HIDDEN SPRINGS 11

LATIGO STOOD AND WATCHED THE REPORTER DRIVE OUT OF HIS YARD.. IT HIT HIM THAT HE HAD ALLOWED THINGS TO GET OUT OF HAND AND TAKE HIM SOME PLACE HE DIDNT WANT TO BE. HE TURNED BACK TO THE CORRAL AND CAUGHT A GOOD HORSE . A FEW MINUTES LATER HE HAD THAT HORSE BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND WAS HEADED OUT INTO HIS RANCH LAND. HE NEEDED TO THINK. he didnt pick a certain area or pasture to ride through, he just wanted to get out where the air was clean and fresh. as he rode along he ran the events of the past few days through his mind. it wasnt long before he was comptley happy with his life. he was a hermit cowman. he didnt have to deal with people. he didnt have to deal with politics or laws. his biggest worry had been keeping his cows in feed and water. now, he had let the military tap his patriotisum. his loyalty to his country if you will. then this woman had apeared. he let her stay because he felt sorry for her. and if he would admit it to himself he longed for some company at times. a voice , some one to talk to. a nd then there was the fact that he was being a party to the deaths of other people. he could justify it to him self by saying they were participateing in the distruction of the country. the country he had fought for, the country he loved. along late in the morning he rode up on the lip of the crater where hidden spring was. a few cattle were down at the waters edge drinking. he could see where some rain water had run into the pond . he was pleased with that. his cattle would soon be gaining weight from the fresh grasses the rain would have started growing.he sat there reaizing this was what made him have that feeling of contentment. as he sat there watching his cattle it dawned to him he wanted to return to this, this feeling. but how could he reverse things? how could he go back? deep in his soul he knew going back wasnt a option. but he could bring his life back in line with the things that really mattered. as he sat there he could see a jet war bird circling over the bombing ranch makeing practice runs. he watched for a few minutes the started his horse south. something was nagging him about the people who had been bombed. he had to find out.maybe irene had struck a cord of decency with in him that he had been letting his patriotisum cover over. when he rode up to the south fence he went to the wire gate there and opened it, he checked the skys for planes. he saw none. but he knew they could come out of nowhere in a instant. he rode in the direction of where the first bombing had taken place. the earth was tore up from the explosion. but no bodys were there, no back packs. latigo rode a big circle makeing sure that no eveidence was missed. it wasnt there. the second site was farther down in the range but now his curiosity was takeing hold. at the scond sight he found the same thing, nothing. but as he slowley rode through the sight he found two long skid tracks then a place where a large copter had set down. then he rode up to a place where the dirt was mounded in many places. at the edge of one mound a coyote had been digging into the fresh dirt. he could see denim materiel in the hole. .....it ws a grave. but the back packs were gone. as he remounted he looked back over his shoulder and saw a jet coasting down on him. the pilots face easily sen with a grin on his face. latigo spured his horse off the hill and down into a arroyo. when the plane passed over it was low enough he could feel the heat from the engine. he pointed the horse back to the gate. the plane went away. he saw it no more. now he really had a passel of things to work over in his mind. but one thing for sure he felt he was being used for some purpose other than what he was told he would be doing.