DENTON CROUCH 24

it was still dark as denton saddled his horse. rode down the street to the boarding house. jody came out on the porch with a small muslim ad and handed it to him. " theres enough to hold you to tomorrow ." she said. " i just need enough to see whats it s gonna take to set the house straight."denton leaned down and placed a quick peck on her cheek. " what you need to set that house straight is standing right here." jody almost whispered. denton ran his hand through her hair, " see you tomorrow night." and he shook a foot in a stirrup and started out toward dos cabezas.as he rode into the country that he assumed was the ground he would be useing he started rideing into little bunches of cows and calves.they were fat and in good shape. as he was south of dos cabezas he came onto more cattle. they seemed gentle. lots of unbranded calves. he was hoping to see some yearlings from the previous calf crop. he wanted to sell a few to get some money to live on. his sherrifs pay wasnt going to go to far. he rode up on the house on the bank of a arroyo, a small corrl stood back to one side. it looked solid enough . he put his horse in it. then walking back to the house he realized it was a mess. the door stood open, cattle had been inside bedded at times. empty cans and trash was scattered about. the bed was broken down but he thought he could fix the frame. but a new mattres was in order. dishes were stacked on a shelf. some had fallen and broken.he found three dutch ovens laying in a corner. a small sheet iron stove stood to one side, it was full of ashes and had been scooted so the stove pipe didnt connecct any more. denton stood in the middle of a mess and looked around him trying to determine where to start. he pulled the stove back in line with the stove pipe and slipped the pipe back on. then out side he found a bucket and a broken handled shovel and cleanned the ashes from it. he found a burlap sack and started picking up the trash. there wasnt as much as it at first looked like but there was still plenty. after searching around out side he found a half buried shovel and broom that was usable. by dark he had the house squared away. maybe not female perfect but useable. the broken bed frame he took a length of wire and pulled the broken peices in line then wrapped the wire tight holding them together, but he still didnt trust it. he went out side and found a wooden block abnout the right size. he used it to shore up the bed frame. the stinking mattres and bedding he drug out side and threw on the pile he had already started then he struck a match. to night he would sleep in his saddle blanket. he still hadnt found a source of water. finly he started down to the arroyo. the path seem,ed well worn. just as he dropped over the edge there stood a hand pump on a wooden platform. he pumped the handle a couple of times and fresh water gushed from the discharge. it was a good hundred yards back to the house. a ways to carry water. it was getting dark he would spend the night then ride through the cattle and try to get a idea on what was saleable. he saw a bright future here for himself and jody.