BATTLE AX REMNENT EPILOUGE

the story BATTLE AX REMNENT is a work of fiction requested by a friend . he asked to see a story about catching trueley wild cattle in truely rough country. the battle ax ranch is a real sure enough out fit. i was there years ago and it for sure was rough. the cholla was miserable and bronco mesa sat smack dab in the middle of it. in writting this story i took libertys and expanded the chollas and roughness. its that kind of enviroment where wild/spoiled cattle live. the circumstances in this story are yes fiction but entirely possible. the players are ficticious except for one. the rest are modeled after true cowboys ive knowen over the years. TRUE COWBOYS? you ask. yes, the term cowboy is probably the most mis used label in the english language. ill try to explain.there are numerous catagories that the term cowboy is taged onto. first; the bottom of the barrel the honkey tonk cowboy. every friday and saturday nights he hits the local dance hall dressed in a 300 doller hat designer jeans and a flowered shirt with a pair of highly polished justen boots. he s a pretender. his goal is to pick up some dolly with a b s line about rideing a bull at some rodeo. the closest he came to the bull was a mechanical one he rode once. but with all that he gets the title cowboy. then theres the t v and novie acter who portrays a wild west cowboy or maybe on t v a rich mans son who owns a ranch. the writter of such dribble is just one step above the honkey tonk version. but he sells his wares as authentic. next is the true rodeo cowboy who works hard at his craft. wether it bulls broncs or timed event. chances are he wouldnt have a clue about gathering or catching a wild cow out side of the arena. but he is closer to the term COWBOY. then comes the feedlot/ plains cowboy. he does handle cattle every day and is responsable for helping to keep the country in beef. he is horse back almost every day and understands the needs of cattle and how to produce the most beef from them he is a cowboy high on the ladder. finally, there is the cowboy who has spent a goodly amount of his life working in the roughest terrain and following the wild or spoiled cow that no one else would even attempt. by the time he is 50 years old his joints are aching, he has numerous scares and rope burns. he lives encased in leather. his horses may not be the prettiest but they will run full out over rough, steep rocky ground or maybe bust into a mesquite thicket in pursuit of the wild cow. he could over lap onto almost every other catagory on this list, but he has earned the crown and name COWBOY! so when you refer to some one as a cowboy be sure of who you speak. the working hands dont think well of pretenders.