THE LONE OLD TIMER 13

buck was knocking on cloes doorwhen she answered she stood there in shock 'what are you doing here? its thursday." i was lonely, i missed the sound of your voice. is this a problem?" buck explained. "no its not a problem, come in. i guess you ought to know what i look like not primped." cloe laughed. " you look plumb good to me. ive had a nasty week and i figgured seeing you would make it better."buck put his arms around her and gave her a hug. cloe sat him down at the kitchen table and poured him a double shot of whiskey "i was just getting ready to cook something you hungry?" " i could eat" was all he said between sips of the drink. buck had little brother in the trailer and was headed over to treasure road. he was going to shift every cow he had away from there. he wasnt going to loose any more stock to who ever it was on that dirt bike. he unloaded his horse just as the sun was comming up over the chirichua mountains in the east. he buckled his chaps on and stopped before mounting, then reached into the console of his truck and brought out a smith and wesson 44 pistol and stuck it in his chap pocket. " better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." he mumbled to the sorrel horse. he mounted and started up country. all morning they picked up small bunches of cows and calves. he had more cows here than he though. the feed was better. by noon he had fifty pairs and two bulls in a pile and headed toward the gate into the foot hills pasture. after counting the cattle through the gate he pulled it shut and returned to his horse. the good horse was tired and buck was almost as tired. they turned toward the truck. as they topped a ridge they could see the truck and tailer there below them a quarter mile away.buck could see the dirt bike sitting behind the trailer. he looked about for a way to approach the rig unseen. he saw a draw to one side. he dropped down into it and had little brother stepping along slowley to be as quiet as possible. when he thought he was even with the rig he turned the horse up the bank drawing his pistol as he went. but as he drew nearer the rig he saw no one about. he rode around the rig but saw nothing out of place. there were foot prints all about but nothing very close to the truck or trailer. when he rode to the dirt bike he saw where some one had fallen in the soft dirt in the road leaveing a out line of a body. there was some dark splotches spattered about. blood. buck knew enough to not disturb the tracks and the imprint.he loaded his horse in the trailer and started the truck he needed to get a deputy out here.