GO EN RODEO EN 8

as they were walking back through the contestants camp ground joe was walking along with his bowed a bit and talking about the bull dogging wreck he had. but ed and jerry was takeing notice of the out of state contestants watching joe and sox as they walked along. jerry looked at ed with a knowing look and ed nodded. when they reached camp ed dropped out at their camp while jerry and joe continued on to joe s camp site with sox. joe began unsaddling the good sorrell with jerry standing there his hand resting on the horses rump. " i wouldnt stake this horse to far from camp.. theres to many of those out of state rodeo bums eyeing him. that horse, with the three of us on him is going to make a dent in the chances to win a little at this rodeo. theres a bunch of those boys might need some cash to get out of town when this show is over. dont trust them joe."jerry layed it on the line. joe turned to look at jerry" you cant mean that? they would do something like that to keep us from wining a little? or steal him to resale him?" joe was shocked. " we dont know all those guys, but just now they were looking at this good horse with some hungry eyes. some of them would do just about anything to get out of town. not everyone in this world is a honest cowpuncher ya know?" jerry was keeping his voice low. " eds back in camp watching the rest of them. you own the horse but we have a intrest in him too. stake him in close to camp until almost dark. then bring him in to camp for the night. we will take turns guarding him through the night. dont take that bunch over there for granted." joe was looking at jerry like he didnt know him" you mean this dont you?a lot of those guys are your friends arnt they? i havent seen a piker among them. the feed close to camp isnt great he needs to be out there a ways to get a good fill." joe was stammering. " you want him full and gone or a little hungry and here to use. friends or not, some of those bums arnt to be trusted. they live from one rodeo or little town to the next. theres no telling what they might pull." jerry looked up and saw ed comming with a rifle in hand. a hard look on his face. when joe took note of ed with the rifle he gulped" would you use that thing?" " i hope it dont come to it. but if push comes to shove , yep ."ed answered" i made sure a bunch of those guys saw me when i left camp with it. better to warn them than have to plug one later." joe took sox a little ways from camp and hobbled him and left a stake rope dragging from his halter. he could see him from camp very easy. surpriseing enough sox was finding enough grass and was working hard at filling his belly. back at camp ed was propped up against a pine tree with the rifle laying over his knees. jerry had returned to their camp. joe was throwing a meal to gether. soon joe noticed out of the corner of his eye that ed was getting to his feet, two cowboys were walking past sox on their way to some destination. they slowed down a bit as they came abreast of sox. ed levered a round into the chamber of the rifle and stepped out where he could be seen. the two lookers turnned and almost ran on . ed looked over at joe" see what we are talking about? they were checking out how you had him hobbled." joe nodded slowley. " it will be dark in a hour ill bring him before that. thank you."

GO EN RODEO EN 7

after a bit joe came walking back. his hat sat on a bush of wet hair and his face was clean of dust. he went to his sorrell horse and began checking his gear and rope. when he was satisfyed he mounted and went to the warm up area. he simply walked circles with the good sorrell. while doing that he handled his rope and ran it through his hands getting a feel for the seven egths hemp rope. . he checked it for weak or broken strands. he did the same with the piggin string coiled and stuck under his belt. his good horse showed a touch of energy with a spring in his step. the rodeo atmosphere had him charged. over at the arena ed and jerry were watching joe . they knew enough about houlihaning a steer to know a injury might not show up for a while. but joe just seemed focused on the chore comming up. when the steer roping was announced ed was first out.. his steer horse was a big sorrell that had seem many contests. they drew a big steer who ran a little harder than everyone expected. the sorrell had to strain a little to get in throwing distance. when ed had tied the steer half way down the arena and threw his hands up to signal time they had posted a 28 scond run. the next two entrys were local cowboys one of which missed and the other had a bad fall on his steer and had to remount and throw the steer a second time. makeing him in the 40 second range. when joe was called to rope he rode into the box. his loop in hand. jerry stood to one side and quietly said"this steer is big but dont run much. get a solid trip on him" joe nodded that he had heard. when he called for the big wide horned steer he let the steer almost all the way to the 35 foot line before turning sox loose. the bald faced sorrell exploded from the box and rolled up on the steer like a frieght train on a tramp. just as he was getting in range joe threw his loop in a perfect through that caught booth hornes clean. joe flipped the slack over the steers right hip just above the hock as the stout sorrell leaned over in a left hand turn catching another gear.just as the rope came tight joe slipped his right leg over the back of the stampeding horse. when the rope came tight he was stepping to the ground. the steers head was pulled around to its right side and the rope swept his legs from out from under him. just as the steer pancaked into the arena dust joe stepped up and strung the bottom front leg then pulled the hind legs up to it and wrapped and tied them off. then threw his hands up. from the chutes came a whoop and a holler as jerry and ed cheered him. joe walked the rope to sox s hind end then touched the horses hip and quetly praised the horse as he patted him before mounting.the man with the megaphone annunced joes time as a 19 second run. over the 35 foot score it would be hard to match. and as the steer roping event ended it was plain that joes run was the best of the day.. the last event of the day was the team tying. joe and sox once again roped the horns and turned the steer but jerry missed catching the hind feet.. when the performance was over and the crowd was slowley filing out of the grand stands joe, jerry and ed were walking back to the contestants camp area leading their horses. ed explaine the next day the rodeo would finish the first go round.. then the top ten in that go round would come back and compete on sunday for the average prize money. ed and jerry both thought their calf roping runs would make the top ten also joes steer roping run but they would have to sweat the next day to be sure.