COCHISE COWBOYS 4

the next morning denton is eating breakfast in the small dinning room of the pearce hotel. the window in front of him opens to the east and the sun is shining into the room. just as he forked the last bite of his meal a shadow fell across his table. he looked up to see a tall man with a rifle in his hand, his hat pushed back from his face onto the back of his head. a smile was spread across his face. " hello denton, they told me you were here its good to see you."the man pulled out a chair opposite of denton. " what you doing here this morning jed? am i in trouble with the law?" denton grinned back. " not yet, but i heard a story from them miners back there butchering your beef you had some problems getting here."jed walker was the local deputy who ranched to the west of pearce in middle march pass. " yes but i got by and came on to here. i lost 10 head to the rustlers. ill have to make them up to these folks." denton explained the circumstances from the night the rustlers went through his camp but he left out the part about shooting the one rustler. " those boys are getting to be a real problem. ever since curly bill and ringo cashed in everyone thought they would scatter. but if anything they are worse. they usually dont steal on this side of the line but raid into mexico and bring back a herd from down there. which way did they go when they took your cattle?"jed sipped a cup of coffee the waiter brought him. " i didnt see but one of them, just heard the others . they pushed on north. the one i saw up close wont be a problem, he left the country that night." denton explained calmly. " mmmm, one less to chase i guess.when you starting back home?"jed looked out the window. " as soon as i pack up my horse i dont plan on comming back here for a while. my cows are starting to calve and i want to stay close to home and keep the damned ole lions off them." denton was wiping his mouth with the napkin. "ime going to ride over to tomstone and send a wire to john slaughter and report this. i bet that herd was brought across close to his outfit. he will want to know." jed got up and stuck out his hand" until next time pard." denton shook jeds hand and they walked out together. jed mounted a good sorrel horse and turned him toward gleeson. tombstone lay just beyond the end of the mule mountains. jed waved as he rode away. denton gave the store keeper his list of supplys to put together while he went for his horses. a good breakfast under his belt, a little cash comming his way and a pack horse loaded with supplys. life just couldnt be much better.

COCHISE COWBOYS 3

while denton was saddling and packing his pack horse he was looking over its back at thecorpse laying in the camp area. he had no way to cover it or bury it. he felt guilty about possibly leaveing it there. it was going to foul the camp site for sure. he tied off the pack horse then mounted his saddle horse. he shook out a loop in his catch rope and dropped it over the dead outlaws feet. then he turned and takeing a dally around his saddle horn started dragging the corpse away. about a quarter of mile from the camp site the cienaga started riseing up at the base of a rocky hill. there he found a wash out that was 8 or 10 feet deep. into that he rolled the dead man.. when he got somewhere there was law he would tell them where it was. back at camp he untied his pack horse and went out to his steers. only now he had 15 head. he went around them and got them started walking to the west. he knew just before reaching gleeson a good trail turned north to pearce. from the soldier holes water to pearce he saw no other human. the cattle walked along peacefullyy and he actually enjoyed the trip. on reaching pearce he saw a open corral behind the general store. here he penned the steers and tied up his horses.. walking into the store he was met by the store keeper.. " i just put 15 steers in your corral back there. two of the mine owners has them contracted. are they around?"denton explained. the store keeper perked right up" their offices are right across the street. they been waitting on you.. ill run get them." he dashed out the door and across the street to a two story building with the sighn of a hotel over the door. in just amoment the store keeper and the two mine owners came bustling back to the store. " we are sure glad you made it. how many head did you bring?" the older of the two owners asked. " there is 1`5 head out there. i started with 25 but had some trouble if you still want the other ten ill try to make them up." denton told them. they walked over to the counter in the store" how much per head?"the miner was pulling a pouch from his coat pocket. " twenty two dollers per head, if thats agreeable" denton said. " more than agreeable" the miner pulled a scale across the counter and began pouring gold dust into the tray the store keeper was scratching on a note pad and finally looked up. " stop! your over 40 dollers." he pinched back some of the dust until the scale stopped wiggling. he took a small buckskin pouch and poured the gold dust into it and tied the neck closed and handed it to denton. " ime spending the night here as soon as i unsaddle my horses and care for them you hold this for me." he handed the pouch back. "ll be getting supplys before i leave tomorrow" he turned and walked out the door.