THE BRONC PEELER 16

the next morning kate found bill saddling a horse. . his back was stiff and he wouldnt look at her. " you leaveing?" she asked " ime going to look for that bunch of wolves. you keep a eye on jim. watch for the whiteace herd. if they show up, corral them. we will drive them to horse camp in the morning." bill said. " your still mad about what jim told you huh? its only because he likes you and dont want you hurt. and you know that ole blue roan can hurt you dont you?" " yes but i didnt need him telling me that. 500 is a lot of money men have started ranches on a lot less."bill said through gritted teeth. " please, for me , dont enter that contest. ill give you my half of this ranch , just dont enter." kate had a hold of his arm. bill stuck a boot in a stirrup and mounted. then looked down at kate." thanks thats a pretty handsome offer. but i wouldnt have earned it. ill think about it. watch out here. ill be back tonight." with that bill ratttled his boot in the stirrup and rode out of the yard, the rifle under his right leg. when kate turned to go to the house she almost bumped into jim who had been standing there in the dark " so its like that huh?" jim asked " i lost one man to a bad horse, i couldnt stand to loose another." she brushed by jim and started to the house. bill jogged on into the dark he didnt know if the wolves would stay in that same vicinity or not but he thought that would be a good place to start looking.his mind was cluttered with the things jim had told them the night before. and now kate had offered everything she had for him to not enter to ride the blue roan. deep inside he knew they were probably right, but his bronc peeler pride had been bruised. he kept running his last ride on the ole bronc through his mind. yes he had cheated the bronc when he rode him but, it was different. then he was trying to turn out a good saddle horse. this had a 500 doller cash prize involved. all morning long as he rode he kept running the last ride he made on the horse through his mind. looking for a weakness he could take advantage of. he was so engrossed in it that he almost missed the wolves trotting along in the bottom of a draw. their bellys were full and almost dragging the ground. they had just finished a kill some place. he was almost even with the wolves. he slowley got off his horse and pulled the rifle as he went. holding the reins in his right hnd he quietly levered a round into the fireing chamber then pulled the stock into his shoulder. takeing aim at the wolf in the lead he squeezed off the shot. the wolf yelped and started to run but fell and kicked the air as he died. before the sound of the shot faded he had pumped another round into the rifle and was following the last wolf who was climbing the opposite slope. the rifle jumped in his hand. the wolf staggered then fell and rolled back down the slope. bill pushed the rifle down into the boot and buckled the holding strap . he mounted and rode down to the dead wolves. he cut their tails off and tied them together and hung them over his horses shoulders while he mounted. the sorrel snorted and tried to spin away as he mounted but bill found his seat and his right stirrup. the bronc wasnt haveing anything to do with the wolf tails. he was snorting and blowing through his nose he would shake his head. finally bill got him lined out for home but had to keep him under a tight rein.the bronc would have stampeded if given the chance. as they traveled along bill realized jim and kate were probably right. he was past the point of rideing bad horses. a little farther along he shook off those thoughts and his bronc riders pride kicked in again he KNEW he could ride that blue. his mind fought that battle all the way to the ranch.what was the most important? kate, the ranch or jim or the 500 in prize money. he shook his head. his heart told him what was most important. but his pride and ego said they would still be there when he stepped off that blue. if he stepped off.. his head was still a wreck when he rode into the yard. jim sat on the porch whittling, kate wasnt in sight. bill felt a twinge of guilt.