BIG HORN 16

the next morning con was finishing a cup of coffee standing in the dark at the end of the barn. he was watching the eastern sky. he always like to watch the sunrise. it was a good time to think. roy came up to him, "ime ready to go to work, what can i do?" con looked at him the dark, seeing his facial out line. " take the truck and trailer and a horse and go to the 13 tank. i set the triggerers the other day. see what we got caught. ime going to wait for the border patrol. if you see any illegals or any one suspicious get back here.you dont need another go round in the hospital." roy didnt say another word but went in the saddle room and came out with his bridle in hand. con watched as he went to the corral and caught a horse. earnesto had fed them earlier. as roy was saddling his horse earnesto came from the corrals. "do you need me to do something today?"he asked con. " ime waitting for the border patrol. and the adobe crew. i guess clean up around the big house. but stay close. do not let any one through the gate but the border patrol the adobe crew or the patrona. everyone else waits at the gate until you get me. ok?" "BUENO!" earnesto walked off toward the bender house. a little later roy roared out of the yard with his horse in the trailer. the sun was just peeking over the tabletop mountain. con went to his trailer and got his log book out. he hadnt written anything in a few days. he wanted to keep it current. he was on the second page when he heard a car door slam out side. he got up and went to the door. a short stocky border patrol man was standing at the front of his truck looking about. " good morning!" con called as he steped down the steps from the trailer house. the officer turned and smiled" you brought this a long way! i couldnt believe it when i drove up.that lady who stopped at the office said you needed someone today. how can i help you?' con proceeded to explain about the trail passing dead horse and going to the hiway. then told the officer about the pile of cigarett butts they found where the vehickle had beed parked. the officer listened. "i read the report. has anyone been back through there?"the officer asked. "i havent seen any more tracks there, but theres another water hole over west of here. at it i found one set of tracks like some i saw at dead horse. they went toward the hiway. but i also found this." con pulled snuff can from his pocket and opened it. inside was two cigarett buttsone long one short. "the long one was laying beside the ashes of a camp fire. the short one was one the husband of my boss was smokeing." "thats a popular brand in mexico. we see them here at times but you cant buy them on this side of the border. i bet the track you saw at the tank was a scout. i would keep a sharp eye out. your bosses husband haveing one could be explained in a differnt number of ways. does he seem suspicious acting to you?"the officer was curious. " its hard to say, i dont like the guy to start with. i wouldnt be surprised at anything he does."con voiced his dislike for george. " i wouldnt go alone out there, and unarmed. " the officer waved his arm in a arck to the southj. " keep me posted. he handed con a business card" i need to go , we got these guys comming through this country like crazy. just be careful." con watched as earnesto opened the gate and let the border patrol truck out. " well he said it. go armed"

BIG HORN 15

A FEW hours later con rode up to a tank named 13. just a number. no one knew why it was named such a thing but it was a big tank with lots of water. i was south west of the head quarters. the moralis crew had just finished the fenceing and corral work there. the water lot took in a good 3 acres with a corral built from stacked mesquite in the north east corner. cattle tracks were abundant. con rode around to where the triggers were built the tracks were thick , no telling how many cattle watered here. he decided to set the triggers and work this area.. when he got off his horse he found fresh foot prints going through the triggers on top of the cattle tracks. he carefully stepped through the triggers on one side of the fresh foot prints. he followed them through the water lot toward the corral. as he neared the corral the smell of mesquite smoke was in the air. he opened the gate to the corral to find the ashes of a small fire built inside the corral, sheltered and hidden by the solid stacked mesquite fence. there were foot prints for one person only. a few food wrappers scattered about but on one side of the fire he found a cigarette butt. like the ones he saw on the side of the road. he fished in his shirt pocket and came up with the one george had throwwen at his feet. it was short and he couldnt tell if they matched. he pocketed both butts. he would pass them on to the border patrol. who ever had been here had climbed over the fence to leave. con sould see the foot prints going away to the north. he returned to his horse and set the triggers. then rode over to the single set of tracks and started following them north toward the hi way. he needed the border patrol. it looked like the smugglers were scouting a new trail. late that aternoon he rode back into the headquarters. he saw fawns car parked over by the bender where thecarpenters were putting a roof over the adobe walls. as he pulled the saddle from his horse he saw fawn comming toward him behind her he could see roy standing in the door of the trailer house watching. earnesto was no place to be seen. he put his saddle on a rack and stepped back out side. earnesto had taken his horse to the corral fawn was almost to him. he leaned back against the barn wall and waited. " things look good con." fawn said as she walked up. " but why the locked gate?" " george told the brand inspecters i might be stealing cattle from you. i locked the gate to keep him out."con answered. fawns face blushed immediatly, her temper riseing." dont let him back in again. i didnt even think that. ime sorry." " dont be, i knew you wouldnt have insinuated that. ill try to get some more cattle to the sale this comming week." con then explained about roy being beaten and his hireing earnesto. fawn stood there nodding and listening. " if you want start going armed. i dont want anyone treated that way. earnesto seems like a good har working man. as soon as the house is liveable ime moveing in here. do you have any idea how many cattle are here, any idea at all?" fawn inquired. "not a number, but plenty. george told me he had made a deal with the brand department to sell the fresh branded cattle.i dont trust either one, him or them. but you might follow up on that because we could end up holding as lot of cattle here before being able to sell them."con told her. fawn looked him in the eye, " you think george is trying to steal some cattle or the money they are worth dont you?"fawn asked. " hes up to something i just dont know yet. i didnt want to acuse him yet. but he has made it hard for me to ignore." con scuffed his boot in the dust. " i didnt want to start this, your married to him but i think he will try to take advantage of you.. you been straight up with me. he hasnt." fawn nodded," ok, when the adobe crew show up get them started on the bunk house and your bungalow. i hate that trailer sitting there.ill be back in a day or so. ill have george served with seperation papers tomorrow. the divorce might be worse and take a while. but dont let him on the place."with that fawn turnned and started back to her car. earnesto materialized from no where" go let the patrona out then lock it up better." con told earnesto. con broke into a trott and caught fawn"when you get to town tell the border patrol i need to talk to some one." " you know something i should know?" fawn asked. "ime not sure. it maybe nothing you will be the first to know if we nail something down."con nodded. earnesto passed them on the way to the gate. fawn watched him pass" ill get you some one right away"