Marlene supervised the use of the reserve, making sure the work remained within the agreed limits.
The operation couldn't save every animal.
Some cattle had already been sold.
Others had to be relocated.
And some ranchers made painful decisions to reduce their remaining herds because the land simply couldn't support the numbers they'd once maintained.
But the cactus reserve gave several families additional options.
It helped provide supplemental forage during a period when conventional supplies were scarce.
It allowed some ranchers more time to arrange transportation, purchase appropriate feed, or protect animals that otherwise faced worsening conditions.
And perhaps most importantly, it forced the neighboring producers to begin considering the future before another emergency made the decisions for them.
Marlene watched the first trailer leave the ranch.
It carried carefully prepared material intended for Wade's remaining herd.
She stood beside the gate with Daniel.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then he looked toward her.
"Six years."
Marlene nodded.
"Six years."
He smiled faintly.
"Remember when they called it worthless?"
She looked toward the green hills.
"Every word."
Daniel shook his head.
"And now they're hauling it home."
Marlene took a slow breath.
Then she looked toward the photograph of her father visible through the office window.
"Yeah."
Her voice trembled.
"Now they're hauling it home."
The first week of emergency feeding nearly exhausted everyone.
Not the cactus.
The people.
Harvesting, preparing, loading, transporting, and distributing appropriate supplemental forage required more labor than Marlene had ever needed at one time. Equipment broke down, workers grew tired, and the fuel bill increased faster than expected. One afternoon, a delivery truck developed a mechanical problem halfway between the Caldwell ranch and Roy Mercer's property, delaying the shipment until Daniel could arrange repairs.
Roy called Marlene.
His voice sounded frightened.
"Do you know when it'll arrive?"
She looked toward the maintenance shed.
"Daniel's working on the problem."
Roy sighed.
"The cattle are waiting."
Marlene took a slow breath.
"I know."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then she said, "Roy, we've got to keep the full feeding and water plan going. The cactus isn't the only thing they need."
He was quiet.
Then he nodded.
"You're right."
She heard the exhaustion in his voice.
For years, Roy had managed his ranch through sheer determination, believing that a capable cattleman should be able to solve every problem with hard work. Now he was being forced to accept that some problems required specialists, cooperation, and difficult decisions.
Marlene understood.
She'd learned the same lesson six years earlier.
"Daniel will call as soon as the truck's ready," she said.
Roy swallowed.
"Thank you."