THE OLD COWBOY Part Sixteen
(continued)


"Why I remember this ol' geezor up in Colorado. He'd been a banker and thought he'd make more money easier watchin' them Longhorn cows munch away on little blades of grass. He thought he'd sit on the front porch in that rocker an' smoke them big cigars. He thought a lot.

When word got around 'bout the way he was always a little short on pay, an' you'd have to haggle a bunch to get it right, he couldn't get a good cowhand to sign on. When them cows ain't handled right you're gon'na lose 'em to the weather, the wild, an' strays.

Things got a little to tight comin' out'a winter one year. Yer Grandma was due again and I couldn't seem to find many horses to break 'cept out on the 'NBR' (Newton Brown Ranchero). I knew the deal with Ol' Newt. I'd broke a couple, two years before an' he haggled me then. Anyway he had a couple pikers, full time boneheads, ram-rodin' the whole outfit sideways. Now I could cowboy with the best of 'em an' movin' critters around wern't no chore. No chore at all.

We saddled up at dawn. I had my second cup of java down an' mounted, just restin' on my laurels, watchin' them two yawn and stretch and pretend to be cowboys. Why ya should'a seen 'em lasso a doggy. The only reason they could, they'd run 'em 'til they was to tired to run, then they'd just drop the rope on 'em. It was a pit-i-ful sight to any commonly good hand."

Grandpa stood up and took three high loops around his head with his cane and let it fly out in the yard. when it landed he pulled it and tied it to an imaginary saddle horn and dismounted from an imaginary horse. When his feet touched the ground he sat back down. I went out and picked up the cane.

"Grandboy, watch 'em now. He'll twist an' turn an' try to get away, jest like the one that. . .