THE JACKASS ROPERS 8

at the end of the week the wire strung between two mesquite trees behind the corrals held 36 ears. every day dan had come back with a few stuffed in his chap pocket. also he has found may six or seven big yearlings from the last years calf crop. they had been missed in the fall round up and now were big . walking bank notes. but they wernt in the corral yet. ellen watched him leave every morning and come in every nite, his horses limber from hard rideing and dan the same. a couple of times she had almost mentioned to him he needed to take a day off and rest. but she couldnt find a way to do that. dan had about made up his mind not to go back to ropeing jackasses. he had plenty to do here. but he hadnt figgured just how to accomplish the chore. on the fifth night eating supper lizzy had stayed up and was sitting at the table with him. "aunt lizzy, this country is so rough how did my uncle get the cattle gathered for sale? i kmow he worked by him self mostly. how did he do it?"dan looked across the table at lizzy. she smiled a distant smile, like she was looking back in to the years behind her. then she said" dogs" dan sat there stunned. but where would he find the dogs he needed? he didnt need puppys , he needed dogs ready to work. he didnt have time for puppys to grow up and be trained. got a fork full of potatoes and started it to his mouth. lizzy smiled again.">hank hamilton has them. they are better than a whole truck load of cowboys." dan munched the food as he thought on the subject. hank had a ranch over a hundred miles away. but it was ssaid his ranch was as hard to work as this one.dan said as much. ellen looked over at him from where she stood at the kitchen sink." you and your horses need a day off. go see what you can find out." dan knew he couldnt argue the fact he and the horses were in need of a day off. he looked at his plate then said "ok, your right. ill go in the morning." as ellen was helping lizzy down a short hall to bed she looked out the window. turning her head back toward dan she said"truck in the yard got company." dan droped his fork into the plate of half eaten food. just as he stood there came a knock on the door. when he opened the door there stood a man in khaki pants and shirt. a base ball cap on his head." are you dan martin? were you helping pete briscow catch blm burros?" he asked with out a word of greeting. dans stomach felt as if some one had punched him and all the air went out."yeah thats me. what can i do for you>" "ime looking for pete. would you know where to find him?" the man asked. he told me to leave word at the la cabanna in wicken burg thats all i can tell you. i hadnt planned on going back. i got lots to do here and i dont like leaveing two women alone while ime gone."dan told him. " ime told you were the best donkey catcher. if i dont find pete can i come see you about gathering the onkeys? " the man asked. " i doubt it. but i will talk to you about it."dan left the door open."ime going out of here tomorrow if i find or hear of him ill send him to you." " we have a alotment that is over run with the feral donkeys. we want them gathere and gone." the man handed dan a business card" if you see him give him this, if we dont hear from him in the next couple weeks ill be back to talk to you." dan nodded " ok, see what i can do. but no promises."

THE JACKASS ROPERS 7

mid morning the next morning dan rode away from the house on a fresh shod stocking legged horse. he had high hopes in what he would see. this was a horseback ranch. one road off the highway came to the house. that was the only one. there had been talk in the past of bringing in a bulldozer and knocking out a road to the back country. it didnt happen for what ever reason.dan was just as glad. no road, no tourists. no poachers, no maverickers. the old pack train trail to and from the ghost town signal ran through a portion of the ranch it was worn deep from the iron shod pack mules. dan followed this now. to his right was a deep, rocky canyon the ranch took its name from.. every so often there was a hand made rock water trough that caught the stream of water and then over flowed and spilled on down the canyon to the next trough. one thing he noticed was the salt blocks was all gone. he would need to pack some in to this part of the ranch. salt made for gentle cattle. as he rode along dans mind was working, trying to find a way to not return to the jackass crew. he kept finding things that required his attention but didnt bring in any cash flow, they cost money. some of the things didnt require expendeture of anything but sweat. but the days spent on those projects were days he got farther behind on his bank acount. all these things had his mind crowded in such a way he almost missed the que his horse tried to show him. the sorrel had turnned his head and pointed his ears at the far bank of the canyon. when the horse stopped he almost slammed dan to the front of the saddle. there across the canyon five head of cows with five big calves were sliding single file down a trail into the canyon. right below dan was a water trough encircled by a rock corral it waas low in places but it might hold a gentle cow.dan spured the sorrel on past the water trough and found a place to get down into the canyon. when he reached the bottom he could see all the cattle were inside the rock corral. as queitly as possible dan rode up to the gate opening and sat his horse there watching the cows drink. the cows were all branded with the ranch brand but the calves were long eared, not branded or ear marked. dan looked around for a way to close the gate opening. the remnent of a pole gate stood against the rock wall on one side. it was held together with rawhide lashings. it looked rotten. dan stepped his horse inside the corral and got down slowley and hobblws the horse so that he partially blocked the gate, the slowly he went to the pole gate. it was built from desert cedar and wasnt as rotten as dan thought. he lifted and drug it over to the gate and stood it up effectivly closeing the corral. useing piggin strings he tied it on each end so it would stand. he then started putting together enough wood for a fire. when it was burning good he layed his running iron in it to heat. the cows upon seeing him had become nervous and bunched up in area of the rock corral that was the highest . stepping back on the good sorrel horse dan built a loop in the end of his catch rope then carefull stepping up close as he dared to the cows he waited until one of the big calves came to the outside of the huddled mass. without swinging the loop he underhand pitched the loop under the big calves belly. the calf ran his toung out and bellered as he jumped forwad but dans loop caught two feet. dan spun the norse and dallyed his rope went to the fire dragging the calf on his side. when close to the fire dan stopped and spun the sorrel so he looked down the rope to the calf.with the horse holding the calf dan dismounted and began tying three legs on the calf. a little over a hour later dan untied the pole gate and slid it to one side. then mounting rode away leaving the cows and fresh branded calves still in the corral they could leave at their own pace. dans chap pocket held five ears as ways of keeping track of what he range branded. he would string them on a wire back at the house.if there were enough he wouldnt need to rope any more jack asses.