Arch Hawkins was a loner. he lived alone, he worked alone . he had a little rough country outfit on the headwaters  of date creek.  his cowboy crew consisted of 4 catahoula dogs that he raised and trained.  his string of rock hoppen horses was large. they had to be. the country was steep, rocky and brushey in the draws.  his cattle were cross bred angus and brahman.  because of the wildness of the country the cattle were just a little on the wild side. you had to ride hard and long to just stay even. Arch carried a home made running iron with a pipe handle that screwed into the iron. he used it almost daily. if he found a unbranded animal  inside his fences  they got scorched and their ears whittled!
      Arch was just barley 6 foot tall. he was long waisted and short legged. his legs were covered in blue denim levies, his shirt was a heavy denim snap button. most of his shirts were thread bare  in the elbows and some of the snaps wouldnt snap. over his shirt he wore a heavy denim jacket. not for warmth, for protection from the catclaw and mesquite. he wore a well worn pair of bull hide chaps that hung from the back belt loop of his pants. his saddle was brush scared and the tapaderos on the stirrups had been patched many times. his coal black hair was shaggy not because he was a slob, but because he didnt go to town often. a big week for him was going the 15 miles to the arrow head bar and grill in congress.
   this morning he was brushing a brown horse he called bob. it was 4 a.m. and still pitch black. a kerosene lantern hung from a nail over the saddle room door. his four partners in crime were laying about the yard , waitting for the word to go.  they were lean and hard.  their tounges lolled out . it was a warm morning. a hour later they were climbing a solid rock trail with bobs shoes scratching and clawing the granite. the dogs trotted along behind. the sun was just peeping over the top of the mountain and sending its warm rays toward Arch.  .  as Arch turned a switchback corner the dogs tore by at a dead run, the one in the back yelping. the trail was too steep at this point for bob to go any faster than a walk. but as they topped out on a long rocky ridge Arch could hear the dogs ahead baying. he knew they had a cow brute held up. he hoped it was a bunch. as he trotted into the basin where the dogs were he saw a bunch of cattle standing with their heads facing the dogs, who were circling the cows and baying.  at a glance Arch could tell there were a number of calves in the group who needed branding.  off to one side he hobbled bob, and put a little hat full of fire together. into he placed his running iron to heat. he counted five calves and he had 3 piggen strings. tie three down then do the other two . taking down his rope he slipped on to bob and eased into the hold up. he caught a calf with out swinging the rope and as easy as possible drug the calf close to the fire. stepping down he held the tail of his rope while it was dallied to the saddle horn, walked down the rope with his elbow over it, then flanked the calf and tied him. twic
e more he caught and tied calves, then branded them and ear marked the calves. all the while the dogs were keeping the cows bunched. a hour later he was trotting on out of the basin , five calves branded.
    at 6:45 that evening Arch rode a giveout brown horse into his yard. it was getting dark so he relite the lantern and unsaddled his horse. pouring out a measure of oats he left bob there eating and walked to the dark old frame house where he lived.  inside he lite a kerosene lamp. stumbling to the propane fired refridgerater he removed a cold beer, popped the cap with a bottle opener. pushing the screen door open he flopped into a old chair on the porch. he sipped the beer while watching bob eat his oats. that day had been a big one for him. 15 calves branded and a peice of fence next to a neigbor was repaired.  he was tired. but this was a usual day for him.  he sipped the beer, and thought about cooking some supper. but it didnt seem important right then.  three hours later he woke up in the chair. the empty bottle lay on the porch next to his chair.
   " gotta get a cook " he murmmered as he ran his fingers through his black hair and stumbled into the bedroom.
    the next morning he fed all the horses, took a skimpy shower and shaved. putting on his best clothes he went out to the shed that held his old ford pick up.  the 4 dogs stood around as the motor caught and started to idle.  Arch looked at the dogs and shook his head. " no work today boys, ime goin to find a cook"!!  the dust rolled out behind the truck as he headed to the main road to town.  the dogs all went to the barn and flopped . they had heard it all before!