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The town of Llano County, Texas, was once peaceful under the vast blue sky. But that summer, a wrath of nature arrived. As the historic floods surged in, residents evacuated, taking with them whatever was most valuable. But not Joe McBride. For him, his most precious possession, the only thing he had left, weighed 2,200 pounds, had massive horns, and was named Duke.

This farm had belonged to his family for generations. But Joe, a widower, didn’t cling to the land for tradition or wealth. He stayed for Duke—a giant Watusi steer, his dear friend who had shared his loneliness since the day he lost his beloved wife.

The roaring water swallowed every inch of land. The road to town had turned into a swirling, raging river. His trailer had been washed away two nights earlier. The warning sirens blared, and the last deputies arrived, urging him: “Mr. Joe! The water’s cresting! You have to leave the steer and get on the rescue boat!”

Joe just shook his head, his gray hair soaked. Leave Duke behind? That was never an option. He looked into Duke’s gentle eyes, and a crazy idea sparked in his mind.

Instead of fleeing, he drove his old Ford into the barn. He grabbed a handsaw and began to cut. The saw’s screeching sound tore through the quiet of the flood, as he sliced off half the car’s roof. He was no mechanic, but his friendship had transformed him into an architect of survival.

When dawn broke, the sight was astonishing. The colossal and majestic steer, Duke, stood neatly inside the Ford. Joe had used makeshift wooden planks as rails, securing Duke safely. The Watusi’s enormous horns reached high, his calm eyes looking ahead as if he had been born to “hitch a ride.”

The neighbors stood in awe as the pair rolled into the safe zone. Joe, in his soaked cowboy hat, steered the dilapidated Ford through waist-deep water, while Duke rode shotgun with an air of dignified composure. The flood had taken his fields, his barn, and almost everything he owned. But it could not take his best friend.

When the car finally stopped, a neighbor ran over, a look of disbelief on his face: “How in the world did you do that, Joe?”

Joe just smiled, rain still dripping from the brim of his hat. He looked at Duke, who was affectionately tilting his head toward him. In a quiet, proud voice, he whispered:

“I did what I had to do. Duke’s all I’ve got.”

The story of Joe and Duke quickly spread. It wasn’t just a story about a man saving his pet. It was a story of unconditional love, of perseverance, and of finding family in the most unexpected places. When everything is collapsing, when all you have is one friend, you’ll do everything to protect them. And sometimes, the most extraordinary acts come from the most ordinary hearts. Joe McBride didn’t just save a steer; he saved a piece of his own soul.