OPINION? EVERYBODY HAS ONE Look out for thy neighbor's cattle

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

It was a dark and stormy night ... well, day, and the cows were out again. Nine days out of the last 10 the cows stashed in the pasture with growing rocks managed to escape their cage and hit the ditch for greener grass. About a mile from town, these poor bovine lived for spite because that is about all they had.

I do not know what breed they are, and it doesn’t matter because the only reason they are still drawing air is their determination to not starve to death! They eat every bug that hits the water tank for protein, catch flies like frogs, but only after dark so folks won’t be seeing the talent and raising them strictly for that!

The fellers and I around the round table at the coffee emporium talked about turning the situation over to the authorities, but the herd seems to be gaining weight every day! Jess suggested we throw up an electric fence along the highway to allow them free grazing for half a mile. We all laughed, butactually it hurts to see any animal mistreated like these are.

Who the owner is and how to find him are dilemmas we are unable at the moment to say. My friend Jim, with the one-eyed dog lying by his legs, was pretty riled about the situation. He kept on scraping the dirt with the toe of his boot, scowling and grunting, then stomped the ground and whirled around and loaded the dog.

You know Jim is the best kind of friend in the world. He is loyal to a fault, dedicated to being trustworthy and truthful and cannot stand to see anyone needing.It doesn’t seem to matter to Jim what is needed, he just flies in to provide. I guess you might call him a one man rescue squad.

I went home from town by way of the rented pasture to check on the heifers we moved over to see they were still there. I drove home on the dirt road and piddled around at the shop checking the oil in the lawn mower and sweeping some. By the timeI got in the house, my close relative was on the phone and her face was sorta red.

The grapevine was on fire! Jim and the sheriff, three deputies and a bull wagon from the sale barn were at the site of the starving cattle’s gate! Seems Jim was talking to the sheriff, waving his arms and pointing. The deputies were assisting the driver to back up to the old wooden chute and blue lights and sirens were still coming down the highway. Two state patrolmen showed up and blocked traffic. Hot time for this little burg!

It is my opinion, and everyone has one, admiration is due a feller who sees a wrong and does something about it! Why did I just talk about the situation and get in the truck and drive on when I knew my Pappy would have cut the wire or called the law? It was a cowardly thing, trying to stay out of that feller’s business. I might have even offered to buy his stock or something! But, instead, I just drove away and not just once, but for a couple of weeks as the circumstances grew worse.

I hope the law deals with this problem harshly. And if you walk away from a deal like I did, shame on you!

Bill is a pen name used by Gravette author of this weekly column.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 04/20/2011