Its the Cowboy Way

Trent's POV

There was a slight chill in the air as I climbed onto my mare Jupiter and headed out from the ranch house. Winter is coming and it's the middle of October. We made our way up the canyon and I then turned her up a header so that we could start making our way to the top of the ridge. I was hunting two cows and I had a pretty good idea where they were. Halfway up out of the canyon I let Jupiter take a breather and watched as the sun started coming up in the east. It was taking its time and its slow fingers of light were dancing across the hilltops.

"Well we ain't getting nothing done sitting here," I tell Jupiter.

She just blows air out her nostrils and reaches down to take a mouthful of grass. I tap her lightly with my spurs and we start working our way on towards the top. As I top out I can see a lot of my ranch and notice some cows drinking at a hidden water that I had put in for the wild game and my cows to use. I ride towards them slowly knowing what is fixing to happen next, as soon as they hear or see me. I whistle lightly and two bounding shadows come up from behind me and they know that when I whistle it is time to go to work. I motion for Rowdy, my border collie to go up and around and he takes off like a streak of lightning. Champ my leopard catahoula stays by me as I continue to ride towards them. This is the last cow-calf pairs that I have here in this pasture. I have already cut the rest of my calves off and will be shipping them to a cattle buyer out of Alabama in the next week. The four head of cattle seem to know something is up and they begin to move away from the water when all the sudden they spot me. They throw their heads up and turn to run the opposite direction but are met by a wall of barking Rowdy who turns them back the way I want them going. I tell Champ to lead and I take off after the cows. Champ passes the lead cow and stops them until I get closer and whistle for him to let them travel. This is rough and rocky country in southeastern New Mexico near the northern end of the Guadalupes.

The cows stay at a trot as we head off into the canyon and I know that once we hit the bottom I am going to probably have to rope one or more of these cows. I stop Jupiter for a second and step off to tighten my cinch and then I am back on and we are flying down to catch up with the dogs and cows. As we hit the bottom of the canyon I turn the cows towards the corrals and we make good time getting to them. The gate is open and three of them run straight into where some hay is waiting on them but the fourth one turns and starts fighting my dogs and trying to jump the fence. I ride up and shut the gate to hold the three in and then pull down my rope and take to the last one that needs to be penned. I throw my rope catching her around the neck and then slip the slack around her hip before turning Jupiter the other way, just like you see in the steer roping at the rodeo I tripped her over. I give her a little slack and she gets back to her feet. I make sure I still have a good dally and turn towards the corrals. I hear the gate in front of me open and I see my neighbor Albert standing behind it. I drag the cow into the corral and Albert shuts the gate, I ride up against the cow and slip my rope off her head before turning towards where Albert is. .

"You look like you have already done a day's work and it is not even 8 in the morning Trent." he draws in his Texan twang.

"Well some people don't work banker's hours, " I reply as I coil up my rope. "What do you need, Albert."

Now you have to understand Albert is your true nosey neighbor, his house is about 20 miles from mine and he borders one of my eastern pastures but Albert is not a rancher, horseman, or cattleman. His father bought the ranch and wants him to run it to build some character, but if Albert can get someone else to do his work Albert is going to do just that.

"I was just going to see if you were going to haul any calves to town today, I have like ten that need to go to the sale barn but Darla wants me to take her to El Paso to pick up her sister, say you might like to meet her sister she is ......" I don't even let him finish

"Albert I have no interest to meet your sister in law nor any other woman, but I will tell you what if you can haul you ten head over here by 9 I will take them with me, and understand Albert if you don't have them here by the time I am ready to go I am not taking them." I tell him as I step off Jupiter and start walking her up towards the barn.

"You got yourself a deal Trent, I will be right back," Albert says as he heads towards his truck. "Hey Trent, are you ever going to get a new truck that one of yours looks worn out."

I just wave him off as I open the tack room and unsaddle Jupiter and brush her. I pet her on the neck and turn her into a horse pen. It is her week to be up here at the house with me, all my other horses stay in my horse pasture when I am not using them. Jupiter goes and gets a drink and starts munching on hay as I close up the tack room and walk up to the house. Rowdy and Champ follow me into the house and go straight to their beds. Damn soft dogs, I chuckle to myself as I get another cup of coffee and walk out on the front porch. I can still see trails of dust from Albert driving like a bat out of hell in his new powerstroke. I just shake my head and walk to where my old dodge is sitting. I fire it up and then walk back in the house to grab some more coffee and fix another burrito from the skillet.

I pull down to the fuel tanks I have and unlock the diesel one and fuel up my old truck then pull around and hook onto my trailer. I am going to haul the four I penned today and then a few others to town to the local sale barn. The rest of mine that are going to be sold are in a set of shipping corrals at the west end of my ranch getting fat on hay. I back up to the chute and get my cows loaded when I look up and see Albert flying back down the road hooked to a trailer. As he pulls in I just shake my head. We unload them off of his trailer and onto mine. Albert gives me a hundred dollar bill telling me that he hopes that will help me and that is for hauling his cows. I just smile and tell him see you later.

I let my dogs out and they jumped into the truck, Rowdy taking the back seat and Champ taking the front passenger seat. I left the ranch headquarters. I wish the county guys would grade the roads but at least it's only 40 miles of dirt road and then the rest is paved. To town I head with 20 head of cattle and two cow dogs. The dust just billows as I head down the road, damn we need some moisture.