arch was pulling up the latigo on the cinch of his best horse. he was looking across the saddle seat toward the house. Iris was coming out the front gate. her wranglers fit snug and her shirts buttons were straining at the thread holding them. she had drove to the ranch the night before to spend the weekend. arch turnned to the saddle room and brought out old pair of chaps and handed them to her as she walked up.
" these might be a big long but they will keep the brush away" he smiled at her. she had a new denim, blanket lined jacket and a black resistol perched on her brown hair.
they stepped up on the horses a few minutes later and turned toward the mountains. the trail led along date creek, the water chuckling over the water rounded rocks. the trail led through brush, catclaw and mesquite. it was a single file trail with arch leading the way. his Catahoula dogs romping along and playing in back. after a mile or so the trail started to climb in places worn into solid rock. ahead up on the side of the mountain you could see the black dots of cattle grazing on the steep slope. when the riders reached a bench arch pulled up and stepped down. he checked the cinch on iris saddle then his. opening his chap pocket he produced a little pair of binoculars. after looking the cattle over he replaced them and remounted.
turning to iris he said in a voice above whisper " they look good to me, we will turn ogg up ahead and check a different part of the ranch."
iris simply nodded. she understood loud talk carried a long way and could alert cattle to their presence. they rode on, continually climbing until the topped out in a basin surrounded by steep, red unclimable rock.the grass was deep and thick on the floor. at the far end a knot of cattle stood staring at them. the cattle turned and started to trot away. arch waved his arm in their direction and said HOLDEM UP! the dogs left at a dead run, three dust trails in their wake. in short order the dogs were circling the cattle. arch and iris eased up to the cattle to look them over. 2 new unbranded calves were crowding next to their mothers. arch rode over to one side where a little mesquite stood. he dismounted and gathering dead sticks started a fire. from a pocket on his saddle he took a pipe with a threaded end and a piece of steed rod with a hook on one end. it screwed into the pipe. this he laid in the little fire to heat.*iris had been circling the hold up at a walk talking to the cattle in a low voice. when she came to arch he asked her " can you rope those calves and bring them to me?"
she smiled and picked up her rope from the saddle horn" thought youde never ask" she giggled
after they branded the calves they turned the little batch of cattle back toward the date creek canyon. arch was pleased with the days work and the skills that iris had showed. with three loops thrown she had caught the calves and drug them to the fire for arch to tie down. after the cattle drifted off they had set down on a rock to wait for the running iron to cool . iris told him of growing up on a new mexico mountain ranch where her daddy had raised two girls to be hands. arch agreed that she was a hand and told her he was gl;ad she was there.
the sun was low in the west as they jog trotted back into the ranch yard. while arch unsaddled and fed the horses iris went to the house to start supper. he watched her walking across the yard he smilled to himself. it was a good day. why he had resisted her before he couldn't say but he was glad he had gave in.
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