i was there first

when I worked for AZL I contracted a mild case of t b . doc told me to get out of feedyards and get some fresh air. there I was with a pregnant wife, a year old son and no prospects. word got around and within a few weeks I had a job offer runnin  one of 3 ranches that a friend owned.  we up and moved, crossed the river, settled into a house built in 09 and was in the fresh air.  after getting aquainted with the ranch and the manager at the second ranch we , in the space of a few weeks were right at home. 
      I soon found that the manager of the second ranch was cut from material kinda the same as I was. you don't make people wait on you, you do a little more than your share , and you help others every chance you get. the most important to him was not making people wait on you. the country was rough and it was a long ways by road to places where we worked together. so he would set a meeting place and time and I would , as he did, ride to that spot. sometimes that meant a long trot in the dark, coming and going.  not wanting to make them wait for me I would always leave a little earlier than was necessary to get to the meeting spot. after joe got there second a couple times he started getting there earlier than me, which meant I had to leave earlier still. this went on a week or so. hell I was leaving at 2 in the morning to get to the meeting spot first! one morning it was cold and so when I got to the meeting place I got up on a little hill and built a fire to keep warm. as it crackled and popped I I heard a horse trotting in the trail below me but it was  so dark I couldn't see him. after a few minutes a fire started on the hill next to me. I could see a man and horse there so I put my fire out and rode over to join him. when I got there he told me I was late . I said no I had built a fire first and he rode by me. no he said, you were on the wrong hill so your late!! mi give, I said , you got here first. never again did that issue come up. if I got some where first, I stayed oughta sight till he got there. then I would ride up a minute or two later.