THE BATTLE AX REMNENT 5

the next morning before sun up but in the gray light barry and mickey headed out horse back to ride through the river thicket. as they rode into the cholla thicket rick went to his truck and pulled a limb loper out of the back with six foot handles. he was told it would clean cut a 5 inch limb with no proble, takeing it and a pitch fork he started walking to the cholla trail. as he passed jakes kitchen he leaned the pitch fork against the corner of the chuck box. when he got to the cactus thicket he kneeled down and would reach under the closest cactus trunck and open the jaws to the loper. cactus teuncks are not solid or dense. it was just a few seconds and he had cut the trunck off at ground level. in the coarse of half a day he had cut a swath 40 feet wide and half way through the thicket. jake had come along behind with the pitch fork and was takeing the cut down clumps and stacking them along each side. once a bunch of cattle entered this lane there would be no escapeing out the sides. by noon jake had quit and gone to the kitchen but rick kept cutting . he was within a few hundred feet of breaking out of the thicket. he stopped for a water break and looked up seeing barry and mickey comming. they rode single file onto the old trail and when they rode up to rick showed a nickles worth of surprise at the cleared ground behind him. " well, what boogers did you boys chase out away from the river?"rick asked leaning on the lopers. " a few been down there, we heard them but never saw them. we dont know if it was steers or slicks." barry explained."with this broke open we should be able to pen a big bunch easy. when you think you gonna be done?"mickey asked, " maybe tomorrow or the day after. i got another mission for you two to morrow. unless you want to trade with me and jake?"rick was grave yard serious. " what ever you want as long as its horseback. i dont think my hands will fit that set of handles or the pitchfork."barry grinned. " any more wise cracks we will see how well they fit!" rick shook the lopers at them. " who is that?" mickey pointed to camp. rick turned to see a one ton chevy pulling a liveing quarters trailer pull up and park back a ways from the kitchen. " probably some one lost, lets go see." rick shouldered his limb loper and startd walking toward camp.