It was mid-June before Monte got word the new owners were at the Sheath and he drove up there to have a talk with them and rat on the foreman.

And Monte could hardly believe his luck when he did because the man who came to the door was a pup compared to their hired hand who had either quit or got fired. And Monte took one look at him and went from thinking he would have a talk with them to running a bluff.

Monte introduced himself and told him who he worked for. The owner invited him in but Monte said he had only come to tell them he was turning them over to the brand inspector for animal cruelty.

Which was theoretically possible. Brand inspectors did investigate cases of animal cruelty. But it had to be something like letting livestock starve to death or constant abuse like beathing livestock, horses or dogs. And just a horse running with a ball hobble would not qualify.

But Monte was betting a fairly young hobby rancher from New Jersey would not know that. And he could tell just from the shocked and fearful look on the owner’s face he didn’t. The owner said he didn’t know what Monte was talking about but he would never be cruel to any animal.

That’s when Monte said, “The fuck you wouldn’t. You have had a horse with a ball hobble on him running for more than a year. And now he’s crippled from it and needs to be put down.”

That’s when the owner said they no longer had a foreman and he was not sure how to put a horse down or even find him. He was still learning how to ride horseback.

Monte looked down as if in amazement and disgust and then said, “Well I suppose I could shoot him for you. But not without a bill of sale transferring ownership of the horse from you to me. I can’t shoot a horse I can’t prove I own.”

The hobby rancher was greatly relieved to hear that so he wouldn’t get turned in for animal cruelty. He said he would agree to sign the horse over. And they both went inside to have a cup of coffee and seal the deal. Even though Monte had to show him how to fill out a bill of sale.Which by some strange coincidence Monte just happened to have a blank bill of sale in his shirt pocket.

That might have been a dead giveaway of what Monte was really up to for anyone with more experience. But the new owner jumped at the chance.

And then as if almost an afterthought the owner bothered to ask Monte which horse he was giving away. Monte said it was a Palomino. And the hobby rancher said he knew which horse he was talking about. And he was nothing but trouble.

Their foreman said he could take that out of the Palomino and finish breaking him. And that was obviously just one of many lies he told them which is why he was no longer with them.

And then Monte nearly fell out of his chair when the hobby rancher went one more further asking what is a ball hobble anyway?

Monte described the ball and chain hobble leaving out the ball was gone. And the new owner did look concerned saying he and his partners would never use one on a horse and turn him loose on the range.

And it’s a shame he didn’t even know about it until after the horse was crippled. But thanked Monte for doing what he considered a big favor. Monte stuck his new bill of sale back in his pocket, finished his coffee, and they parted on good terms.

With only one minor problem when Monte got back in his truck headed down the creek. He was now the proud owner of his first Palomino. But now what the hell was he going to do with him.

Monte, his wife Mickey and their youngest son Butch lived in a small house they rented in Lysite. And it was mostly just Mickey and Butch because Monte was working on ranches most the time. But they sure didn’t have any place he could keep a horse or even a corral he could borrow that was even close. But at least he could save the Palomino and worry about the other details later.

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