THE OLD COWBOY Part Thirty Two
(continued)

"Yes sir, he knew just what to do. He took off up the center of that herd so we could lead them to safety. Well ya know that lightnin' kept on flashin', an' stormin' fer 'bout twenty minutes er so an' then it was done.

We got them cattle all settled down an' was takin' a short break there in the middle of the mornin'. Ol' Joe and I was talkin' on our horses 'bout turnin' an' tamin' them doggys. Joe had just rolled a cigarette right there on the side of that little dry creek bed, and just struck a match ta light up with.

All of a sudden this wall of water come rushin' down through that creek. I saw it comin' just in time ta get out 'a the way. Joe knew there was danger, but instead of gettin' away from it he turned right into it. It took Joe an' horse an' 'bout fifty head 'a cattle right along with it.

When I turned back to watch, Joe had gone one way an' the horse the other an' they got all tangled up with them cows. Away they went; cows, horses, men, a wagon full 'a water, an' that wall 'a water. Disappeared from sight, they did, in less time it took to lass'ou a calf."

"Grandpa, that sounds like a flash flood. I read about a flash flood that washed a part of a train away recently, while the train was moving!

"While the train was movin?"

"Yes sir, that's the way the newspaper headline read. It didn't seem right to me either Grandpa."

"Well anyway," he rubbed his stubbly chin... "a bunch of us drovers took out after them all. We had to bury Joe. Never did find his horse. Most of them cows died an' young Bobby got busted up purty bad. He'd been crossin' a little creek bed on the other end 'a the herd.

All told we lost two horses, one drover, eighty eight or nine head 'a cattle, one water wagon, an' 'bout half 'a 'Cooky's' supplies. Grandboy, I thought we was in purty bad straights 'bout then.

That night it was clear an' turned off cold. 'Bout four in the morn..."

To Be Continued. . .