We rode out after that, thru the pasture, and past the cattle that were left there. These were the cattle that weren't being

sold. The ones left here, in this pasture, were the bred cows, or the ones yet to be bred, since the borrowed bull reigned

supreme over his harem here.

"Out here is where you were?" Brian demanded of me. "In the dark?"

I could tell he was getting wound up to scold me about something.

Before I could respond, he went on, "What about the bull? Did you give him a thought?"

I hadn't. When I'd heard the burro braying, that's where my thoughts had been. But, admitting that I'd

forgotten about the bull, and the possibility that he might have taken out after me, wouldn't win me any points with either one of them.

"Did you?" he persisted.

"Not really," I admitted.

"You just heard somethin', in the middle of the night, and decided to go investigating, huh?" Brian went on.

I gave Adam a side glance, hoping that he would speak up, and save me from Brian's wrath. He could, I thought,

at least tell Brian that he'd already lectured me.

But Adam was silent, only listening, as we rode along.

I gave a heavy sigh.

Brian was on that, immediately. "What's that for?" he demanded. "That big ole sigh? Like you're bein'

oppressed, or somethin'."

"It was dumb, coming out here at night," I said, hoping to mollify him.

"Dumb? Well, that's a mild term for it," Brian acknowledged.

I would have sighed again, but I restrained myself.

"Have you forgotten about the four-wheelers out here?" Brian went on, relentlessly.

I could never forget that horrible night, and how scary it had been, hearing Warrior's distress and not

being able to do anything to help.

"No, I could never forget that!"

"So what in the he-double hockey sticks were you thinkin' then?"

"You don't have to keep hollering at me," I protested. I knew I shouldn't say anything even remotely mouthy, but

I just couldn't help it.

"Oh, I don't, huh?" Brian said, raising an eyebrow in warning.

"I just meant," I tried to explain, "that I know it was dumb. Stupid, even. And dangerous. I just wasn't

thinking."

Brian gave a sort of a 'humph' sound. "It seems to me, then, that you need some more 'hollering',

as you put it. Not less."

"I don't, Bri," I said. This conversation, this ride, this entire morning, were all going downhill at a fast clip.

"What do you think, Adam?" Brian asked, leaning forward in the saddle, and looking across me at Adam. "Think she's had

enough scolding?"

I looked at Adam, hoping he would say the whole thing should be put to rest. But did he say that?

No. Of course not. He instead did his tag-team parenting thing that he and Brian do together.

"I'd say we have some more talking to do about it, no doubt," Adam said.

I nearly felt like bursting with frustration. It was like I was a sandwich. In the middle of them, with both

of them having a go at me.

"I'll think things thru better," I said. "I promise."

They both looked at me, but didn't respond to that, in particular.

"How much further?" Brian asked instead.

"Just a bit," I said, looking around. I pointed to the right. "That's where they were that one morning."

I pulled Charlie to a halt, looking around. "Maybe about right here," I said. "With it being dark, it's hard

to say exactly."

We rode on, and then, just like that, there was the burro. The male. Munching on the grass, as if he

had not a care in the world. About twenty feet away.

"There he is," Brian said. We all came to a halt, watching him.

"Isn't he pretty?" I asked. And I really meant it. The burro was a mixture of gray, and brown, with a bit of

white around his neck.

"Oh, he's lovely," Brian said, sounding amused, and a trifle sarcastic.

"I wonder where the Jenny is," I said, speaking of the female burro that I'd seen the first couple of times.

"She probably high-tailed it back to the herd," Adam said.

"What's left of the herd," I reminded him, thinking that most of the Mustang herd had been rounded up by

the poachers.

Adam looked regretful. "Right," he agreed.

"It seems as though he's made himself real comfortable here," Brian said, eyeing the burro, who had raised his head

to survey our threesome.

"He's really nice," I felt obliged to toss in.

They both gave me matching looks at that comment. Looks that conveyed the message that I was flighty. Goofy. Full of nonsense.

"I'll take this side of the fence to check," Adam told Brian, gesturing to the south fence.

"I'll take the other," Brian said, and rode the opposite way.

I was about to ask Adam which way he wanted me to go, but he said, over his shoulder, "Come on with me."

So I rode along behind him, and we checked the south fence. I was hoping fiercely that we wouldn't find

a hole in the fence anywhere. Because if we did, it would be likely there due to the burro causing it. And then,

that was going to make them even more irritated, and believing that the burro was trouble.

When we didn't find anything, I said, "Good. He didn't do any damage."

"Well, he got here somehow," Adam said.

When we turned back to meet up with Brian, I noticed for the first time that the burro had followed

along behind us. When I pulled Charlie to a stop, the burro stopped, too.

"Look, Adam," I said, not able to help my excitement. I rode a bit forward, and the burro followed. When I stopped

again, then he stopped, watching me.

"Isn't that cool?" I asked.

"Harlie," he said. That was all. But I heard warning in it. Warning me off of what, I wasn't for sure. I decided not

to press Adam at that point.

As Brian came riding towards us, we both pulled our horses to a halt.

"See anything?" Adam asked.

"None down that I can find," Brian said, and I silently said, 'Yea!' in my head.

Brian's gaze settled on the burro, who was paused, about thirty feet from where we sat.

"What's up with him?" he asked.

"He's following us," I said.

"Following the horses, most likely," Brian said.

I didn't think so. I was definite that the burro was following ME, because he recognized me. But, I didn't

say so.

"Since he's wanting to follow and all, we ought to go on and take him back," Brian said.

"Take him back where?" I asked, looking at Brian and feeling an inkling of alarm.

"To the reserve. Where he came from."

"Why?" I asked.

"What do you mean, why?" Brian asked, as if I was making no sense. "Because that's where he

belongs."

"But, the poachers have taken most of the herd by now! He won't have anybody!" I pointed out.

"Anybody?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow at my choice of words.

"Well, anything," I clarified. "He won't have any other burros to be with, or horses!"

"He'll be fine," Brian said.

"He's not hurting anything, though, is he?" I said. "Why can't he just sort of hang around here?"

Adam and Brian exchanged a glance between them. One of those glances that speak without words.

"He's not a domesticated animal, Harlie," Brian pointed out.

"I know."

"He belongs with other wild horses. Other burros," Brian continued.

"But there's none left!" I said.

"There's some yet," Adam said. "They haven't all been captured."

"But-" I began my next protest.

"He's better off in the wild, peach," Brian said.

There was no talking to either one of them! They were both against me. And against the burro.

I tightened my lips together, and determined that I wasn't going to say anything more. I would just have to

hope that if the burro did hang around close to our place, that I could continue getting acquainted with him.

As we rode back towards the house and barn, I was secretly elated that the burro followed along behind

us. Both Brian and Adam used this time, though, to continue telling me about why wild burros didn't belong

on a cattle ranch.

"They compete with livestock for resources," Adam was saying.

"He's just one little burro," I felt inclined to point out. "How much grass could he take from our cows?"

I thought I was being totally logical, but Adam shook his head. "I don't mean just him specifically. I'm talking

in general here."

"But, if he's the only one around-" I began again.

"They spread disease, Harlie," Brian interrupted.

Now that, I did not have an answer for. "They do?" I asked.

"They can," he said.

"What sort of disease?" I asked.

"Salomonella. Rhinovirus."

Well, that gave me pause. Brian did have a point with that particular argument. I decided my best defense was

to be still.

Once back at the pasture, with the cattle, and the other horses, we dismounted, and began unsaddling our

horses. Brian slung his saddle over the corral fence, and began taking off Duke's bridle.

"He's a persistent little cuss, isn't he?" Brian said, eyeing the burro, who was standing there, just watching us.

Once Adam and I were done taking the saddles off of Dandy and Charlie, they cantered off to join Duke, and the

other horses.

They both slung their saddles over their shoulders, while I carried mine, pressed against my middle. Brian was unhooking the

gate so we could walk thru, and there, nearly on our heels, was the little burro.

"What the heck?" Brian exclaimed, in surprise.

"I thought he'd go back out with the horses," Adam said, and made a shooing gesture at the burro with the hand that

wasn't holding his saddle.

The burro skittered back, but just a bit. Then he regarded the three of us with his huge eyes, and took a couple of

steps closer again.

"He acts as though he's goin' thru the gate with us," Brian said.

"Could be he's recognizing Harlie," Adam said.

I had no doubt about that, but I didn't volunteer that information.

"Get back," Brian told the burro, and the three of us went thru the gate, while Brian closed it again, practically

on the burro's nose.

"Good gravy, Gertie," Brian muttered in irritation.

The burro stuck his nose in one of the spaces in the gate. And then he brayed.

"What the-" Adam began.

"Never seen anything like that," Brian said. "Wild critter like that, gettin' so close to people."

"I've never seen anything like it, either," Adam said.

"He acts like he's wanting somethin'," Brian went on puzzling.

I knew without a doubt what the burro was wanting. He was waiting for me to give him an apple.

I decided it was time to make an exit. I toted my saddle on over to the tack shed,

setting it on the saddle stand, and hanging up my bridle. When I came back

out of the shed, Adam and Brian were still standing at the gate, while the burro stuck his braying mouth in

between the fence panels again.

"Harlie, comere," Adam called to me.

I came back over slowly, and as soon as I was nearby, the burro switched his position, withdrawing his

nose from the fence, and walking a few steps closer to where I was. Then he promptly stuck his head

thru again, close enough to breathe on my hand.

"Have you been feeding this burro?" Adam demanded.

"Just a few apples," I said.

"Harlie Marie," Adam said, sounding exasperated.

"Now, he's gonna expect that from you," Brian said. "All the time."

They both obviously thought this was some sort of great catastrophe. I didn't see what a big deal it was, but

they both looked vastly irritated, so I held my tongue.

"He is a wild animal," Adam said, accentuating his words. "You didn't do him any favors by feeding him like that."

The burro began to bray again, louder, and longer. Adam started to say something else, but

couldn't be heard over the braying. He shook his head, looking irritated, and walked on to the tack shed with his

saddle.

The noise was loud enough to reach the ears of others. Evan came from the direction of the barn, followed

by Ford.

"Hey, it's the burro," Ford exclaimed.

More braying. "Good grief, what a racket," Evan said.

Adam came back over, and the five of us stood there, just watching.

"For a little fella, he sure is loud," Ford said, raising his voice so as to be heard.

"I can't hear myself think," Adam said, and headed towards the barn. Brian shook his head, and took his

saddle to the tack shed.

I was letting the burro sniff at my hand when Adam hollered to me again. I turned to look, and he was motioning to me to come over

to where he stood. I went, and once in front of him, he said, "No more apples. No more anything. Don't feed him any

more. Understood?"

I nodded, and said, "Understood."

As the burro brayed yet again, Adam shook his head, and turned to go into the barn.

7