Free Buck and the Widow Rancher (2006) by Carlton Youngblood Page B

up with the rest of the gang. That’s how they got the jump on you. Those cows’ll be sold by now. I should’ve gone back then, instead of grabbing a night in a real bed.’
    ‘Well, we know where they went and they couldn’t have been traveling very fast. I followed the trail left by the rustlers. They’re heading for the railhead at Big Valley. That’s where we’ll be taking our herd. There’re always a few buyers hanging out there this time of year. More later in the fall when ranchers from all over this part of the state make their drives.’
    ‘Hank, how far south is that railhead?’ asked Buck as he swung into the saddle.
    ‘From here? It’s maybe two days’ ride, I expect. With a fast horse, a rider might make it in a bit less.’
    Thinking about it, Buck shook his head. ‘They don’t know me there, so if I were to come riding in nobody would pay me any attention.’
    ‘Well, unless Miz Randle says different, I can’t go. After all, it’s only a dozen or so yearlings and young stuff. They’d already started dropping off the mother cows so those that reach the buyers will have the right brands on their hip. I just wanted to let Miz Randle know what I’d found and this is almost on my way back to the holding ground. I still got a round-up to take care of.’
    Buck told Hank he’d most likely find his boss at the hotel. At least that was the last place he’d seen her. As the foreman reined away, Buck called out a questions. ‘How far south would I find the sign of the rustled stock?’
    ‘About two hours or so, a little south-east of here. The river thins out just before it joins the Red River,’ Hank pointed. ‘That one is more dirt than water, too thick to drink but too wet to walk on, they say. This time of year a herd can be forded almost anywhere along there. You watch, you won’t miss the mess those young beeves made making the crossing. The railhead is just a few miles beyond.’ Tipping his hat, the foreman reined around and gigged his horse on up the street.
     
    It was well over two hours before Buck found any sign of a small herd being pushed along. The sun was close to dropping below the horizon when he found the hoofprints. Even then, with dusk starting to make it difficult, he might not have found the trail except for the bawling of a cow. Turning to find the troubled animal, he came up on a mean-looking cow walking with her head down, looking about ready to drop.
    ‘Hey, bossy,’ Buck murmured. ‘What are you doing out here, trying to be dinner for a bunch of coyotes?’ Coyotes wouldn’t bother a full-grown beef and rarely even try to bring down anything but a newborn calf. But from the looks of the cow, death wasn’t far away. Thin, even in the failing light, Buck could see her ribs sticking out of her heaving sides. Hearing the horse coming up behind her, she stopped and turned her head, swinging her wide-spaced horns toward any danger. Buck pulled his horse to a halt.
    ‘Well, horse, what do you say we make a dry camp right about here? There’s enough water in the canteen to make things a little better.’ Once again the horse didn’t pay any attention.
    Camp was quickly set up. First he dropped a rope around the cow’s horns and snubbing her head to a nearby bush, poured a good measure of water into his cooking pan. Picketing his horse, he shared more of the water with the black stud. After a quick supper cooked over a small fire, he filled his coffee pot with enough for tonight and in the morning and gave the rest to the tethered cow. He wasn’t sure, but this heifer looked a lot like the one he’d seen in the rope corral. There was no reason he could think of for her to be following the rustled herd. If so, maybe he could make her trip a little easier.

CHAPTER 13
    The next morning Buck hazed the heifer along as fast as he dared. Late in the morning they come up on the river and he could see what Hank had meant about it becoming thin. Flowing out over the flats,