Canyon Ranch

Healthy Livestock

Man it was a hot day. I was glad I was almost home. My horse could sense the way we were headed and tried to increase the pace, but I kept him at a fast walk. The livestock was already having trouble keeping up and I didn’t want to damage them any further before we reached our destination.

I had two prime pieces with me. Both chained around the neck, one running next to the horse and the other running behind. I’d gone out after them after I received the radio call from the surveillance team. We keep a close watch on the land around the ranch and usually we just warn people off, but these two were prime. The team waited until they were asleep and then jumped them and trapped them in their sleeping bags. By the time I arrived they had them bound with their hands in front of them and hobbled by a length of rope between their ankles. Both were studs, well muscled, handsome faces, and real outdoor types.

I took one look and realized I wanted the one with the curly auburn hair for myself but, I’d have to wait and see. Apparently both had been mouthing off but only one, the one with the close cropped hair, had evidently gotten physical. I could tell by the whip marks on his back. I rode up and nodded to the surveillance team, ignoring the cursing and pleas of the men in front of me. I tossed a pair of chains and collars at their feet and they looked at me stunned into silence. One, the short haired stud began to curse under his breath softly…..”oh shit , oh shit oh shit……”

The team moved quickly and secured the metal collars in spite of the squirming of the two newly captured beasts. Yes, these two would make great playthings. I gave orders to the surveillance team to drive the car to a location 150 miles away in the desert, re-pitch the tents, lift the hood and disable the car and make tracks into the desert, removing packs and water while leaving one canteen with a hole. If the car and campsite were ever found, the authorities would think it was just another set of tourists who’d run out of water and tried to hike out. The desert tends to swallow the unprepared.

I had the hobbles on their feet removed and then had my team cut the ropes on their hands. The short – haired guy, who I’d learned from his driver’s license, was named Sean. His friend was Gage, great western name Gage. Anyway, Sean tried to run at me and I gave my horse a gentle kick then reined him in. This moved him just far enough to jerk both men off their feet but not enough to really hurt them or drag them. (It takes practice, do it wrong and you can break a mans neck, or worse). They cursed in unison and I simply smiled. Sean leapt at me again and again I moved forward, pulling them off their feet. This time when they got up Gage shouted at Sean to knock it off. Smart too I guess, knowing more than his friend that it was hopeless to fight at this point. I turned around and began to move off down the trail with the two beef on the hoof trotting to keep up. It looked as if I was ignoring them but I was actually paying close attention. I didn’t want them damaged any more than they had been. Healthy livestock sells well (or rents in this case) damaged goods were a drain until they were nursed back to health.

I continued down the track until it ended and started out across the open desert toward the cliffs in the distance. Both Gage and Sean were winded at this point so I heard no cursing, just their panting sucking breath as they tried to keep up the pace running alongside the horse.