by Gary Paulsen
“Stuff. You know, hanging out.”
“Hanging out? Of what, a window?”
Alex frowned. “Are you serious?”
Bobbie stuffed peaches in her mouth. “If you don’t want to tell me, just forget it.”
“Hanging out is … being with your friends. Sometimes we go to down to the mall and just sort of stand around.”
Bobbie rubbed Wolf behind the ears. “And you think that’s fun?”
“We do other stuff. Sometimes we get into a good game of asphalt football, no rules.”
Bobbie stared at her.
Alex stared back. “What? You thought all I did was sit around and paint my nails?” She threw a stick into the fire. “What do you do with your friends, besides all this cowpoke junk?”
“The only kids who live around here are from the Bledsoe place. You passed it coming in.”
“You mean that fancy ranch with the two-story house and the white pipe fences?”
“That’s the one. They have two boys close to my age but they’re both jerks. I keep to myself most of the time. In the summer, I usually break a colt or two, that keeps me busy. Sometimes on Saturday, Grandpa and I go see a movie.”
“Sounds kinda tame.”
Bobbie eased her ankle up on the swells of her saddle. “We’ll see how tame you think it is this time tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 5
“Are you sure you can do this?” Alex held Sonny’s reins.
“I’m sure.” Bobbie stepped into the stirrup on the wrong side of her horse to avoid using her swollen ankle. “Get on your horse. If we see any cattle, I’ll do the roping. You and Wolf get behind and push them.”
Bobbie led the way out of the meadow through a thick stand of trees. “When we see one she’ll probably run. We’ll have to move fast or we’ll lose her in the brush.” She looked back at Alex over her shoulder. “By the way, you’re gonna need to learn to duck.”
Alex grabbed a pine cone from a nearby tree and threw it at the center of Bobbie’s back.
Bobbie shook her rope out and held it close. A flash of black ran across the trail in front of them. “There goes one. Come on.”
Sonny bolted after the cow. Trees went by in a blur. The cow was wild and had no intention of letting them come anywhere near her.
They raced over one ridge and started up the next. Alex did her best to keep up. Most of the time she just held on and let the roan decide where to go. The cow made a quick left and the roan nearly lost Alex. Her feet were out of the stirrups and she barely hung on.
Bobbie waited for a clearing. She would only have one chance, and when they exploded out into a small opening she threw her loop. It caught the cow’s horns. Sonny stopped dead, and when the black cow hit the end of the rope, she flipped around facing them.
The cow was mad. She fought and pulled and tried to back up. Sonny held her fast. Then the cow made a wild dash around a tree. Bobbie let her fight with the tree until the animal was worn out. Then she calmly rode around the tree and led her captive back toward the meadow.
Wolf and Alex fell in behind. “Are we going to do this for every single one?” Alex asked, breathing heavily.
Bobbie nodded. “Unless you have a better idea.”
“At this rate, we’ll be up here a month.”
“Grandpa and I did it different when he used to come up with me.”
“Was it faster?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”
“Anything would beat this.”
“Cows generally will stick together if you get a few rounded up. If you think you can handle it, I’ll go get them and bring them back here to you. Your job will be to keep them together until we have enough to move down to the corrals …” She trailed off, waiting for Alex’s answer.
“How hard can it be?”
Bobbie smiled mischievously. She pulled Sonny to a stop, giving some slack in the rope. “Take the loop off this one and I’ll go hunt you another one.”
Alex stepped down and cautiously approached the cow. Alex jerked the rope up and off the horns. The instant the cow was free she took off like a shot.
“Don’t just stand there.” Bobbie re-coiled her rope. “Go get her. I’ll be back with another one in a few minutes. Come with me, Wolf.” She smacked Sonny on the rump with the rope and the horse loped off.
Alex scrambled to the roan and climbed on. She could still hear the black cow ahead of her—somewhere—crashing through the brush.
CHAPTER 6
Bobbie was dragging an obstinate bull calf down the trail to the spot where she had left Alex. The calf still hadn’t learned that it was easier to follow than to dig in and make Sonny drag him. Wolf nipped the calf’s hind leg and then ran back to make sure the mama cow was still following.
Bobbie really didn’t know what she’d expected to see when she got back—but she knew this wasn’t it.
Alex’s red T-shirt was hanging in a tree. It had a big brown arrow on it drawn with mud, pointing west.
Bobbie pushed her hat up and scratched her forehead. “What? …”
She grabbed the T-shirt and headed in the direction the arrow indicated. The calf struggled but Sonny was so powerful it didn’t matter.
From the top of the next ridge she saw them. Alex and the roan were guarding the entrance to a box canyon just below. Three mama cows with calves were munching on grass in front of her.
Bobbie laughed out loud. “Well, what do you know.” She moved down in the canyon and rode up beside the roan.
Alex jumped down and took the rope off the bull calf. She tried to act casual. “We ran across these extras on our way here. I thought we might as well bring them along.”
“Amazing.” Bobbie shook her head. “I forgot about this box canyon. How’d you find it?”
“Actually, the cow found it. I thought I’d never catch up with her, so I went back and left you that sign.” She took the T-shirt Bobbie held out to her. “When I finally found her she was with these others. When they saw me they ran in here and the roan and I trapped them.” Alex patted the horse’s neck. “We make a pretty good team.”
Bobbie snorted and shook her head. “We’ve been lucky, dumb lucky. But maybe we ought to test our luck by going after Diablo next.”
“Diablo?”
“He’s a wild bull. And big. Over two thousand pounds. Every year I go after him but so far he’s always managed to get away. One year he hooked my horse, nearly killed him.” Bobbie showed her the scar on Sonny’s shoulder. Then she looked her cousin in the eye. “If we could get him, he’d be worth a lot.”
Alex shrugged. “I’m game.”
“Okay. But if I manage to bring him in, it’ll be your job to keep him.”
CHAPTER 7
“Get out of the way!”
Alex could hear barking, and pounding hooves coming at her. She pushed the roan close to the canyon wall.
Bobbie and Wolf shot past her. Seconds behind them was the ugliest, meanest-looking animal Alex had ever seen in her life. The bull was enraged and obviously bent on destroying Bobbie.
Bobbie jerked Sonny up short behind a boulder. The bull stopped, snorted at Wolf, pawed the ground, and prepared to charge.
Alex put two fingers in her mouth and blew. The whistle pierced the air. The bull raised his head and looked around. For the first time he noticed the cows standing off to the side. He looked back at Bobbie, bellowed, and blew snot on the ground. Then he turned and trotted over to inspect the herd.
“I thought you were supposed to bring him in. Alex led the roan to the boulder. “Looks like it worked the other way around.”
“That was close.” Bobbie wiped sweat off her forehead with her sleeve. “Thanks for distracting him.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Do my ears deceive me, or did I just hear Bobbie Walker say thank you?”
Bobbie ignored her. “I surprised Diablo in the brush just up the trail. He didn’t care for it much and started after us. Figured if he was goin
g to chase me anyway, I’d lead him back here.”
Alex looked over at the big bull, which was now standing quietly with the rest of the herd. “How do we convince him to go with us to the pens?”
“As long as he’s with the cows, we won’t have much trouble from him. But don’t crowd him. We’ll edge around and start them out of the canyon. Then I’ll move up to the side. You and Wolf stay behind and push them out. Just remember—take everything nice and slow.”
CHAPTER 8
They had fourteen head in the pen, including Diablo. Bobbie was trying to put the enormous bull in a separate pen. Both girls were still on their horses, trying to cut the bull out and force him into the next corral. Wolf had been ordered to stay out of the way.
“Try to get around on the other side. Work them easy. Careful, don’t get too close to him.” Bobbie shouted instructions as she moved around Diablo.
The bull snorted and pawed the ground. He ran straight at Sonny. But the big sorrel had played this game before. He quickly sidestepped and let the bull go past into the other pen.
Before the bull realized what had happened, Alex jumped down and pushed the gate shut behind him. She wiped the sweat and dirt off her face and leaned tiredly against the gate.
“Man, am I glad this day’s over.”
Bobbie looked at the sky. “We still have some daylight. Better stay after it till dark.”
“You’re not thinking of going back up there and finding more cows tonight, are you?”
“No. We’ve got plenty to do right here. Those calves need branding, and we ought to go ahead and castrate that bull calf and dehorn that one over there.” Bobbie pointed across the pen.
Alex wasn’t listening. She had her back turned and was watching Diablo. The bull’s eyes were blood-red and he was still snorting and running around in circles.
“My dad told me people used to actually ride those things.”
“What? Bulls? They still do. Mostly in rodeos now, though.” Bobbie glanced over at Alex. “I’ve tried it a couple of times.”
“Get real.”
“I have. At the Fourth of July Rodeo. It’s really not so bad. Hittin’ the ground is what hurts.”
“Are you serious? You couldn’t get me on something like that for a million bucks.”
Bobbie nodded. “I understand. You have to have backbone to ride bulls.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. It’s just that you gotta be tough to ride bulls, that’s all.”
Alex stared through the wooden rails at Diablo. “You did it?”
“Sure.”
Alex climbed up on the gate. “You rope him. I’ll get on him.”
“Hey, I was talking about normal bulls. This one’s loco. He’ll kill you.”
Wolf growled. The hair on his back was standing up. A deeper voice cut the evening air. “Yeah, Bobbie. And we wouldn’t want the new little girl hurt, now would we?”
Bobbie turned. Two boys were sitting on horses looking down the side of the hill at them.
“Calvin and Jesse Bledsoe,” Bobbie said, her voice flat. “What are you two doing on Rocking W land?”
Jesse, the older and meaner Bledsoe boy, sneered. “It’s a free country, Walker.” He rode his gray horse to the corral fence and peered over it at the cattle. “Some of our cows have turned up missing and we thought they might have wandered over here. We’re just checking.”
“If we run across anything of yours we’ll send it back your way.”
“I just bet you will.” Calvin, the younger boy, who was about Bobbie’s size, spit a wad of tobacco juice on the ground. The brown liquid dribbled down his chin. “After you stamp the Rocking W brand all over them.”
Bobbie forgot about her swollen ankle. She flew over the fence and pulled Calvin off his horse. Before the boy had time to react, Bobbie was sitting on his stomach and had his arms pinned to the ground.
Jesse started to step off his horse.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Alex pointed to Wolf. The dog was snarling and baring his teeth.
Bobbie let Calvin up and dusted off her jeans.
Alex moved to the top rail of the fence. “I’m new at all this cowboy stuff, but if I see either one of you around here again, I’m gonna let Wolf have you for supper. Understand?”
Calvin picked up his hat and glared at Bobbie. “This ain’t the end of it, Walker.”
The two boys mounted, wheeled their horses, and rode off. When they were out of sight Bobbie turned to Alex.
“Let Wolf have them for supper?”
Alex shrugged. “I read it in a book. It worked, didn’t it?”
Bobbie couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, I guess it did.”
CHAPTER 9
“This is crazy. Besides, it’s fixing to rain. We better get the tarp out and make a tent or we’re going to get wet.”
“In a minute.” Alex was balancing on the top rail of Diablo’s pen. Waiting.
“I don’t know how I let you talk me into this. I’m going to get my rope off of him and get ready for the rain.” Bobbie started to climb the fence.
“Get back. Here he comes.”
The bull had been mad about being penned up. But he was even madder now that he had a rope around his neck and two humans were practically in the pen with him. He charged at the fence. Alex saw her chance and jumped, landing squarely on his back just to the rear of his shoulders.
For a split second the bull was so surprised he didn’t move. Then suddenly his temper flared and he went wild. Alex barely caught the rope before Diablo started bucking.
There was nothing else to hang on to. Alex clenched her knees as tight as she could, closed her eyes, and held on.
The bull was infuriated. He pitched up and down, sideways and around. But Alex managed to stay with him.
Bobbie couldn’t believe it. She waved her hat in the air. “Yee-haw. Hook ’em, snotty! Stay with him, Alex. You got the old booger beat.”
Then it ended. In a beautiful arc Alex flew through the air.
Into the water tank—again.
The bull turned and started for her. Alex tore up the fence and fell over the other side.
She was breathing hard when Bobbie got to her and pounded her on the back. “You’re a natural, cousin. Best ride I’ve seen in a while. And that dismount was something else.”
Alex took in air.
Bobbie waited until Alex was breathing normally again and walked her to the camp. “You were great. A lot of first-time riders throw their guts up. Really, one time I saw Toby Matlock throw up for a half hour. It was gross. He musta had spinach for lunch because it was all slimy and green.… ”
Alex held her stomach, gulped, swallowed. “You’re not helping things here.”
Thunder rumbled and Bobbie looked up. The clouds were black. The rain would be here any second. She quickly moved the saddles under a tree and covered the bedrolls with the tarp.
A drop hit Alex on top of the head.
Bobbie motioned for her to get underneath the tarp. “We don’t have time for a tent. We’ll be dry enough under here.”
“Speak for yourself. You’re not the one who just went for a swim in the water tank.”
When the rain came it was as if someone had tipped over a huge bucket of water. The two cousins moved down in their bedrolls with Wolf snuggled in between. They held on to the edges of the tarp so that it wouldn’t blow away.
“Bobbie?”
“What?”
“Next time I start to do something that stupid, I want you to—”
Lightning crashed and Bobbie couldn’t hear the rest of Alex’s request. She grinned to herself and went to sleep.
CHAPTER 10
The rain stopped about midnight and all the clouds were gone by morning. Except for the wet grass and mud, it was as if it had never happened.
Bobbie pushed the tarp back and peeked out. Wolf licked her face. The sky was bright and blue overhea
d. She stood up and stretched.
She stopped. Something wasn’t right, some sound was missing. She turned to the corral.
The cows were gone.
She ran to the pens. The gate was down, trampled in the mud.
Alex came up behind her, still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “I guess the lightning spooked them.”
Bobbie moved inside the first pen. “That’s what they wanted us to think.”
“They? What are you talking about?”
“The Bledsoes. They did this.”
“How can you tell?”
“The cattle might have run through the gate all right, but Diablo didn’t open his own pen and follow them. Look over there.”
Alex turned to look where Bobbie pointed. Diablo’s pen was empty and the gate was standing wide open. “Those morons. Hadn’t we better go after them?”
“On what? They took our horses.”
Alex looked at the grassy hill where Bobbie had staked the horses the night before. They were gone too. All that was left were the girls’ saddles and bedrolls.
Alex rubbed her hands together as she thought. “You know this country better than I do. Where do you think they took them?”
“It doesn’t matter. We can’t go after them on foot.”
“Why not? Your ankle seems better this morning. Besides, we don’t have horses in L.A. and we manage to get around.” She moved to the saddles, untied Bobbie’s saddlebags, which held the food, and slung them over her shoulder. “You in or out, cowgirl?”
Bobbie ran her hand through her hair. She let out a deep breath and then whistled for Wolf. “I thought you told me to stop you when you wanted to do something stupid.”
“They’re your cows, aren’t they?”
Bobbie nodded. “You said the ranch might go under if you don’t get them, didn’t you?”
Bobbie nodded again.
“Then what’s stupid about it? We need to go get them.”
Bobbie untied her rope from the front of her saddle. “How can anybody argue with logic like that?”
