Baxter Black: Ingenuity a cinch for cowboy

Cowboys can be quite creative when hard times cut into the daily operating expenses. Take Roy's cousin BB. One of BB's heifers had come off his badlands and crossed onto Roy's pasture. On that fateful day, BB had driven his pickup and gooseneck trailer to Roy's place to pick him up. Roy wasn't quite ready. His cinch had worn down to two flimsy cords. "Did you happen to bring an extra cinch?" he asked. "No," said BB, "but I can make one out of a gunny sack." He dumped the tire chains out of a greasy tow sack. Roy thought he had been around, but this ingenious thinking was a new wrinkle to him. Roy watched his cousin slip-knot one end through the offside cinch ring, then fold the other end over the tongue and through the ring on the left side ring and stitch it. "This baling wire makes good thread," he explained. Half an hour later they were pushing the heifer back toward BB's piece of the Pine Ridge Rez. "Keep her to the bad land side," instructed Roy. "Don't let her get over on the prairie dog side or we'll lose her!" Of course, the heifer took off in the direction of the prairie dog town. "Rope her!" yelled Roy. BB missed but Roy was right behind and caught her. He was tied hard and fast...AmarilloGlobeNews