confrontation

" now just what do you think your doing with a gun like that? " sam asked his eyes mere slits as he squinted at the crooked agent
   " I want my pistol back, and what are you doin pullin limbs off the tree like that?"
    " eppi has your pistol, get it from him. and as for this " sam motioned at the limb " ime clearing the crossing so I can drive across the wash. people like to go up to the old mine and picknick and use metal detecters. its a good place to find stuff."   sam didn't dare look at the brushy , broken limb. he was absently coiling his rope and it came tight in his hand because he hadn't taken the loop from the snag



     " what you gonna do with that limb?" rigsby asked
      " drag it over to the corral, when it dries out and cures ill cut it up for firewood for when I brand. why you interested?
     " just curious, ill be goin now,   I know you got a weapon some where , just remember ime a fed eral officer!" rigsby backed to his driver side door and got in.
      sam was heeled, the 357 was in a clip holster in the small of his back. as the black suburban eased by sam turned his horse to face it. the dea agent drove by the limb and down into the wash, crossed it and climbed the far bank headed toward the old mine. sam smiled to  himself. "SUCKER" he murmmered to himself as he watched the suburban climb the side of table top mountain. reaching down sam pulled the loop loose from the snag. he coiled the rope and put it  on his saddle horn. all the while he watched the suburban crawling up the side of the mountain on a jeep trail toward the old abandoned mine.   stepping down from his horse he walked over to the middle of the limb and reached in and retrieved the back pack. it was heavy, real heavy. he had a surge of respect for the coyote he had killed. to be able to throw this pack up into that tree had been a physical feat few could do. 
  unstrapping the flap he opened the top of the pack. looking inside a smile crossed his face, then a little giggle. "ill be damned" he whispered. he looked back up to be sure no one was around.  reclosing the pack he used the shoulder straps to hang it on his saddle horn, then mounted and headed home at a soft fox trot. " ill be damned he kept saying over and over.
    as sam rode into the yard he looked over at the house and sissy was sitting on the porch, peeling potatoes. she raised he hand in a small wave and smilled.  sam stopped his horse and took in the sight. a slim brown girl with long black hair , a smile just for him and he knew a good meal would be ready soon. how can it get any better?
    riding into the barn he looked all around for a place to put the pack. high in the rafters of the old barn was a pack rats nest, a big nest.  sam carefully raised himself until he was standing in the seat of the saddle. he then heaved the back pack into the rats nest. just as he did the roan horse took a step and almost spilled him. dropping to the seat he realized that sissy was watching from the door.
  " I didn't mean to scare the caballo" she said. but I wanted be here when you came in"   
   " no problem "sam smiled then  stepped to the ground. as he was unsaddling the roan sissy leaned against the door jam of barn. her clean , fresh scrubbed smell mixed with smell of hay and manure.  sam thought"
   "  now how can things be any better than this?"
    " the black man was here today. he drove around the yard and looked in the barn" sissy seemed amused.
   " I saw him, he was at the old crossing. I sent him up to the old mine. "
   " and then you brought the pack here?" she pointed to the ceiling with her chin
   " he he he he yeah, better to hide it where he already looked huh?" sam chuckled
    sissy reached to the shelf out side the door where the brushes were kept and brought out a cold, sweating bottle of coors. she took a long swallow then handed it to sam who smiled at her and shook his head
  " you do take care of me lady"