BATTLE AX REMNENT 15

duane was a little late arriveing the next morning but the crew was ready to work even with the late start. when they reached the big sand bed in johnny long he sent everyone up johnny long to make a drive as they had the prior time they worked johnny long. he would take mickeys place and ride the strip along the river and try to turn the drive when they came out of johnny long. he sat watching the crew ride away up the canyon. when they were out of sight he turned and rode down river trying to stay on the outside edge of the river thicket. the cow sign was thick. once in a while he would see hide and hair in the brush. but he didnt bother anything yet. when he reached what he thought was a spot far enough down river he turned back toward the jonny long canyon. he would once in a while ride into the thicket and whistle or pop his chaps. he could hear cattle in front of him crashing through the brush. the dust hung thick in the air. before he was half way back from out of the dust cloud a bull, the one he had seen with the steers came blasting back through the cattle and dust like a runaway locomotive. rick had enough time to start hollering and waving the coils of his rope to try and turn the bull. but it made no difference. the mass of meat and grisle just kept comming. for a instant rick thought about roping the renagade. but he knew in his heart it would put him behind the drive and he wouldnt be where he needed to be to turn the drive. reluctantly he moved aside and let the bad acter by. he was able to keep the rest of the cattle held together and kept them moveing ahead. as he neared the sand bed in johnny long the cattle started slowing and milling, not want ing to leave the river. rick was working like a crazy man to hold what he had brought. cattle were starting to drift down from the upper canyon and join his hold up. rick was starting to think that possibly he was going to loose these cattle when out of the dust connie appeared. she fell in behing him keeping cattle from ducking out behind him as he turned the leaders. i just a few minutes barry and then duane joined them the drive had growen but wasnt any where as large as the first one they had made. for a few minutes it was all they could do to just keep the hold up together. then a couple of the steers saw the hole in the cholla thicket they broke from the knot of cattle and trotted into the lane thinking they were going to escape. the rest of the herd followed suit. everyone breathed a sigh of relief. but rick knew the cattle wernt in the corral yet . as soon as the drags cleared the trail rick and connie broke into a high lope and got up along side of the drive keeping them ined toward the corrals. jake had once again built his wing with the trucks and scattered hay around the gate to the corral. even with that the leaders almost went on by. but rick had made a wild run to turn the leaders into the hay ground. when the cattle hit that they stopped. as the main group approached the crew put a consentrated push on the herd and got them all through the gate. barry fell off his horse and began tying the gate shut with piggin strings. he looked back and realized every horse was wringing wet with sweat. the sweat was running in rivlets down each horses front legs and puddling around their feet. connie was off her horse and pulling the cinchas loose then holding the back of her saddle up to allow the air up under the saddle and along her horses back bone. the corral held a smaller bunch than the first gather but duane and rick , by rough count thought there would be enough with the left overs from the first shipment to make up another truck load.mixed iin were some older cows that were branded and a few slick pairs. jake banged his dish pan for everyone to come eat.they would sort after lunch and when they had fresh horses under them.