BATTLE AX REMNENT 19

the morning the crew left for another run at the cattle left on the battle ax it was just breaking day light. as the rode along rick found him self looking at connie.more as a woman and not as the ranch owner or cowpuncher. she had proven time and time again she wasnt a spoiled daddys girl there playing at cowboy. and this morning rick was seeing her in a different light than he had seen her before. as they rode into the cholla trail connie dropped behind and rick had to shake his head a time or two to clear her from his vision and get focused on the chore at hand. when they rode down into the sand bed of the johnny long wash he pulled up and let everyone gather around. "i need one hand to stay here and not let anything go up johnny long behind bronco mesa." " without a pause connie said" that will be me." rick was relieved to hear that, he didnt want connie in the way of the bull they had all taken to calling frieght train. " ok, anything that comes down from the canyon behind you let them into the wash. just dont let anything go up the canyon. thats going to be another day." connie turned her horse and started up the slope where she could watch what was comming . rick led off back down river , staying to the outside of the thicket as much as possible. this day they were going all the way back to the fence line. he planed on every cow brute there going to the corral one way or another. he noted with satisfaction barry and duane had brought more piggen strings than what they normaly carry. everyone was loaded for bear. when they reached the back end of the battle ax where the fence line entered the water of the gila river.rick pulled up. all along the way the thicket had broke in places along the river bank then had over growen again no cattle were seen but they could see dust from them moveing in the thicket. " barry, you get the dirty end of the deal you work the river bank and the thicket. duane will be up the slope of the hill where he can watch whats going on down below. ill come in the middle. if things go to hell yall come to me. but lets try to get as many as we can into the cholla trail. if frieght train comes back we play it by ear.agreed?"rick spilled the beans and the two other cowboys nodded and turned to their respective circles. within a few minutes everyone was starting backand each carried a ready loop in thier hand. for a ways after they started no cattle were visable, but the dust boiled above the thicket . rick thought to him self" for the amount of dust there must be a hundred head in there!" at the johnny long connie could see the dust cloud being raised. a lump grew in her throat," could she turn that many cattle, what if the bull ran at her?" self doubt was building. soon she make a horseman along the edge of the thicket , then a rider up on the slope of the hill she sat on. the dust was getting thicker. from behind her came a cows bawl, turning she saw three young slick cows single file comming down the canyon toward her. she rode to one side and let them pass. just as she did a bunch of cattle broke from the thicket trotting with long slobbers drooling from thier mouths they started to turn toward her but connie rode forward and slapped her chap leg and yelled a few times. in the lead were a hand full of steers and old high horned cows. upon seeing her they turned to the trail up the bank into the thicket. rick was coming through the dust when he saw frieght train spin like a button on a out house door and come back at him at a dead run. it was then he heard connie slapping her chap leg with the coils of her rope. ahead he could see cattle climbing the bank and going into the cholla trail. as the bull came closer rick was ready for the war he was going to drop his rope into. the bull went by him on his left as he was moveing forward. rick took one swing of his loop and reached across his chest and let the loop fly at frieght trains horns. the loop took the right horn the droped around the bulls half head and drew up under his jaw. rick spun his horse to go with the bull a little and not take a hard jerk. just as it all came tight frieght train came around and set back aginst the rope shakeing his head and bawling. from out of the dust cloud barry appeared, he passed behind the bull and stood a loop up over his hocks. rick let the bull back into the loop and barry pulled the loop high on the bulls hind legs and drove away hard and jerked the bulls hind legs from out from under him.when the bull was stretched out flat on his side rick rode up and coiled his rope as he did. he got down and quickly pulled the head loop off and put it on the bulls front feet. while on the ground rick tied the front feet together with a piggins string then the hind feet. barry came up coiling his rope. " we better go help the rest of them we got a big pile up there!" he almost yelled. rick looked up and could see cattle stringing into the cholla trail. connie and duane had all they could do holding the drive together. rick mounted and followed barry in a run to get there and help.