THE LONE OLD TIMER 21

for three weeks all was quiet. buck spent his days gathering the last little bunchs of his cows he even went to the upper end of treasure road there was no more evidence of the dirt bike and the weather had been great. he spent a couple of days a week with cloe or she would come to the ranch. he had thought to himself that this was liveing the good life. he did decide he was short 15 calves and 5 weaned heifers he was going to keep to grow into cows.this he had passed on to wes. the sunday ropeings were still the main source of entertainment for buck. cloe seemed to enjoy them. she would take a note book and write down times and keep track of the times. when it became knowen she was bucks girl people were friendly but the young single men wernt makeing passes at her. besides wes buck had taken up with a young boy who was fast becomeing a top header. they had won a couple of the ropeings together. the boys family didnt rope. or had any intrest in what he was doing he rode his horse to the arena and then rode home afterwards late at night. buck didnt know how far it was for him to ride but was asking around trying to find out.when buck did find out he was shocked to know the kid was rideing from the far side of town 5 miles through the middle of town. when he told the young man he would pick him up and take him home the boy just shook his head and said thanks but no. the boys horse was always bare foot. he was a common type of horse but honest and buck thought the horse had a few more years on him than the kid was old. after a roping was over one day buck was uncinching his horse and he watched art ride off on his way home. cloe had commented on him being a good kid and it was a shame his folks didnt pay any attention to him. buck agreed and stated he wished he could help him some how.one of the one of the other ropers who lived ther e in town stepped up, "ole art getting to be a tough little header, its to bad his ole man is such a drunk" cloe spun and looked at the man" do you know them?" " yeah, i grew up with his momma. shes a good ole gal but married a bad drunk. he keeps the whole family starved all the time drinking up every thing they got. arts mom waits tables at that little cafe on that end of town. she walks to work every day. a couple of miles. art keeps his horse at a corral about a mile from home. he works after school at what ever he can find to feed that ole pony. its a tough deal for sure."the roper explained. buck had listened to the whole tale. cloe looked at him to see what he was thinking but he didnt say a word. he took baldy and loaded him in the trailer. " lets go"was all he said