GO EN RODEO EN 8

as they were walking back through the contestants camp ground joe was walking along with his bowed a bit and talking about the bull dogging wreck he had. but ed and jerry was takeing notice of the out of state contestants watching joe and sox as they walked along. jerry looked at ed with a knowing look and ed nodded. when they reached camp ed dropped out at their camp while jerry and joe continued on to joe s camp site with sox. joe began unsaddling the good sorrell with jerry standing there his hand resting on the horses rump. " i wouldnt stake this horse to far from camp.. theres to many of those out of state rodeo bums eyeing him. that horse, with the three of us on him is going to make a dent in the chances to win a little at this rodeo. theres a bunch of those boys might need some cash to get out of town when this show is over. dont trust them joe."jerry layed it on the line. joe turned to look at jerry" you cant mean that? they would do something like that to keep us from wining a little? or steal him to resale him?" joe was shocked. " we dont know all those guys, but just now they were looking at this good horse with some hungry eyes. some of them would do just about anything to get out of town. not everyone in this world is a honest cowpuncher ya know?" jerry was keeping his voice low. " eds back in camp watching the rest of them. you own the horse but we have a intrest in him too. stake him in close to camp until almost dark. then bring him in to camp for the night. we will take turns guarding him through the night. dont take that bunch over there for granted." joe was looking at jerry like he didnt know him" you mean this dont you?a lot of those guys are your friends arnt they? i havent seen a piker among them. the feed close to camp isnt great he needs to be out there a ways to get a good fill." joe was stammering. " you want him full and gone or a little hungry and here to use. friends or not, some of those bums arnt to be trusted. they live from one rodeo or little town to the next. theres no telling what they might pull." jerry looked up and saw ed comming with a rifle in hand. a hard look on his face. when joe took note of ed with the rifle he gulped" would you use that thing?" " i hope it dont come to it. but if push comes to shove , yep ."ed answered" i made sure a bunch of those guys saw me when i left camp with it. better to warn them than have to plug one later." joe took sox a little ways from camp and hobbled him and left a stake rope dragging from his halter. he could see him from camp very easy. surpriseing enough sox was finding enough grass and was working hard at filling his belly. back at camp ed was propped up against a pine tree with the rifle laying over his knees. jerry had returned to their camp. joe was throwing a meal to gether. soon joe noticed out of the corner of his eye that ed was getting to his feet, two cowboys were walking past sox on their way to some destination. they slowed down a bit as they came abreast of sox. ed levered a round into the chamber of the rifle and stepped out where he could be seen. the two lookers turnned and almost ran on . ed looked over at joe" see what we are talking about? they were checking out how you had him hobbled." joe nodded slowley. " it will be dark in a hour ill bring him before that. thank you."