BIG HORN 24

roys roan horse was jogging easily along the trail to dead horse. the single set of foot prints the kidnapper left had come from that direction. roy was in a foul mood.he had hopes of working here would be a quiet cattle job that wouldnt bring any notariaty. now he had killed. there wsnt a better way to bring attention to your self. but he couldnt let the scum take miriam away either.he laid his hand on his chap pocket, as he rode along he wasnt seeing hardly any caattle tracks as he rode along. that was good. they wouldnt be working here for a while. maybe the border patrol would get this mess cleaned up before they came back here to work. as he rode up to dead horse he saw a few cattle in the water lot drinking. he rode around the outside of the lot and tried to get a count on them. there were a few slicks and some branded cows with little calves sucking. on the back side he picked up the foot prints again comming from the south. he jogged on.a mile or so south of dead horse he caught the smell of mesquite smoke on the air. he pulled to a stop and looked all around but saw nothing. but he was still cautious as he eased forward. the foot prints entered a mesquite thicket. when roy pushed through the limbs he came to a opening. a small fire smoldered in a ring of rocks. this was a established camp. and roy knew if it hadnt of been for the smoldering little fire he wouldnt have found it. stacked back under soe mesquite trees he could see some back packs. but no one was about. a string of foot prints went out the south side headed back south. he pulled the pistol and laid it in his lap right behind the saddle forks. he rode carefully forward watching all around. as he cleared the thicket he could see a string of men trotting south away from him. he watched them for a few minutes until they were out of sight then started to follow. this ground was open and flat with no place to set up a ambusch.in a bit he came in sight of the boundry fence. it was up. he full well expected to find it cut, but as he rode closer he realized there was a gate cut into the fence and it was shut.. he put the pistol back in his chap pocket. roy turned his horse to the west. he was going to ride by th 13 tank on his way home. it would make for a long day but he didnt feel like answering any more questions form the border patrol. he would tell con about the camp and the back packs, he could deal with the border patrol.