THE RUNNING IRON 5

the next morning at 8 a.m a blue ford pick up with a vets box mounted on the back came into the yard a dark haired dark complexioned woman got out mike was a bit taken back when she said she ws vet sent by the state. but in just a moment he recovered and introduced himself and emily. " my name is victoria , the state is so short handed that they are hireing lots of us to fill in the gaps."she was pulling on a pair of cover alls . she fished in the vet box for things you could hear clattering into a container. she stepped back and had a stainless steel bucket in hand. in the buucket was various instrements."i need some water please." she asked. emily took her to a spigot at the corner of the barn. she filled the bucket half full. the disinfectant in the bucket foamed. mike had run the calf into the chute and squeezed him until he stood still. victoria looked the wound over and agree ed it looked like a screw worm. takeing forceps she care fully started to dig in the hole. the calf bawled.in just a second she pulled a yellow looking worm with black teeth from the wound. she produced a test tube from a pocket and asked emily to hold it open. she then put the worm in the bottle and emily capped it. "thats a screw worm larvae. there are probably more in there but ill treat the hole with a spray and give the calf a injection of ivermectine. that should take care of them"the vet said. while she was prepareing the injection the brand inspecters pick up rolled into theyard followed by a black dodge four wheel drive pick up with new mexico plates. the driver of the dodge got out and jenson escorted him into the corral up to the squeeze chute. jenson introduced everyoneand said that this was mr. brooks. brooks didnt apearpleased to be there. but he shook mikes hand and tipped his hat to the women. jenson asked victoria what she had found. she held up the test tube and said it was the real deal. brooks asked" when can i get my cow back?" he was demanding. " not for a while. this whole peice of country is quaranteened. nothing moves without a inspection and a clearence from the vet. now on issue number two" jenson started to say more. "what issue? this is a bunch of bull crap!" brooks stood straight and puffed out his chest. "the issue is, you branded one of mikes calves. it could have been a honest mistake but ime putting yoou on notice it better not happen again. you got that?" jenson was firm. brooks turned and stormed out of the yard and got in his truck and left.mike looked at jenson
" that was pretty hard wasnt it? sure made him mad." mike asked " i checked on mr. brooks when he was in new mexico. he left there under suspicion of running iron theft. he just got out by the skin of his teeth. if the law didnt get him his neighbors would have. but to tell you the truth i dont think he learned his lesson. waatch you cows close. and check this calf daily victoria will be back in a couple of days unless you call her. ok?"jenson laid the whole story out. he turned to leave. victoria had injected the calf and sprayed the hole with a foul smelling spray. when mike turned the calf out from the chute he stood back shakeing his head. victoria told emily the hole should scab over in a day or so. if it keeps bleeding to call her. check manure piles and use fly spray on every animal here, dogs and horses and cattle. the state will make a drop of sterol flies in a day or so." she had shed the cover alls and was getting in the truck " ill se you soon."

THE RUNNING IRON 4

jenson came back to the corral "the state vet cant have anyone here until tomorrow. pair that calf up with his mother then if the rest of the cows here are yours you can turn them back to the pasture. ill be here at 8 in the morning. the vet should be here then ill bring mr. brooks also. we need a little come to jesus over that mis branded calf." mike simply nodded" thanks for all your doing. but what will happen if that calf does have screw worms?" " they will likley quaranteen a big area around here. but lets see what the vet says tomorrow" jenson explained. jenson got in his truck and drove away. mike and emily stood there together watching him raise dust. " get your horse and lets figgure out what we got here." mike said. emily went to her horse as did mike. after he released the calf from the chute. then they sat and watched to see what mother cow would claim the calf. after a half hour a tall thin cross bred cow allowed the calf to suck. emily opened a side corral and mike started easing the pair to the gate. when he had them corraled he could see the cow wore the ladder brand. going back to the big corral he rode through the rest of the cows but they were all 66 ranch cows emily opened the gate and they drove them out of the corral and started them back up country in the pasture. after a while they were sure the cows were going home in the pasture mike and emily turned back toward home. after a while emiley asked mike " whats the big deal about a screw worm?" " you never had to deal with them but they are pretty bad. they multiply very rapid and any raw wound or cut on a animal they get into quick left un treate they can kill lots of animals. there was a time the whole southern end of the state was infested with them. cowboys carried dope to treat the wounds. lots of ropin went on. the goverment figgured out the female fly only mates once in her life. so the goverment started raising the flys and the male flys they sterolized. they turned loose millions and millions of them. thats what finaly pushed them back into mexico. we cant afford even one case like this one."mike went into details explaining about the fly " i watched my dad and others ride from daylite to dark doctoring, i can even still smell the dope they smeared on the infested cuts. it didnt hardly wash off. it was all mom could do to cook a meal with dad there,"mike was remembering a past that few were aware of anymore. " we are gonna wear out some horses keeping watch now its bad enough we got a neighbor with a running iron habit but he brings the fly too. after tomorrow we better stock up on everything you can think of. we wont have a free day for a while." mike sounded down emily couldnt believe what she was hearing. she wasnt ranch raised. so she was learning lots of thinggs, but what she just heard she didnt think was good.