Chasing Calves

Jimmy Kelp scratched his head how could this have happened? Every one of the gates to the calf pens had been opened only two calves remained in their pen and he shut the gate firmly. The only thing he could think of was that maybe Tee had somehow left them open but that seemed highly unlikely. He called up his two wranglers Ian and Jock and sent them out to find the calves.

Spotting Tee on his way down to the kennel to see his pup he called him, “Tee…wait up a minute.”

“Yes Sir Jimmy?” Tee stopped in his tracks.

“Tee you haven’t been down around the calf pens leavin’ gates open have ya?”

“No sir I haven’t been down there at all only to the barn to see Nugget.”

“All right thanks Tee.”

Jimmy believed him Tee wasn’t one to get up to mischief. Ian and Jock he wouldn’t for a minute suspect because they would know they’d have to round them up. The only other two people on the property right now was Bill and Sarah and Sarah probably didn’t even know they had a calf shed. He walked back to the pens again and looked around, nothing else caught his eye.

Bill McGee walked down to the cow shed a little while later and spotted Jock bringing in a couple of calves.

“Mornin’ Bill,” said Jimmy, “hear anything suspicious last night?”

“Not a thing…dogs barking but they bark at anything…figured it was a roo.”

“Wasn’t no roo Bill that opened all the calf pens and let ‘em out. Somebody’s been up to some mischief. I already spoke to Tee…though I knew it wasn’t him I just had to ask.”

“No it wouldn’t be Tee…no idea Jimmy…guess we better keep an eye out. Travis said something about some security gates down at the road I don’t know if he’s contracted it out yet. I’ll give him a call.”

Jimmy nodded as Bill walked back to the house. Gates are fine if you want to keep traffic out but somebody set on mischief ain’t gonna drive up the road he figured and there was no way other than a fence to secure three hundred and sixty hectares of land. Travis, he knew, didn’t want to fence it all in relying on fenced pastures instead. He thought he might turn a few of the dogs out tonight and see what happens.