THE BRONC PEELER 6

every day billy would pen the horses and hold them all day in the corral. then turn them out at night to graze. he had picked five of the broncs that he thought would make good useing horses. his favorite was a apron faced bay with clean legs. no long fetlock hair. he was even rideing him at times to gather the horses . the other four were almost as good. he had tackled some more of the older broncs. they wernt as bad as the blue roan but they sure were tough. they showed some draft horse breeding in their pedegree, long fetlock hair dragging the ground, coarse mane and tail and heads that took two headstalls to get a bridle on. but they were getting started and many ranches had remudas they used every spring and fall that ere worse. billy wasnt sure what he would do if jim sold all the horses. he would be back to rideing the grub line. but with every morning when he crawled out of bed and he had sore muscles and aching joints he thought again of giveing up bronc peeling and rideing the rough string. there was a point the fun stopped and the pain began. friday rolled around and billy had the horses penned at day light. the five he wanted to keep he turnned back out so the prospective buyer wouldnt see them he was working a big crude bronc in the round corral when kate and a buyer came through the gate in the buckboard.. billy just ducked his head and kept adjusting the hackamore on the bronc he had. kate yelled at him as she drove up to the corrals. he looked up and waved to her. the buyer was well dressed in a town cowboy suit with a big stetson hat that was popular at the time with rodeo cowboys. he was already opening the gate to the bronc pen and walking in among them. billy ambled over to kate and leaned on the fence between them. " you gonna sell them all" he asked " if he will buy them. dad is liveing in the past with this bunch and the brood mares he raises them from. we can run two cows for every horse out there. we can even buy useinng horses cheaper. and not have to hire bronc peelers........." kate caught her self at that statement." i didnt mean any disrespect. ime just looking at makeing the ranch profitable." " billy said " no offense taken, its that way every where. i been thinking of a litttle better cowpunchers job.when we are through here." the buyer came back from the corral and grinned from ear to ear" just what ime looking for. you had a saddle on any of them?" he asked billy. " some, but i havent been all the way through them yet. i got one saddled in the round corral if you want to see some one ride him."billy explained. " well lets see what he has." the buyer perked up. back in the corral billy eased up to the horses left side and slid the wide leather blind fold down over the broncs eyes. then un hobbled him and snugged up the cinchas. he had to make a little hop to get his left boot in the stirrup but he got seated and reached over the horses ears slowly and raised the blind. the big horse stood like a statue until billy rattled his boots in the stirrups. with a loud whoof the bronc buried his head between his front legs and went up high enough so billy could have seen over the round pen fence. the big bronc was mopping up the corral with every move imaginable. billy was getting a little loose in the saddle but was makeing a good solid ride when the bronc threw his head up and broke into a run around the corral. on the second lap the buyer yelled "GOOD ENOUGH!" billy thre all his weight into the left rein and doubled the horse back into a tight turn when the horse slowed to make the turn billy stepped off but held onto the hacka more reins. the buyer turned to kate" take five bucks a head off them and ill take the whole bunch." " you need to trott that by jim but ime sure he s going to like it. " kate turned to billy " do you need help bringing them to the headquarter?" " wouldnt be a bad idea if there was one more man, just to be on the safe side, when?" billy answered " could you get away with useing a woman? ill be back in the morning if this deal flys" kate s jaw was ridged. billy snorted" i didnt mean anything by saying that. a warm body would do the job." " your getting in deeper cowboy. better stop right there ill be back in the morning." kate turned to the buyer" lets go see jim." the buyer had ducked his head at the exchange between kate and billy" yeah lets go.this money is burning a hole in my pocket." he smilled. " thanks cowboy, you ought to consider rodeo rideing it paays a little better."he nodded at billy. " ill keep that in mind sir." billy answered the buckboard rattled out of the yard back toward the gate.