THE LONE OLD TIMER 26

sharons husband , roy, was in a perpetual foul mood.. the bar owner where he workeed every night as a swamper would afford him just one beer and one double shot of whiskey as part of his pay. he didnt get drunk but he kept the appatite for the booze at bay. at times if there was maintence to be done around the bar roy would take are of it. on this day roy was in the hardware store getting some plumbing supplys. while standing in the isle picking out the parts he needed he heard one of the salesmen asking the book keeper how the woman she was helping was doing.. cloe explained sharon was a different woman she ws so proud of her. roy stood still fiddling with parts he needed trying to get more information. but nothing came out. he decided he would come back at closeing time and follow this woman home he would find out where his wife was, and then the boy. the next day was friday. roy was sitting on a bus stop bench accros the street from the harware store. when cloe came out she went to her little truck and pulled out of the parking lot. roy hadnt thought of her driveing he stood and started walking in the direction she drove off. two blocks up the street cloe pulled to the curb in front of a real estate office. a attractive brunette was standing at the curb. when cloe stopped sharon hoped into the truck with a big smile. cloe sped off. but roy had seen where she stopped. the women were going out to bucks ranch for supper. buck was barbque ing some beef it promised to be a good evenning. sharon hadnt seen art in a few days. on the way out to the ranch she explained to cloe that she had found a lawyer who was going file the divorce papers for her things were falling in place the people she worked for were happy with her and promised to help her find a place for her and art to live. at the ranch they found art builing a mesquite fire under the barbque grill, buck and wes wernt back from checking the foot hills pasture. cloe and sharon busyed themselves makeing a salad and puttering around the house. soon buck s truck and trailer came into the yard. art and the women were in a festive mood as they watched buck and wes unload their horses,, they seemed pretty solom. when the came to the house the two women had cold beer waitting . buck went to the refidgerater and took out the meat he had prepared and took it to the grill. he hadnt said anything.wes stoodon the porch with the women he hadnt said anything. finaly cloe asked what was wrong. "we found four tight bagged cows. no evidence of the calves at all. a couple of puddles of dried blood. i got to get a search warrent for a out fit out that way. but we are going back tomorrow to get some steers out of there. i hope we dont find any more problems." wes took a swallow of his beer. " damn nesters" was all he said. the next morning it was still pitch black dark but three horses stood under a flood light at bucks barn. buck, wes and art were saddling up. wes and buck had loosned up a little bit but were both still serious. art noticed both of them carried side arms. he didnt mention it. just as it was breaking day they pulled up just below the foot hills gate. after unloading they mounted and rode into the pasture with wes shutting the gate behind them.the pasture wasnt to large but was pretty rough with canyons and oak thickets. buck led the other two along the fenceafter droppng the other two off at intervals he thought they should cover the area and find the steers. buck took the outside circle which was going to take him up high above the other riders and he could at times see the gate down below. buck had just turnned the circle and was starting back toward the gate pushing a little bunch of cattle with a couple of the big steers mixed in. ahead he heard a pop pop pop. itm took a second for him to realize what he heard. he left the cattle and hit a long trot and a lope in places. when he rode up to the gate. wes was off his horse reloading his pistol. art wasnt in sight. "whats going on?"buck asked as he dismounted. " the guy on the dirt bike was comming through the gate. he saw me and jerked up a rifle, he missed. i was a little out of range but i fired a couple back at him. he left like he was scalded. "wes explained. " weres art?" buck asked looking around. " i havent seen him in a while. he had a good sized bunch with the steers in it. ill go back and help him. " wes remounted. he didnt seem to conserned about a shoot out. buck turned back for the cattle he had left. when he got back wes abd at had about 20 head held up at the gate buck through his cattle into the herd. " ill cut out everything but the big steers those we will drive home. " buck explained. as he started cutting th pairs from the herd he noticed art was a bit stiff but he worked right on like everything was fine. when the last cow was cut back buck opened the gate and rode through. 18 big steers followed and when they were all out buck turned them toward the house, wes was shutting the gate when buck saw art trotting toward him. as he got close buck could see the boy was pale and stiff. when buck got close he could see blood dripping from a torn spot onhis shirt along one rib." you ok art?" " no, something ripped my shirt and cut me. i thought it was a scratch but its worse than that. " the boy was trying to be brave. " go put your horse in the trailer ill get wes to drive you home. ill bring the steers" buck rode over to wes and explained the situation. buck told wes he thought art had a bad brush cut from where he went through some brush. he asked wes to drive him in. he would bring the steers. wes agreed and went to the truck and loaded his horse/ art was already sitting in the passengers side of the truck.buck returned to the steers and got the shocked up in one pile and lined out for the corrals.

THE LONE OLD TIMER.N 25

the next week was taken up withbuck getting things set up around the ranch for art and sharon. buck had got the school to run the bus by on the main road at the ranch. art caught the bus every morning at seven then got home around 430 in the afternoon. that left him time to help do chores around the ranch.. sharon was spending her days cleaning bucks house, doing laundry and cooking buck had about decided hehad never had it so good. art and buck had gone to the weekly roping as if nothing had changed. while there cloe had told buck that sharons husband was roaring around town looking for sharon and art. it was two days after they had left before he sobered up and realized they were gone. not many people knew just where they had gone and the ones who did know wouldnt tell him. for eating m0ney he had been forced to take a job sleaning up after closeing time at a local bar. into the second week cloe had taken sharon to a local clothing store and out fited her with a fresh couple sets of clothes, and a new pair of shoes. cloe had found her a job as a receptionist at a local real estate office. she would move in with cloe. in his spare time art was helping out around the ranch. art had a set of two year old steers up in the foot hills pasture. he planed to take a saturday and he and art bring them in to the ranch so they could be taken to the local auction. going into the second week buck could see that art was filling out through the shoulders and hips , a steady meal was doing wonders. the same for arts old horse. the dead hair was slipping and leaveing him a shiney coat. he had more energy and spark. late one afternoon wes drove in to the ranch. he and buck took up chairs on the porch each with a cold beer. they sat and watched art roping a dummy down at the barn. wes looked over to buck" youve done a good thing here buck, but that boys ole daddy is raiseing hell all over town looking for him and his momma. you know its just a matter of time until some one spills the beans." buck took a swallow from his beer" yes ive thought of that. ill just have to deal with it when it comes. sharon is talking divorce, i havent said anything about it one way or another.ive just given them a boost out of the hole they were in." " have you been up in the foothills lately?" wes asked " no but we are going saturday. why?" buck responded. " when i go along trasure road i see that damn dirt bike s tracks. i followed them back to a place thats got a tall chair link fence around it. but i cant get anything to give me a reason to go in there. i was just wondering if you missed any cattle.?" we was fishing. " ill go check friday and make circle up there. . i been kinda busy here. if you want to go saturday your welcome to tag along."buck invited. " if i dont have any calls friday ide like to go along with you then too, that be ok?" wes asked. buck held his beer up" the more the merryer!"