Flood　and　I　had　a　number　of　errands　to　look　after　for　the　boys　on　the　ranch　and　ourselves；　and；　like　countrymen；　reached　the　depot　fully　an　hour　before　the　train　was　due。　Not　possessed　of　enough　gumption　to　inquire　if　the　westbound　was　on　time；　we　loitered　around　until　some　other　passengers　informed　us　that　it　was　late。　Just　as　we　were　on　the　point　of　starting　back　to　town；　Lovell　drove　up　in　a　hack；　and　the　three　of　us　paced　the　platform　until　the　arrival　of　the　belated　train。
  〃Well；　boys；　everything　looks　serene；〃　said　our　employer；　when　we　had　walked　to　the　farther　end　of　the　depot。　〃I　can　get　all　the　money　I　need；　even　if　we　shipped　part　way；　which　I　don't　intend　to　do。　The　banks　admit　that　cattle　are　a　slow　sale　and　a　shade　lower　this　spring；　and　are　not　as　free　with　their　money　as　a　year　or　two　ago。　My　bankers　detained　me　over　an　hour　until　they　could　send　for　a　customer　who　claimed　to　have　a　very　fine　lot　of　beeves　for　sale　in　Lasalle　County。　That　he　is　anxious　to　sell　there　is　no　doubt；　for　he　offered　them　to　me　on　my　own　time；　and　agrees　to　meet　any　one's　prices。　I　half　promised　to　come　back　next　week　and　go　down　with　him　to　Lasalle　and　look　his　cattle　over。　If　they　show　up　right；　there　will　be　no　trouble　in　buying　them；　which　will　complete　our　purchases。　It　is　my　intention；　Jim；　to　give　you　the　herd　to　fill　our　earliest　delivery。　Our　next　two　occur　so　near　together　that　you　will　have　to　represent　me　at　one　of　them。　The　Buford　cattle；　being　the　last　by　a　few　weeks；　we　will　both　go　up　there　and　see　it　over　with。　There　are　about　half　a　dozen　trail　foremen　anxious　for　the　two　other　herds；　and　while　they　are　good　men；　I　don't　know　of　any　good　reason　for　not　pushing　my　own　boys　forward。　I　have　already　decided　to　give　Dave　Sponsilier　and　Quince　Forrest　two　of　the　Buford　herds；　and　I　reckon；　Tom；　the　last　one　will　fall　to　you。
  The　darkness　in　which　we　were　standing　shielded　my　egotism　from　public　view。　But　I　am　conscious　that　I　threw　out　my　brisket　several　inches　and　stood　straight　on　my　bow…legs　as　I　thanked　old　man　Don　for　the　foremanship　of　his　sixth　herd。　Flood　was　amused；　and　told　me　afterward　that　my　language　was　extravagant。　There　is　an　old　superstition　that　if　a　man　ever　drinks　out　of　the　Rio　Grande；　it　matters　not　where　he　roams　afterward；　he　is　certain　to　come　back　to　her　banks　again。　I　had　watered　my　horse　in　the　Yellowstone　in　'82；　and　ever　afterward　felt　an　itching　to　see　her　again。　And　here　the　opportunity　opened　before　me；　not　as　a　common　cow…hand；　but　as　a　trail　boss　and　one　of　three　in　filling　a　five　million　pound　government　beef　contract！　But　it　was　dark　and　I　was　afoot；　and　if　I　was　a　trifle　〃chesty；〃　there　had　suddenly　come　new　colorings　to　my　narrow　world。
  On　the　arrival　of　the　train；　several　other　westward…bound　cowmen　boarded　it。　We　all　took　seats　in　the　smoker；　it　being　but　a　two　hours'　run　to　our　destination。　Flood　and　I　were　sitting　well　forward　in　the　car；　the　former　almost　as　elated　over　my　good　fortune　as　myself。　〃Well；　won't　old　Quince　be　all　puffed　up；〃　said　Jim　to　me；　〃when　the　old　man　tells　him　he's　to　have　a　herd。　Now；　I've　never　said　a　word　in　favor　of　either　one　of　you。　Of　course；　when　Mr。　Lovell　asked　me　if　I　knew　certain　trail　foremen　who　were　liable　to　be　idle　this　year；　I　intimated　that　he　had　plenty　of　material　in　his　employ　to　make　a　few　of　his　own。　The　old　man　may　be　a　trifle　slow　on　reaching　a　decision；　but　once　he　makes　up　his　mind；　he's　there　till　the　cows　come　home。　Now；　all　you　and　Quince　need　to　do　is　to　make　good；　for　you　couldn't　ask　for　a　better　man　behind　you。　In　making　up　your　outfit；　you　want　to　know　every　man　you　hire；　and　give　a　preference　to　gray　hairs；　for　they're　not　so　liable　to　admire　their　shadow　in　sunny　or　get　homesick　in　falling　weather。　Tom；　where　you　made　a　ten…strike　with　the　old　man　was　in　accepting　that　horse　herd　at　Dodge　last　fall。　Had　you　made　a　whine　or　whimper　then；　the　chances　are　you　wouldn't　be　bossing　a　herd　this　year。　Lovell　is　a　cowman　who　likes　to　see　a　fellow　take　his　medicine　with　a　smile。〃
  CHAPTER　II。　ORGANIZING　THE　FORCES
  Don　Lovell　and　Jim　Flood　returned　from　Lasalle　County　on　the　last　day　of　February。　They　had　spent　a　week　along　the　Upper　Nueces；　and　before　returning　to　the　ranch　closed　a　trade　on　thirty…four　hundred　five　and　six　year　old　beeves。　According　to　their　report；　the　cattle　along　the　river　had　wintered　in　fine　condition；　and　the　grass　had　already　started　in　the　valley。　This　last　purchase　concluded　the　buying　for　trail　purposes；　and　all　absent　foremen　were　notified　to　be　on　hand　at　the　ranch　on　March　10；　for　the　beginning　of　active　operations。　Only　some　ten　of　us　had　wintered　at　headquarters　in　Medina　County；　and　as　about　ninety　men　would　be　required　for　the　season's　work；　they　would　have　to　be　secured　elsewhere。　All　the　old　foremen　expected　to　use　the　greater　portion　of　the　men　who　were　in　their　employ　the　year　before；　and　could　summon　them　on　a　few　days'　notice。　But　Forrest　and　myself　were　compelled　to　hire　entirely　new　outfits；　and　it　was　high　time　we　were　looking　up　our　help。
  One　of　Flood's　regular　outfit　had　married　during　the　winter；　and　with　Forrest's　and　my　promotion；　he　had　only　to　secure　three　new　men。　He　had　dozens　of　applications　from　good　cow…hands；　and　after　selecting　for　himself　offered　the　others　to　Quince　and　me。　But　my　brother　Bob　arrived　at　the　ranch；　from　our　home　in　Karnes　County；　two　days　later；　having　also　a　surplus　of　men　at　his　command。　Although　he　did　not　show　any　enthusiasm　over　my　promotion；　he　offered　to　help　me　get　up　a　good　outfit　of　boys。　I　had　about　half　a　dozen　good　fellows　in　view；　and　on　Bob's　approval　of　them；　he　selected　from　his　overplus　six　more　as　first　choice　and　four　as　second。　It　would　take　me　a　week　of　constant　riding　to　see　all　these　men；　and　as　Flood　and　Forrest　had　made　up　an　outfit　for　the　latter　from　the　former's　available　list；　Quince　and　I　saddled　up　and　rode　away　to　hire　outfits。　Forrest　was　well　acquainted　in　Wilson；　where　Lovell　had　put　up　several　trail　herds；　and　as　it　joined　my　home　county；　we　bore　each　other　company　the　first　day。
  A　long　ride　brought　us　to　the　Atascosa；　where　we　stayed　all　night。　The　next　morning　we　separated；　Quince　bearing　due　east　for　Floresville；　while　I　continued　southeast　towards　my　home　near　Cibollo　Ford　on　the　San　Antonio　River。　It　had　been　over　a　year　since　I　had　seen　the　family；　and　on　reaching　the　ranch；　my　father　gruffly　noticed　me；　but　my　mother　and　sisters　received　me　with　open　arms。　I　was　a　mature　man　of　twenty…eight　at　the　time；　mustached；　and　stood　six　feet　to　a　plumb…line。　The　family　were　cognizant　of　my　checkered　past；　and　although　never　mentioning　it；　it　seemed　as　if　my　misfortunes　had　elevated　me　in　the　estimation　of　my　sisters；　while　to　my　mother　I　had　become　doubly　dear。
  During　the　time　spent　in　that　vicinity；　I　managed　to　reach　home　at　night　as　often　as　possible。　Constantly　using　fresh　horses；　I　covered　a　wide　circle　of　country；　making　one　ride　down　the　river　into　Goliad　County　of　over　fifty　miles；　returning　the　next　day。　Within　a　week　I　had　made　up　my　outfit；　including　the　horse…wrangler　and　cook。　Some　of　the　men　were　ten　years　my　senior；　while　only　a　few　were　younger；　but　I　knew　that　these　latter　had　made　the　trip　before　and　were　as　reliable　as　their　elders。　The　wages　promised　that　year　were　fifty　dollars　a　month；　the　men　to　furnish　only　their　own　saddles　and　blankets；　and　at　that　figure　I　picked　two　pastoral　counties；　every　man　bred　to　the　occupation。　The　trip　promised　six　months'　work　with　return　passage；　and　I　urged　every　one　employed　to　make　his　appearance　at　headquarters；　in　Medina；　on　or　before　the　15th　of　the　month。　There　was　no　railroad　communication　through　Karnes　and　Goliad　counties　at　that　time；　and　all　the　boys　were　assured　that　their　private　horses　would　have　good　pasturage　at　the　home　ranch　while　they　were　away；　and　I　advised　them　all　to　come　on　horseback。　By　this　method　they　would　have　a　fresh　horse　awaiting　them　on　their　return　from　the　North　with　which　to　continue　their　homeward　journey。　All　the　men　engaged　were　unmarried；　and　taken　as　a　whole；　I　flattered　myself　on　having　secured　a　crack　outfit。
  I　was　in　a　hurry　to　get　back　to　the　ranch。　There　had　been　nothing　said　about　the　remudas　before　leaving；　and　while　we　had　an　abundance　of　horses；　no　one　knew　them　better　than　I　did。　For　that　reason　I　wanted　to　be　present　when　their　allotment　was　made；　for　I　knew　that　every　foreman　would　try　to　get　the　best　mounts；　and　I　did　not　propose　to　stand　behind　the　door　and　take　the　culls。　Many　of　the　horses　had　not　had　a　saddle　on　them　in　eight　months；　while　all　of　them　had　run　idle　during　the　winter　in　a　large　mesquite　pasture　and　were　in　fine　condition　with　the　opening　of　spring。　So　bidding　my　folks　farewell；　I　saddled　at　noon　and　took　a　cross…country　course　for　the　ranch；　covering　the　hundred　and　odd　miles　in　a　day　and　a　half。　Reaching　headquarters　late　at　night；　I　found　that　active　preparations　had　been　going　on　during　my　absence。　There　were　new　wagons　to　rig；　harness　to　oil；　and　a　carpenter　was　then　at　work　building　chuck…boxes　for　each　of　the　six　commissaries。　A　wholesale　house　in　the　city　had　shipped　out　a　stock　of　staple　supplies；　almost　large　enough　to　start　a　store。　There　were　whole　coils　of　new　rop