THE BIG HORN 5

three weeks later con was saddling his horse at early daylite. he had contracted with the morales family frogila bend to build the corrals. they camped on the site and were up early every morning working. they had enough built it would hold his horses and a few cows. a houseing contracter was hard at it working on the main house where the bender had set.fawn had decided she wanted adobe so it had taken a while to find a contracter to build with that. but everything was up and running. the trailer house for con had been delivered and set up with propane and a generater. con stuck his foot in the tapadero and mounted the good horse. then reined him away to the south. con didnt know why or have a firm reason for it but he had strapped his rifle scabbord to his saddle. his winchester rested there. he couldnt explain the reason for takeing it but he felt it was needed.by later in the day he had found 3 bunches of catttle. they had congregated at the salt blocks he had scattered. they wre full of water and not prone to run far. con had gotten each bunch held up and settle then put them together and started driveing them toward the corrals at the bender. the moralis family were a cattle family and would watch for him approaching. they would have the gates open and be ready to haze the cattle into the corral. a quick count showed con he had 75 head in the drive. but the cattle wre nervous. cons horse was wringing wet with sweat. con was sitting on pins and needles. as they approached the corral the lead cows slowed and started milling and fighting the other cattle back. con was hard pressed to keep them moveing forward. from out of the brush came the moralis men, each with a long stick with a rag on the end. every direction the cows turned they were confronted by this new booger. finally the leaders took the only way to eescape the men with the waveing flags, right into the corral! isac moralis was tying the gate shut with a long peice of rope as con dismounted and started uncinching his saddle so the horse could get a lung full of air. isac turned to con" BUENO! a good gather patron. " yes we got lucky. after lunch tomorrow we will brand the slicks. then load the old branded cows to take to the auction. that will make fawn happy!"