COCHISE COWBOYS 8

denton left before day lite the next morning. he had saddled the pack horse for the trip up the mountain to check the water flow. he had told inez about finding the horse tracks and the spot the rider had used to watch them.she didnt seem to disturbed. just asked for the pistol while he was gone. he didnt usually carry a side arm when checking his cows. but he did take the rifle along incase he found a deer. he still didnt understand the intruder . why hadnt he come to the house and announced his presence? was he plotting some thing he knew denton wouldnt like? denton hoped it was nothing of a kind. it might be nice to have a visitor once in a while. as the sun was comming over the top of the mountain and shed its light on the stream he was following he felt a certain bit of comfort. it was peace full and pleasent as he rode along. the water in the stream bed wasnt any lower but was still reduced from its normal flow. denton rode along with the rifle laid accros the front of his saddle.inez had reminded him they needed fresh meat. she was pretty definate in her demand, it made him chuckle. he needed to get out of the canyon soon, and get her some decent clothes. she couldnt go around looking like a apache warrior much longer. some trigger happy fool would take her for a man and shoot her from a distance. while he was mulling these things through his head his horse had slowed to a careful walk, trodding over rocks and brush. comming to himself denton realized there were a few cow tracks following the stream also. as he came around a bend in the stream he noticed water had spread out and was soaking into a wide spot in the little canyon. as he rode on he saw a hand full of cows scattered around ahead they appeared content some standing or laying in the shade of trees or the canyon wall. as he rode on he found the reason for the reduced water flow. a big rock had rolled into the stream and was daming it. forceing the water out of its channel and to spread out along the canyon floor. above the rock the stream was just as stong as ever. he tied his horse off and leaned the rifle against a handy tree. he tried to roll the boulder back out of the stream to the down hill side. he found it was well settled where it was. he didnt think the horse could move it. he walked around the boulder and studyed the lay out. picking up a downed tre limb he starte scratching a channel on the down hill side. the stream bed had a lot of gravel and wasnt real hard. after a hour he had a good detour dug out around the rock. most of the water was rushing on down the stream bed. he could see where the water was cutting the new channel a bit deeper as run around the rock. while he stood there watching a buck deer came out of the woods and tip toed to the stream for a drink. the rifle was four steps away. denton knew if he moved very fast he wouldnt get a shot.when the deer dropped its head to drink he took a slow step toward the rifle. the deer raised its head, denton stopped. the deer resumed drinking and that time he made it to the rifle slowley putting the rifle to his shoulder he took quick aim. a second later he and inez had fresh meat.the pack horse wasnt wanting to carry the deer. denton had cut the bucks throat and let him bleed out. the pack horse didnt like the smell. but denton got the deer lashed on the he walked around the cows and started them walking back down the canyon. he led the horse . it would be late when he got in. but the stream was running full and they had meat for the table.he grinned to himself thinking how this would set with inez.

COCHISE COWBOYS 7

denton was moveing along at a soft trott through the pasture. the gramma grass was knee high on a cow and still had a green tint. but it hadnt rained in a few months and things were drying up. his cows were fat and in good shape, and as he rode through them looking at this one and that he had a feeling of pride. almost every cow had a calf at hr side now. his bulls had moved off together and were batching. which ment all the cows were bred back already. denton was feeling very prosperous, he had a little cash left from the sale of his steers and all this around him. not many men could say they were in this shape. as he came to the little stream that ran almost through the middle of the pasture he saw that it was almost down to a trickle. that got his attention. all this prosperity wouldnt amount to a hill of beans without water. as he rode on along following the little stream he suddenly came to a clear horse track in the mud along the stream. it wasnt one from his horses. it was a bit bigger. an he had been gone until today. his head came up and he looked in every direction. but he saw no one. he started following the horse tracks. had some one stumbled on to his little peice of heaven? or was someone looking for him? the horse tracks left the stream bed and moved off toward a low set of hills on the north side of his pasture. he followed along carefully watching the trail and up ahead as he rode. at the hills the tracks started climbing the side of the hill. at the top he found where someone had stopped and smoked a number of cigaretts. one of the cigarette stubs was still warm! they had been watching him!the horse tracks went off the north side of the hill and seemed to take a path through the steep and rough hills. it was getting late, he would come back tomorrow and see about this intruder. he turned toward the cabin. at the cabin as he rode up he could smell coffee and something cooking. he unsaddled and put his horse away in the corral with the pack horse. he had a small stack of cut gramma hay and h fed some of it. he then turnned to the house. the door stood blocked open as well as the window shutter. inside he found inez setting the table. "i saw you comming. this is almost ready." she was setting out a fork and spoon at each plate. " its not much until we get som fresh meat. but with the beans and jerky i think we will get by"she was scurrying about. denton was impressed to say the least. she poured a cup of the coffee and set it at dentons plate then one for herself. " how did you find your cows" inez asked as she dished up the stew. " the cows are fine. but the stream that waters them has dropped. ill need to ride back up the mountain tomorrow and see why."he didnt tell her about the intruder. tomorrow would be soon enough.