BATTLE AX REMNENT 20

when rick and barry reached the drags of the drive and fell into place helping duane and connie as they pushed the rest of the cattle into the cholla trail connie looked at rick with could only be interpreted as a look of relief. once again jake had set the trap at the corrals with hay scattered and he was out of sight in the tent. the old high horned cows were the first to hit the hay followed by a hand full of steers. their heads fell off and they started gobbling the sweet hay. as the rest of the cattle came up they started cleaning up the hay. rick and crew put a push on behind and the cattle swept into the corral and started to mill. raiseing a thick dust. duane looked at rick " i didnt think there was half this many cattle left here! and we havent even beeon on top of the mesa yet! ricked loped over to the cook tent. they saw jake come out with a burlap sack and a hand it to rick along with a bundle of hay twine. "lets go the bulls tied down and waitting for us" barry followed rick away from the corral. back at the where the bull was laying the four rode up and it was obvious this bull was really mad. barry dropped his loop over the bulls tied hind feet. duane lifted them and got the loop on. barry dallyed up close. at the bulls front end connie did the same. rick produced a horn saw. duane with outsaying a word turned the bulls nose up in a bull doggers grip. rick went to sawing on the bottom horn first then did the top horn blood spurted in a fountain from each one. when done duane gathered wood and started a fire in it he put a running iron .when the iron was red hot rick took it and seared the horses stopping the blood flow. the bull bellowed his madness through the whole process. then reheating the iron rick looked up at connie, " your brand or mine?" she smiled" yours i dont want nothing to do with him!" everyone laughed s rick burned his brand on the bulls hip. then he took the burlap sack and useing the baler twine laced it to the base of the bulls horns. when done it hung down over the bulls eyes . " he aint a frieght train no more, he s a caboose!" barry quiped and everyone broke up laughing. rick put his rope on the bulls hornes and brought his horse up close.when he ws ready duane started untieng the bulls feet to let him up. the bull sulled and didnt want to move . duane used the hor iron and stuck it up nder the bulls tail. the bull came to his feet with a rush and charged at rick who broke his horse in a run toward the corral the bull was right up against ricks horse as long as rick didnt tighten the head loop the bull ran along side. 40 feet from the corral the bull sulled again. one horse couldnt move him. connie got the gate ready to open and barry and duane both added their ropes to the bulls horn base. when every one was ready all three cowboys drug the bull into the corral. when turned loose in the midst of the other cattle the bull hung his head and didnt move. the burlap bag kept him from seeing anything but the ground. he was no longer the majestic anumal that ran free through the mesquite and cholla . " its kinda sad to see him that way isnt it?" connie asked."there wasnt any other way to do it? i never even heard of anyone doing something like that." " its hard on him but it had to be done. he was going to hurt someone if we didnt get him out of there."rick explained. " i bet he s the daddy of this bunch of calves we been seeing. " duane pointed to the cows and calves in the corral the high horned cows were branded but the brands had calloused and raised in ridges so as not to be readable. the corral held 15 steers. and the rest was a assortment of every typ, color , shape and size of cow brute knowen to man. barry leaned over to duane " you better sharpen yer pencil cow cop, your going to writting a long time makeing out those papers!" every one broke up laughing.