THE BRONC PEELER 4

billy found a barrel of oats in the barn . every morning his brown horse would come to call and he would feed him some oats then use him to gather the band of broncs. he would keep the two he was going to work on every day in the corral. he found the broncs easy to corral. but he learned the minute he dropped a loop on ones neck he had a tiger on the end of the rope. by the end of the first week he had four head of the older broncs where he could saddle them after he caught them but when he blind folded them to mount he had to be careful because every one was prone to biting and snapping at him. when he did get on one and pulled the blind fold everyone of them would bawl and buck. when they quit bucking they would stampede around the corral. only one had bucked him off. a blue roan. billy found he could ride him with the use of a night latch on his saddle. it was a piggin string tied around the swells of his saddle that he could hold onto. but the roan would only quit bucking when he was give out. then he would sull and refuse to move. once billy felt the bronc might fall over backwards. the other broncs after the first couple saddles showed to be gentling and ready for some out side work. billy was takeing a beating every day. but he slept well and he was rested every morning.no one had come around for a week. then one morning as he was pulling his saddle from a stocking footed bay that was wringing wet with sweat he saw a buck board comming through the gate.as it rolled up into the yard billy saw jim perched up on the seat, his bad leg stretched out and resting on the dash board. the buckboard was loaded with supplys.jim stopped at the cabin. billy walked up with a wave" hows the boss?" he asked. " i figgered you might need a few things . how did ya find the broncs?" jim was more concerned with his horses than billy. " a little on the rank side i guess. its going to take a while to get through them. theres one that might never come around. pretty salty." billy was carrying a box into the cabin. "is he a blue roan?" jim asked. " yep, rank and tough, not mean but the harder you work him the tougher he gets." billy explained. " when you feel like a break bring him to the headquarters. i got a home for him. when will you have some ready to go into a remuda?' jim asked. " in a week or so ill some you could make a circle on. 4 0r5 head. you got cow work for them?"billy was poking around the supplys in another box. " no but i got buyers for them as long as they arnt just plum rank." jim was smiling." keep at them, my partner may show up at just anytime. our cows are calveing a little late so we wont be working them for a while. but anything you think is ready to go bring them to the ranch. even the blue roan." when the buckboard was empty jim drove down to the corral and looked over the fence at the broncs billy was working in. they were coated in dry seat. " thats what i like to see cowboy, i see them ponys wrung out and sweaty i know your working. i dont care how long it takes you to go through them but keep at them. save 4 of the best for us here ill sell the rest. soon as you got some ready bring them in. see ya." with that jim slapped the team with the reins and headed back up the trail to the house at the headquarters. " well jim your the right kind of cowman in my book." billy said quietly as jim drove away.