THE BRONC PEELER 18

at the ranch jim tryed to get the four herders to stay and help drive the cows to the horse camp, but they were already commited to anothr job and had to return to the railroad. so jim took his buck board and started out as the lead headed to the horse camp. kate and bill threw the herd in behind the wagon and kept the herd together and moveing. the cows were exceptionaly gentle and after a mile or two lined out like saddle horses and marched along behind jim. as time went on they got easier to drive and hold together. bill realised they didnt really need the other cowboys. mid afternoon they reached the horse camp. they drove the cows to the corrals and penned them but they left the gate open so after the cows watered out they could go to grazeing the four section pasture around the corrals. the cows had been branded with the ranch brand at the rail road corrals before they were brought out. but the calves were still unbranded. jim, kate and bill sat watching the cows scatter and start grazeing. " we are sure enough progressive cow folks now" jim stated. " but we are going to keep working stock like we always did. we need to sccare up a hand or two to brand all these calves and the ones out on the range. you two got any ideas?" kate looked at bill. " you got any ideas?" " nope, but maybe if i go to town and talk around we find a hand or two." bill stated. but his mind was working fast. he wanted to get all this done before the rodeo hit town. he just didnt tell kate and jim what he was thinking.if he went to town he could see what he could find out about entering the rodeo. he was still wrasling with the event in his mind. he just didnt want anymore argument on the subject. jim turned his team toward home, and kate and bill fell in behind the wagon and soft jogged along. at breakfast the next morning jim handed bill a list of supplys they needed for the ranch then dug in his pocket and brought out a wad of cash. kate was no where to be seen. down at the corral bill led his saddled horse away from the barn and started to mount. from around the corner of the barn rode kate. she had a pack horse in tow. bill sat there and stared at her. " well, if your going lets go." he knew argueing was pointless. for half way into town kate said nothing and bill didnt push the point. he knew a converstion was comming concerning the rodeo. he didnt want to argue about it. his mind was made up. " i need some girl things, that ok?" kate asked as they rode into the outskirts of town. bill handed her the list jim had given him along with the wad of paper bills. " you do the shopping, il go to the feed store and a few other places and try to find some help."bill grinned at her. kate stopped her horses at the general store and bill rode on. he figured the entry list for the rodeo would be either at the feed store or the local saloon. at the feed store there were a few men sitting around on stacked feed sacks full of grain. when he mentioned day work for the next few weeks nobody git to excited. but one young man haad gotten up and went out side. sure enough the entry book for the rodeo was at the feed store. but bill found out to get a crack at the blue roan you had to ride a bonc in regular event. that meant getting on a bronc before a shot at the blue. the bronc would be fresh but the riider would have been shook up first. that wasnt a square deal in his mind. but he entered anyway. he could always draw out. back out side when he went to his horse the young man who left the store when he offered work, was standing next to a town plug with another young man holding another horse next to him. " we want to go to work if you will have us." the first man said. " you ever work a branding pen before. this isnt a farmers job." bill sounded hard . " no, but we arnt opposed to learning if you arnt opposed to teaching." the young man didnt back up a bit. " you got bed rolls? we will fed you but you each need a bed. your not sleeping with me"bill said" ill wait riht here for you."bill leaned back against the wall. the two mounted their horses and trotted off. down the street bill could see kate loading her pack horse. this was all comming together. a pack horse loaded full , two big corn fed farm boys to wrastle calves. . but he still questioned himself on the issue of the blue roan.