the smugglers trail

down in southern arizona is a big ole expanse of country called the vekohl valley . sam bender ranched there. sam was a bacholor , a man of 40 years who was hard bitten and somber. he didnt say a lot but when he did he expected you to listen. it was a matter of politness to him. the big horn ranch was a big 500 hundred sections with the south boundry unfenced all the way to the mexicon border. the papago nation lay between him and the border. they were good neighbors and kept a eye out for sams stray cattle and returned them home when it was possible. sam did the same for them. the one problem existed when the drug trade took off and the mexican smugglers brought drugs and people through the reservation and then sams ranch.; they tended to leave lots of trash, and use the water improvments then move on while leaving the pipes broken or a float tied down wasting the water. ; sam had taken to camping at the; most; well used wells. he had met many of the smugglers and had no problems with them. most were bringing people to the united states in search of work and a better life. but the ones smuggling drugs seemed to have bad attitudes and were known to be violent. for this sam carried a fire arm.; when he met some of these folks he would make sure they got the water they needed and then moved on. he would deny no one a drink . but the camping around the water was forbidden. his cattle needed water and the half wild desert cattle wouldnt come in with to much activity around the waters. ; it was dark, cold; and a little breezy when sam settled into his camp at the bender well. he had his horse put away and fed in a correl with the gate open to the water lot for the cattle. he had built a little fire behind the water tank out of site of the corral. wrapped in a serape he had finished his supper and was sippin his last cup of coffee when he heard a whistle out in the brush. after a minute a mexican slipped into camp and set down across the fire from him. he wasnt but maybe 30 years old. he wore a baseball cap, a light jacket and denim pants. a ugly scar ran down his cheek. he smiled a big toothy smile and asked for a cup of coffee. sam pointed to the pot and handed him a cup.; when he had sipped the strong black brew he explainned that he was helping some of his friends up into the states to find work. and to pay their way they were carrying some stuff for him. out beyond the fire sam could see a shadow standing beside a bundle. sam asked him how many friends he had with him. the smuggler frowned and; said that was none of his business. sam explained this was his ranch and it was his business. with that the smuggler groweled, called sam a foul name in spanish raised a long wicked knife and was reaching across the fire with it when sams serape blossimed in front and a muffled explosion let loose. the smuggler sat down heavily, looked at the hole that apeared in the middle of his chest. a little blood seeped from the hole and the mexican groaned as he slowley fell over on his side , the knife slipping from his fingers into the fire. sam pulled his hand out from under the serape with the short barreled 44. taking a stick he pushed the smugglers hand out of the fire. then raked the knife over to his side of the fire. ; out of the dark a young woman stepped up to the fire and asked in spanish if the smuggler was dead. sam nodded and asked her in spanish if she was the only one with him . she said she was. there had been others but the smuggler had killed them all one by one on the way north until she was the only one left to carry the pack with the drugs.; sam told her to sit down and have the coffee. he drug the smugglers body out into the dark and brought the drug bundle into camp. the girl was making herself something to eat. she hadnt eaten in two days she said. the next day sam took her to the house at the headquarters. he told her to clean it, to fix a meal and he would be back soon. after alerting the authoritis of the smugglers death; he returned home to find the house clean, the meal on the table and the girl gone. so it was on the smuggler trail.