THE LONE OLD TIMER 12

it was noon the next day before wes got out to bucks place. buck had saddled a couple of horses and they hauled as close as they could to the area where the dead cows were. when they got to the spot wes pulled a camera from a saddle bag and rode arounf rakeing pictures the level of decomposition was pretty high and the coyotes had been feasting at some time but he was able to get pictures of the cows brands. he wanted to get a slug from a carcas but the stench was to bad and he gave that up. as they were rideing back to the truck buck handed him the note that was left in his seat. wes didnt say to much about it but buck could tell he was just as made as buck had been. as they rode up on the truck and trailer a dirt bike fired up and it skirted away from the back side of the trailer. buck looked at wes ten shook his head. as they rode around the rig at first everything looked ok. they dis mounted and loaded the horses in the trail. wes was walking along the side of the trailer when he stopped and knelt down he hollered at buck "check the lug nuts over there. they have been loosened over here." buck ducked down and yelled " here too, i got a lug wrench behind the seat."he jerked the door open and pulled the wrench out from behind the seaat" its a good thing you saw that. it could have been a bad wreck." wes had quit talking he was sulled up pretty bad. " we catch that guy ill make sure the judge never sees him." we murmered as they pulled out on treasure road the dirt bike they had seen buzzed by . buck started to chase him but we reached over " dont, we got these horses and trailer you would be takeing a risk you dont have to. he will show up again." buck eased off the pedal and leveled out but he didnt like it.

THE LONE OLD TIMER 11

buck unloaded little brother at a secluded spot off treasure road. the big soorrel was a ground covering fast travler. from this corner of this pasture it was a good 2 miles to the closest water. so buck didnt expect too find very many cattle here. but he worked along the boundry fence a couple hundred yards out from it. he found a few tracks but no big bunches.he was climbing a slope up to the foot hills fence line when the stench of dead animals entered his breathing space. he looked every direction for a source but finally crossed a slight draw and as he cleared the brush line on the other side the smell was unbearable.. he turnned his mount down hill along the draw. a little ways farter in a depression he rode up on 6 head of dead cows. as he rode around them it became painfully clear they had been shot. almost all of them had been killed with head shots. no little calves were evident. after a few moments he had to get some fresh air and he turned up wing and up hill. bucks temper was rising , but he didnt know who would have done this but he suspected the folks who were trying to sell the calves in town. he would have to get wes out here to view this and write a report on it. he turned his sorrel horse back toward the trailer he had seen enough. from his up hill position as he rode he could see the trash pile where the people trying to sell the calves lived. the temptation to ride there and confront them was strong but as he got closer to his truck his temper cooled. at the trailer he jumped his horse into it and closed the tail gate. but when he got to the truck he found a note in the seat.. IF YOU KNOW WHATS GOOD FOR YOU DONT COME BACK OVER HERE. it wasnt sighned. bucks blood boiled. he walked around the truck and found a single tire track he took to be made from a dirt bike.he had to get to a phone. threatened on his own propety? this wasnt going to work out, 6 dead cows, and now threatened, he was ready to take it to some one. he had to get wes out here now.