More Madame Motley

 More Madame Motley

                                                                                By

                                                                        Mike Capron

We sure got busy with the geologist, wind towers and the boss hired another man to live and work at the Chico HQ. Everything was going very smooth. It was a big help to have Bill at the Chico.  There was a lot of water pumping and maintenance at the Chico not to mention the cattle that needed gathering and straightened out. We had just about cleaned the remaining cattle except Madame Motley.  Some how she had remained out of sight. We were always looking for her, but she was not to be seen except from a great distance.  I kept ridin’ and following the herd.  I would jump them at least once a day, sometimes twice. I would stay as close as possible without disturbing them too much, but they didn’t like for me to interrupt their routine. I didn’t ever see them in the corral with the feed, but I could tell when they had been there and I would haul another sack to them. I am not sure how many days that I had been following them, but I am sure it would have been faster for me to have roped each one of them and halter broke them one by one, but I was on a roll and having fun learning the country and some new things about cattle. This routine had proven successful with other cattle, but this bunch was much thicker hided. I lost them for a couple days and thought they may have gone to the neighbors to the south, which I had never checked there. But I decided to check it out .No permanent waters, just a few dirt tanks. I knew the neighbors well and knew they didn’t mind me going across their land as long as I didn’t molest the deer. I took off not knowing the country very well, but was interested to see what was what. I was a couple miles into the neighbors when I started to hit fresh cow sign.  I wasn’t sure whose cows but it was cows. The further I went the more cow sign I saw and the fresher it was.  I followed the trails until I could see a big dam on a dirt tank. Cattle were laying on the tank dam and on the hill adjacent to the tank. It was impossible for me to stay out of sight, so I just rode up high angling away from the cattle. I kept riding high until I got on the highest point around and was partially out of sight from most of the cattle. I could see the ones laying on the tank dam and they could see me.  I just stopped and watched for a minute.  They were nervous but not sure of my intentions and they didn’t leave. I rode around a little further so I could see more cattle. I hadn’t recognized any of these cattle so far and was too far to read brands if there were any—lots of full ears. 

I kept moving slowly around trying to count and see all the cattle.  The dogs were thinking that any minute I would sic’em.  Sure looked like a jack pot, probably 50 head of cattle all total. I couldn’t figure out where they all came from as I knew these people didn’t own any cattle, but all the rest of the neighbors around did. I still kept riding slowly around the tank up high looking hard but trying to not spook anything. Everything was on guard but not leaving yet. I was about to forget my little wild bunch when, bam, there they were all in a wad hunkered together in a bunch under a couple of hackberry trees.  I stopped and stood up in my stirrups, waved to them and ask them how they were doing. I don’t think they heard me, but they left there like they were shot with a sling shot. I watched them leave and the other cattle picked a direction and left also. I stayed behind my old friends to see where they were going. They had freshened up from their last chase and were full steam ahead now. I just let them go, It wasn't too hard to track them and I wanted to let them think that running wasn’t going to do them any good because I was going to follow them wherever, and I did. I stayed with them until dark and then went to camp.  I picked up their sign in the same place the next morn and followed some more. They were back on the ranch, but in a different section from some of their old stomping grounds. They were like the stories I had read about grizzly bears in Montague Stevens book, Meet Mr. Grizzly. They had trails that they loved and regularly used as their get aways. We would circle the whole country on top. There was an old set of corrals with water just outside that they loved to go by.  I knew they weren’t ready to be penned there yet, but I got to thinkin’ that they might enjoy a snack when they passed through. It wasn’t easy but I got to packin’ some feed to them and leaving a sack scattered on the ground. It worked.  They cleaned every cube up when they passed by. I got all the old gates set so they could come in one side and go out the other side. I wasn’t sure if the old pens would hold them or if I could load them when I got them in there. The road in and out was certainly most marginal and I would have to do some work on it also. But that was possible. 

I was not sure what the next step was going to be, but it all looked good to me. I don’t think the cattle were really learning much. The old black cow was still strong and running the show. They followed  her without fail and paid me no mind.  I was making plans to catch Madame Illusive the next time I jumped the bunch. They seem less stressed about the routine even though that was the daily deal.  I was in the neighborhood of the corrals with the feed and hadn’t been by to check it in a couple days, so I thought I would swing by on my way to where I had seen their last tracks the day before.  I was cutting across a brushy ridge above the corrals not looking for the cattle. I was in plain view of the corrals and that’s where the cattle were before I saw them.  That was the last place I was looking for cattle. I couldn’t believe it.  I nearly pulled my curb strap in to. I stopped and took a second look. Sure enough it was the Madame’s bunch, but I couldn’t see the Madame. I looked all around for her but no Madame.  The cattle were busy cleaning up the cubes on the ground and not paying too much attention to me. I eased up shutting one gate never hoping to get the other one shut. I backed up plumb out of sight and rode way around to shut the back side gate— Piece of Cake, Duck Soup,  Walk in the Park, No Problemo, Anybody Could Have Done It. Cattle penned— thirteen head but no Madame. She was not to be seen. Great. I can handle her by herself later. I rode around the outside of the corrals looking at the cattle and they looked like any other cattle, but this was the first time that I had to slowly look them over. They were all in good shape and very healthy, none the worse for wear. Now to get them to a place where I could work them.  These corrals were not enough. I went to work/  Two days of corral work and patching the road in a place or two.  Loaded all of them like they were milk cows but no sign of the Madame—never saw her again—have no idea—you tell me !!!!!!!!!!!