THE BRONC PEELER 15

LATE THAT AFTERNOON BILL AND KATE RODE INTO THE YARD AT THE HEADQUARTERS. THEY HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO CUT THE TAILS OFF THE TWO DEAD WOLVES. BILL PLANNED TO STRING THEM ON A WIRE AT THE BARN TO KEEP COUNT OF HOW MANY HE KILLED. WHEN THEY RODE UP TO THE BARN THE FIRST THING THEY NOTICED WAS JIMS BUCK BOARD PARKED AT ITS USUAL SPOT. WHEN KATE LOOKED AT BILL HE SIMPLY WINKED AT HER AND SMILLED. after doing chores and putting their horses away kate and bill trooped to the house. as they got near they could smell meat cooking. stepping in the kitchen door they found jim standing at the stove, a flour sack tucked into his belt at the waist as a apron. " get cleaned up this is about ready. i havent had a good meal since i left here."jim growled. while they were eating jim told them about his trip . he had bought a 2 yer old stud colt with the PETER MCCUE breeding and it would be delivereed in a few days.he had checked on the bronc rider the blue roan outlaw had fell on. he was alive but the doctors said he may never ride again. he was barely 20 years old. bill could tell that jim was struggling with that situation. " i should have killed that horse. now because of me that kid will go through life as a cripple." jim mumbled. " you know as well as me that when you pay your entry fee you know the chances your takeing. no one held a gun to that kids head to enter. stop beating yourself up over it." bill told it as it was." wheres the herd of whiteface cows thats comming?" " they move slow, they will be here in a day or so. they dont travel like out range cows.hows things going here?" jim asked kate. she looked over at bill who only nodded and smilled" we are good but a pack of wolves moved in. bill got two of them today. but we are ready for the new herd.we are going to put them at the horse camp. that ok with you?" " thats the place for them alright. how much damage the wolves done?" jim was concerned " we only found one they killed so far. it maynot be but that one pack, i dont know. but ill keep after them." bill responded. " one more thing, that wild west show with ole blue will be in town here in a month. they are offering a prize of 500 for some one to ride him to a stand still. i know you can do it. but dont! after he did that kid in we dont need any more invalids around here. i dont want you to enter." jim made it plain. " your a good man jim, but dont start telling me what i can and cant do. yes i rode that ole hide but i used a night latch to do it. i cheated him. just rideing him is painful enough. i hadnt planed on ever seeing that ole skate again." bill was almost mad. " kate was visably releaved at what bill said. she got up and started cleaning the table. bill pushed his chair back and without a word went out on the porch. " i guess i made him mad, didnt mean to do that. but i become a little attatched to him i dont want him hurt." jim explained to kate. " yeah me either." kate stated.