el paso

while Santiago was back shooting rigsby, the farmer was headed east following a cattle truck he had loaded with cattle stolen from the papago nation.counterfit money and stolen cattle were one thing. but murdering a federal agent was something else and he didn't want to be in the same state when it happened.  after four hours of travel the truck turned into a driveway that led over a sand hill and down into a little valley next to the Mexican border.   a ranch house sat under a grove of cotton wood trees and a large set of corrals were behind it. while the truck was backing up to the chute the farmer pulled up to the house and honked his horn. nobody appeared but a mangey yellow dog. the farmer got out and went to the door. out at the corrals the cattle were being unloaded and the driver was putting hay in the corrals.  at the house the farmer  knocked and waited. still no one . he tried the door  and found it unlocked. opening the door he stepped into the house. it was empty. he went from room to room. no evidence of anyone being there for quite some time. pushing his hat back on the back of his head he walked back out side and met the trucker as he walked up.
  " wheres louie boss?. them corrals were empty and the water troughs dry"
  " I don't know, the place looks  like theres been no one here in a while. ill go on into el paso and ask around at the crossing pens on the border. you hang out here till someone shows up. " the farmer answered.  he went to his truck then stopped and turned to the driver " don't be talking to anyone that shows up here. unless ime with them. some one starts getting nosey play dumb ya here?"
   the driver nodded then settled down on the front steps and watched the farmer drive away toward town.
    thirty minutes later  the farmer was opening the door to hector  valenzualas office at the crossing pens  at the el paso port of entry. hector  was a border trader, a busy one because he dealt in cattle on both sides of the border. he had no qualms in handling cattle from any source and asking no questions. he had American buyers who would buy his cattle all day long and never question origin or legitimacy because they were always  two to three cents a pound cheaper than anyone else.   hector had recently fell into a sweet deal with the farmer who now furnished operating capitol in the form of the counterfit cash.
  " where the hell is louie? we unloaded at the ranch and not one speck of water in the troughs and no hay fed and ready. whats the deal?" the farmer demanded
  " louie was apprehended by the pinchi border patrol two days ago. he sits in the holding cell waiting for deportation. I have another man who will go to the ranch tonite after dark. did you bring the package? the fat Mexican asked
  " yes I did . its out in the truck. theres maybe one more after this one. how many cattle you got ready to go?" the farmer  was always nervous round hector. the fat Mexican trader was known to be well connected with the Mexican underworld .
   " two truck loads to take up to Amarillo to the feed yard. the wire for payment hit last  night.  you draft is ready." he slide a envelope across the desk to the farmer who picked it up and opened it ." what? amigo you don't trust me? I would never cheat my friends on such a sweet deal." hector flshed a wide smile showing  gold tooth in front.
   " didn't say you would hector. just curious as to the amount.  a tiddy sum I must say. has any of the funny money made its way to the boarder yet?'  the farmer was folding the bank draft and putting it his shirt pocket.
  " not that I know of coarse when it does we will be done with this. but those dumb Mexican ranchers will hold that American money some times as much as a year.  its a stoke of genious . they don't know what the real money looks like . all they see is gringo cash for their cattle. and a premium at that. I figure we can work the sierras over close to Sonora this time get maybe 3 or four loads then call it quits.  what you think? " the fat man was almost drooling.
  " lets get as much as we can as soon as we can.  the source of cash is drying up fast.   get me a check for those papagos at the ranch as soon as you can. I don't like them standing around." the farmer was walking to the door " ill put the package in the house at the ranch. you want the truck here tonite?"
    " send him in. we will load him for Amarillo tonite. I have another one to load. the papagos will go to the slaughter house tomorrow. all gone!" the fat man rubbed his hands together as he leaned back in his chair and put his snake skin boots up on the corner of his desk.
 the farmer was shaking his head at the fat trader. he lived high and was to confident. but with the texas brand laws so lax and the mexico connections it was too good a deal to pass up.  the farmer headed back to the ranch to deposit the bundle and send the truck on into el paso. then he would head back home with a legitimate bank draft to deposit. free and clear.