THE JACKASS ROPERS 23

the first morning back at lake pleasent dan found the BLM had brought a little more hay and the corrals stood open. he parked his rig to one side and set about putting his camp together, he didnt plan on being here but a couple of days. it was a little late in the day to make a circle so he got his horses settled in and when he went to get some hay for them found at the hay stack a fresh pile of cow manure. it appeared that maybe three or four had been feeding on the hay stack but he found no donkey tracks. he didnt think the cattle were to far away. they had been comming to this spot for a few days. the tracks led down to the lake. dan chuckled, eat them selves full of hay then tank up on water, they wont run to hard that full. easy pickings. he was walking along the lake shore line when he came to a set of hoof prints. a couple of donkeys. one maybe a colt by the size of the track.he didnt want anymore donkey roping but he had it to do. as he walked back up the slope from the lake he saw a BLM car parked by his truck and trailer. the agent standing by the front fender. " i was hopeing you were back. i see you been scouting already. find anything?" the agent asked. "yeah a jenny and colt by the tracks, that maybe all there is. some cattle been at the hay stack." dan explained. " i wanted to let you know, we found a leaker in our office who set the wild horse annies on you here.we fired her."the gaent semed apologetic. "thats how that wild haired broad found my ranch. she showed up there right after i got home. my dogs gave her a warm welcome." dan was grinning at the agent. " wheres your crew? you going to do this your self?"the fed asked. "thought i would. not enough work for more than one man. i want to wind this up and get home."dan said. " just let me know when you pull out ill send a crew for the corral panels no sense in letting some tourist get them.how long you think you gonna be?"he asked. " i cant say couple days? no more than a week for sure." dan answered. as the agent went to his car he said 'call me." his car backed away and turned for the hiway. dan watched him out of sight. " ill get er done" he said under his breath. the next day mid morning he had two unbranded yearling heifers tied down a quarter mile from each other. he had branded one and was heating his iron to brand the second. these cattle didnt know what it was to be chased. he had let the fill up on hay and water, the best they could do was a fast sprint for a hundred yards then slow to a lope. when he roped the first one the second had slowed to a walk and was stroling along back to the hills. before she knew it dans rope had whipped around her neck. she jumped to run but she was jerked down and three legs tied. dan was getting ready to brand this heifer when he heard something clicking through the rocks. he was squated down behind the tied down cow brute when a little jenny burro and her colt came ambling along, not a care in the world. dan dropped the iron and looked over to his horse. the horse was watching the donkeys amble past on their way to the lake. dan slowley eased to a standing position the moved carefully to his horse. bending down he took the hobbles from the animal, snugged up his cinchas and put foot to stirrup once mounted he built a loop in his rope. the donkeys were headed toward the corrals. he eased the horse into a walk. about half way to the corrals the jenny stopped and looked back. dan was comming at a fast trot. the burro twisted her tail and brayed and turnned to run in the direction of the corrals. just as her and her colt came abreast of the corral gate, dans loop went over her head. the jenny ran on haveing never been caught. when she hit the end she swapped ends and went to her knees. the colt loped on a few hundred feet and stopped and brayed. dan shortened up the rope between the jenny and him self and turned the horse to the corral the burro drug and shook her head but finally jumped forward to keep from chokeing.when dan had the burro inside the main corral he drug her into a second one. he shut the gat then turned her loose. the big corral gate he left open hopeing the colt would find its way in without being roped.' by mid afternoon he had two fresh branded heifers in the corral along with the jenny. the burro colt stood out on the flat braying for his mother. dan hoped he would go in the corral during the night.he fed everything and then walked to camp to fix supper. as he got near camp he saw a set of tire tracks. and at camp he found his camp had been trashed. his food stores scattered, his bedding throwen out oin the dirt. his truck had a flat tire. he just hoped that who ever did this hadnt put sand in the oil or water in the fuel. other than a few dents his canned goods were in fair shape just scattered to the four winds. his flour and coffee dumped into a pile. the more he found as he picked it up the mader he got. . he would have to keep a eye out or move camp if possible.