COCHISE STATION 25

" i say, i say walker, alvord seems to have slipped the hobbles. he has been gone a couple of days"slaughter exclaimed to jeb. jeb was in the process of harnessing his team in the vacent lot next to the commercial general store." well it looks like your short one deputy then." "well i have a good man in mind. i just need to convince him......."slaughter was smiling like a pig eating slop. "NO! i got a ranch ime happy with that. ill help you when needed but i dont want a full time job. ime through with chaseing bad men." jeb put his foot down to emphasis his statement. " when that guy died last night at the doctors it ended that part of my life. i want some peace of mind" slaughter ducked his head. " well i understand how you feel. i wish you a good life." on the front porch of the commercial petra and ignacio was stacking the things they purchased and were waitting for jeb to bring the wagon so they could load it. jeb shook slaughters hand and climbed on to the seat of the wagon and picked up the lines and stired up the team. a hour later they left town headed back to the ranch in middle march pass. petra and adrianna were chattering away about the things they had bought and were makeing plans for them. ignacio sat besides jeb in a relaxed posture. " all is well patron"he asked. jeb looked at the mexican cowboy" for the first time in a couple years all is well. i have a place, good friends and my troubles have gone. i think life will be good." " it is good for us as well my patron." ignacio answered. as they neared cochise station burt alvord rode out of the brush. a rifle lay accros his saddle forks. a weeks growth of beard covered his face but he smiled a big toothy grin when jeb pulled his team to a halt. "howdy neighbors"alvord spoke. " i been waitting for you." burt had a friendly tone to his voice. " burt, we heard you had dropped below the border. what you doin here?"jeb asked. " well thats the plan, but i didnt want to go down there with nothing in my pockets. i thought maybe since you sold them steers you might want to invest in my retirement."burt shifted the rifle for emphasis. " we got no cash left burt but we bought a lot of supplys. we can front you a camp stake."jeb shifted in the wagon seat. "ill take that but i know them steers brought a lot more than that wagon load of supplys cost. so just dig it out and sack me up some grub and ill be on my way." burts tone had turned hard. behind jeb and ignacio petra was putting some food in a burlap bag. niether jeb or ignacio had a weapon where they could get to it. plus jeb wouldnt have because of the chance of getting one of the women hurt. when petra handed the burlap bag up to jeb he dug down in his pants pocket and brought out a roll of green backs and dropped them into the bag. "see pard? i knew you would help a old friend out" burt was back to smiling. jeb handed the bag to burt. " you better make tracks burt. slaughter will be along in a minute and you dont want to see him in the mood he s in." alvord spun his horse and struck a trot back toward the cochise station. jeb clucked to his team and got them moveing.ignacio bumped him with his elbow. jeb looked down and saw ignacio had his cash in his hand trying to hand it to jeb. jeb shook his head" you earned that. hang on to it. when we get home ill go after burt myself and get mine back.he should have been satisfied with the chuck we gave him. looking back behind them they could see a dust cloud boiling up and under it slaughters buggy. "damn he couldnt have come a little sooner?" jeb asked no one in particular.