BACK FROM THE SIERRA 14

j.t. sat on the edge of his bed his hair fallen over the front of hishead covering his face. he couldnt sleep. shug asking all those questions about carrie had j.t. worried about adele. she was alone in dragoon, except for charlie, and how well did any one charlie? billy seemed to thnk charlie was ok, so why should all this be bothering him? he had varmits to deal with, and there were more than anyone thought there could be. he could make a pocket full of money and go back and take care of his sister. she was all the family he had left. no one knew it but he had stshed the cash money he had gotten from converting the mexican money.. it was a nest egg he was holding out. adele had the rest of the silver dobie dollers so she would be alright. but why was he worried? at breakfast the next morning j.t. was staring at the food on his plate, billy who had come in sometime dureing the night sat accross the table looking at him. " ok kid whats eating you?" billy asked. " thinking about my sister is all. i went 5 years and didnt see her or take care of her. my mother died, and now ime doing the same thing again, maybe ime over thinking this whole deal but i cant help it." j.t. told him. " well if you want a few days off to go check on her do it. you have some money comming. i sent shug to tombstone for a few days off.. i can do that with you. just be sure you come back. you been doing a dandy job for me."billy was being understanding. but then he didnt know how well adele and j.t. were financially either. " ill work today, and go in the morning if its ok?" j.t. asked." i just want to make sure she is ok. being by her self and all." later that day j.t. was jog trotting down country toward the river. he was thinking how good billy was to him. bily knew about his problem in lordsburg. and even helped to keep it covered up. j.t. felt honor bound to do the best job he could for him. as he came around a large mesquite tre there was a big cow down on her side. a hind quarter was gone. two coyotes trotted off into the brush their bellys dragging. as he rode closer he could see the cow had been shot in the head. the whole animal wasted for a hind quarter. he steamed . he rode in a circle around the cow looking for some kind of prints. as he came back to the back end he found what looked like a hobnailed boot print. after riding out a ways from the cow he found the prints again headd to the river. slowley he worked out the trail when he reached the river he found the quarter beef hanging from a limb on a cotton wood tree. the foot prints went into the water at the rivers edge. billy had told him to stay on this side of the river, but his temper was riseing he rode into the river and slosshed across. as soon as he cleared the bank on the far side he smelled meat cooking. he rode in that direction. as he came out of the brush along the river bank he saw the wagon. two small children were sitting on a blanket roll eating roasted meat. a poor, thin starved looking woman was bending over a fire tending a roast cooking over the fire. " i would appreciate it if you wouldnt stir up my family mr." came a voice to the right side of him. j.t.turnned and looked at a bearded man in bib overalls and a pair of hobnailed boots.he asked" what you all doing here?" the man spread his hands in front of him" starveing mostly. we were trying to get to the mines in tomstone or maybe pearce. our team got stole night before last. we are stuck here.was that your cow i shot? when i get to work ill pay for her. but my children were hungry" " the cow belongs to my boss. just dont kill another. ill try to find you a team who took yours?"j.t. asked " i never saw them. they took them in the night. all i heard was them running down the river."the scare crow of a man said. " ok, stay close, ill see what i can do. " j.t. was still mad but he figured the best thing to do was get this wagon on their way. he found the tracks of the mules the man had pulling his wagon, but there ws no other tracks.. then he started seeing the drag mark for the stake chain. it was the cat from the mountain! he followed along watching the trees and along the river bank.soon the drag track turned and went into the river. but the mules continued on. j.t. rode another mile or so and found the mules grazeing on the river bank, their halters lead rope dragging. he was able to get the lead ropes picked up and started back. one mule had scratches down his hind leg. " old mule, its a good thing that cat has a leg in that trap and couldnt run," j.t. comented. when he rode into the camp the man was standing with his ax in hand , the woman and children hideing in the wagon. " whats with the ax?" j.t. asked. " there was a lion growling over along the river i was afraid he was comming here," the man said " you would be better off with your gun than the ax" j.t. said. " i used the last bullit on the cow. who stole my team? did you catch them.?" the man asked as he took the lead ropes from j.t. " no one stole them but get hitched up and gone! and dont stop this side of tomstone. that cat over there has a taste for fresh meat, mule or human i fear."j.t. warned. he had his rifle out and stood guard while the man hitched the team the wagon wasnt very heavy loaded but still the team had to lean into the collers and grunt a little to get it moveing. j.t. rode along behind for a ways his rifle at the ready, but the growling cat didnt appear. it was getting late in the afternoon when j.t. crossed the river and started home. the cat would feed on the fresh meat of the shot cow,he worried about what to tell billy the truth or just say the lion killed the cow.. the closer he got to the ranch the more he was convinced the truth was the only way. when he rode into the ranch yard it was just getting dark shugs horse stood at the barn door. when j.t. rode up shug stepped out the door. " why dont you go up to the house with billy?" j.t. asked. " billy dont know ime here, i wanted to see you." shug said. j.t. got a knot in his stomach"me? what did i do?" " one of those rustler recocnized you from lords burg.. he didnt tell the deputy but was braggin it around town he was going to collet the bounty on you. he might show up here at any time. the judge fined them twenty dollers and time served for the attempted theft." shug was talking low " billy dont need to be in the middle of this you know." " ime leaveing in the morning. ill take my troubles with me.. but yours is down along the river," l.t. explained to shug about the cat. shug nodded" just take care" he mounted and rode away into the dark.