BIG HORN 25

con stood at the barn door and watched roy and his mount trudge up to the place they unsaddle. when roy stepped to the ground and tied the horse without a word con handed a half full class to roy. " you look like you could use this."con said. roy took the glass and without a word put it to his mouth and turned the glass up, swallowing a goodly amount of the brown liquid.he handed what was left back to con' "thanks , i needed that." was all roy said as he turned to uncinching his horse." hows earnesto?" he asked. "he will be laid up a while but he will ok, nothing serious was hit i guess. what all did you find?"con asked. roy explained about the cattle at the 13 tank, and the foot prints that came to shoot earnesto comming from mexico. he saved the part abo t the back packs and the camp for last. when he told con of it con raised a eye brow. "in the morning you take the new rig and start bringing the cattle from 13 here. ill send fawn for the authorities. just tell me how to get to the back packs." con understood roy s reluctance to be around the border patrol. roy later that night in the trailer drew a rough sketch of a map on how to get to the camp site where the back packs were hidden. con admitted it would get them to the site. the next morning when fawn left to go check on miriam and earnesto con had given her instructions to send the border patrol back. and a phone number of a machanic to repair the down truck. roy had already left while it was dark , headed to 13. in short order con was alone at the ranch with the exception of the two men in the bender house doing the finish work and installing appliances. con ambled down to the cattle guard. fawn had left the gate open for the border patrol. just as he reached the cattle guard georges suv rolled to a stop on the hiway side. con swallowed a sour gulp and touch his pistol on his belt to reassure himself he had it. george got out and walked up to the cattle guard. "hey con, how are you?" george called. con stopped on his side of the cattle guard"you know theres a restraining order keeping you off this ranch?"con said without any preliminary. " well thats not very friendly. i just came to see how everyone is doing." george sounded hurt. "you better move on george, the bordr patrol will be here any time. every one here is fine."con said with a hard tone inhis voice. " well ill go, i dont want to cross a court order." george started backing up. con looked up and could see the outline of a woman in the suv. while george was backing up she rolled her window down the flipped a cigarett butt out onto the ground. down the hiway to the east con could see the border patrol comming his way. george looked up at them then turned to con" ill see you another time." he saluted and got in the suv and backed out and drove off toward gils bend. con stepped to the gate as the border patrol truck rolled into the yard. he shut the gate but didnt lock it. while george and con had been taking roy had brought in and unloaded a trailer full of cattle. he was pulling out as con stepped up to the officer. they shook hands and con explained why he needed them there. he handed them the rough map and pointed the way out of the yard. they left in a cloud of dust. con walked over to the bender house and ploped down on a bench along the wall. he watched the border patrol leave but his mind was on george why was he snooping around?