south east. he shook wes s hand then turnned his horse back toward the canyon. wes waved and watched him ride back. denton rode back toward his home wary. myles maybe showing up at anytime looking for the two hired men and the cattle. he didnt want any run in with myles compton but at the same time he didnt want to be involved in his schemes. besides he had to do something about inez. she was good to have around but he didnt want her to think she was being held there. he now had extra horses and gear. he could get her rigged out and she could go on her way. when he rode back into his yard the smell of cooking food hit his nose. a hot lunch was going to be good. he turned his horse loose when he unsaddled and stepped into the house. the view he was greeted with stopped him in his tracks. inez long black hair was pulled to the back of her head and tied into a ponys tail with a peice cloth. she wore the gingham dress he had bought her. it , if anything was a bit snug but showed off her figgure. the only thing remaining of her apache get up was the tiguas on her feet. "i look ok?"she asked. "better than ok. no one will mistake you for a indian now." denton answered. inez started putting food into a tin plate from the skillet on the stove." sit down and eat, lets make a plan." she said matter of factly.