r　saw　her　again；　but　wherever　she　is　to…night；　if　my　prayer　counts；　may　God　bless　her！〃
  Early　in　the　evening　I　had　warned　my　boys　that　we　would　start　on　our　return　at　ten　o'clock。　The　hour　was　nearly　at　hand；　and　in　reply　to　my　inquiry　if　our　portion　of　the　beef　had　been　secured；　Jack　Splann　said　that　he　had　cut　off　half　a　loin；　a　side　of　ribs；　and　enough　steak　for　breakfast。　Splann　and　I　tied　the　beef　to　our　cantle…strings；　and　when　we　returned　to　the　group；　Sponsilier　was　telling　of　the　stampede　of　his　herd　in　the　Panhandle　about　a　month　before。　〃But　that　run　wasn't　a　circumstance　to　one　in　which　I　figured　once；　and　in　broad　daylight；〃　concluded　Dave。　It　required　no　encouragement　to　get　the　story；　all　we　had　to　do　was　to　give　him　time　to　collect　his　thoughts。
  〃Yes；　it　was　in　the　summer　of　'73；〃　he　finally　continued。　〃It　was　my　first　trip　over　the　trail；　and　I　naturally　fell　into　position　at　the　drag　end　of　the　herd。　I　was　a　green　boy　of　about　eighteen　at　the　time；　having　never　before　been　fifty　miles　from　the　ranch　where　I　was　born。　The　herd　belonged　to　Major　Hood；　and　our　destination　was　Ellsworth；　Kansas。　In　those　days　they　generally　worked　oxen　to　the　chuck…wagons；　as　they　were　ready　sale　in　the　upper　country；　and　in　good　demand　for　breaking　prairie。　I　reckon　there　must　have　been　a　dozen　yoke　of　work…steers　in　our　herd　that　year；　and　they　were　more　trouble　to　me　than　all　the　balance　of　the　cattle；　for　they　were　slothful　and　sinfully　lazy。　My　vocabulary　of　profanity　was　worn　to　a　frazzle　before　we　were　out　a　week；　and　those　oxen　didn't　pay　any　more　attention　to　a　rope　or　myself　than　to　the　buzzing　of　a　gnat。
  〃There　was　one　big　roan　ox；　called　Turk；　which　we　worked　to　the　wagon　occasionally；　but　in　crossing　the　Arbuckle　Mountains　in　the　Indian　Territory；　he　got　tender…footed。　Another　yoke　was　substituted；　and　in　a　few　days　Turk　was　on　his　feet　again。　But　he　was　a　cunning　rascal　and　had　learned　to　soldier；　and　while　his　feet　were　sore；　I　favored　him　with　sandy　trails　and　gave　him　his　own　time。　In　fact；　most　of　my　duties　were　driving　that　one　ox；　while　the　other　boys　handled　the　herd。　When　his　feet　got　wellI　had　toadied　and　babied　him　sohe　was　plum　ruined。　I　begged　the　foreman　to　put　him　back　in　the　chuck　team；　but　the　cook　kicked　on　account　of　his　well…known　laziness；　so　Turk　and　I　continued　to　adorn　the　rear　of　the　column。　I　reckon　the　foreman　thought　it　better　to　have　Turk　and　me　late　than　no　dinner。　I　tried　a　hundred　different　schemes　to　instill　ambition　and　self…respect　into　that　ox；　but　he　was　an　old　dog　and　contented　with　his　evil　ways。
  〃Several　weeks　passed；　and　Turk　and　I　became　a　standing　joke　with　the　outfit。　One　morning　I　made　the　discovery　that　he　was　afraid　of　a　slicker。　For　just　about　a　full　half　day；　I　had　the　best　of　him；　and　several　times　he　was　out　of　sight　in　the　main　body　of　the　herd。　But　he　always　dropped　to　the　rear；　and　finally　the　slicker　lost　its　charm　to　move　him。　In　fact　he　rather　enjoyed　having　me　fan　him　with　itit　seemed　to　cool　him。　It　was　the　middle　of　the　afternoon；　and　Turk　had　dropped　about　a　quarter…mile　to　the　rear；　while　I　was　riding　along　beside　and　throwing　the　slicker　over　him　like　a　blanket。　I　was　letting　him　carry　it；　and　he　seemed　to　be　enjoying　himself；　switching　his　tail　in　appreciation；　when　the　matted　brush　of　his　tail　noosed　itself　over　one　of　the　riveted　buttons　on　the　slicker。　The　next　switch　brought　the　yellow　'fish　'　bumping　on　his　heels；　and　emitting　a　blood…curdling　bellow；　he　curved　his　tail　and　started　for　the　herd。　Just　for　a　minute　it　tickled　me　to　see　old　Turk　getting　such　a　wiggle　on　him；　but　the　next　moment　my　mirth　turned　to　seriousness；　and　I　tried　to　cut　him　off　from　the　other　cattle；　but　he　beat　me；　bellowing　bloody　murder。　The　slicker　was　sailing　like　a　kite；　and　the　rear　cattle　took　fright　and　began　bawling　as　if　they　had　struck　a　fresh　scent　of　blood。　The　scare　flashed　through　the　herd　from　rear　to　point；　and　hell　began　popping　right　then　and　there。　The　air　filled　with　dust　and　the　earth　trembled　with　the　running　cattle。　Not　knowing　which　way　to　turn；　I　stayed　right　where　I　wasin　the　rear。　As　the　dust　lifted；　I　followed　up；　and　about　a　mile　ahead　picked　up　my　slicker；　and　shortly　afterward　found　old　Turk；　grazing　contentedly。　With　every　man　in　the　saddle；　that　herd　ran　seven　miles　and　was　only　turned　by　the　Cimarron　River。　It　was　nearly　dark　when　I　and　the　roan　ox　overtook　the　cattle。　Fortunately　none　of　the　swing…men　had　seen　the　cause　of　the　stampede；　and　I　attributed　it　to　fresh　blood；　which　the　outfit　believed。　My　verdant　innocence　saved　my　scalp　that　time；　but　years　afterward　I　nearly　lost　it　when　I　admitted　to　my　old　foreman　what　had　caused　the　stampede　that　afternoon。　But　I　was　a　trail　boss　then　and　had　learned　my　lesson。〃
  The　Rebel；　who　was　encamped　several　miles　up　the　creek；　summoned　his　men；　and　we　all　arose　and　scattered　after　our　horses。　There　was　quite　a　cavalcade　going　our　way；　and　as　we　halted　within　the　light　of　the　fires　for　the　different　outfits　to　gather；　Flood　rode　up；　and　calling　Forrest；　said：　〃In　the　absence　of　any　word　from　old　man　Don；　we　might　as　well　all　pull　out　in　the　morning。　More　than　likely　we'll　hear　from　him　at　Grinnell；　and　until　we　reach　the　railroad；　the　Buford　herds　had　better　take　the　lead。　I'll　drag　along　in　the　rear；　and　if　there's　another　move　made　from　Dodge；　you　will　have　warning。　Now；　that's　about　all；　except　to　give　your　cattle　plenty　of　time；　don't　hurry。　S'long；　fellows。〃
  CHAPTER　XI。　ALL　IN　THE　DAY'S　WORK
  The　next　morning　the　herds　moved　out　like　brigades　of　an　army　on　dress…parade。　Our　front　covered　some　six　or　seven　miles；　the　Buford　cattle　in　the　lead；　while　those　intended　for　Indian　delivery　naturally　fell　into　position　on　flank　and　rear。　My　beeves　had　enjoyed　a　splendid　rest　during　the　past　week；　and　now　easily　took　the　lead　in　a　steady　walk；　every　herd　avoiding　the　trail　until　necessity　compelled　us　to　reenter　it。　The　old　pathway　was　dusty　and　merely　pointed　the　way；　and　until　rain　fell　to　settle　it；　our　intention　was　to　give　it　a　wide　berth。　As　the　morning　wore　on　and　the　herds　drew　farther　and　farther　apart；　except　for　the　dim　dust…clouds　of　ten　thousand　trampling　feet　on　a　raw　prairie；　it　would　have　been　difficult　for　us　to　establish　each　other's　location。　Several　times　during　the　forenoon；　when　a　swell　of　the　plain　afforded　us　a　temporary　westward　view；　we　caught　glimpses　of　Forrest's　cattle　as　they　snailed　forward；　fully　five　miles　distant　and　barely　noticeable　under　the　low　sky…line。　The　Indian　herds　had　given　us　a　good　start　in　the　morning；　and　towards　evening　as　the　mirages　lifted；　not　a　dust…signal　was　in　sight；　save　one　far　in　our　lead。
  The　mouth　of　June；　so　far；　had　been　exceedingly　droughty。　The　scarcity　of　water　on　the　plains　between　Dodge　and　Ogalalla　was　the　dread　of　every　trail　drover。　The　grass；　on　the　other　hand；　had　matured　from　the　first　rank　growth　of　early　spring　into　a　forage；　rich　in　sustenance；　from　which　our　beeves　took　on　flesh　and　rounded　into　beauties。　Lack　of　water　being　the　one　drawback；　long　drives；　not　in　miles　but　hours；　became　the　order　of　the　day；　from　four　in　the　morning　to　eight　at　night；　even　at　an　ox's　pace；　leaves　every　landmark　of　the　day　far　in　the　rear　at　nightfall。　Thus　for　the　next　few　days　we　moved　forward；　the　monotony　of　existence　broken　only　by　the　great　variety　of　mirage；　the　glare　of　heat…waves；　and　the　silent　signal　in　the　sky　of　other　voyageurs　like　ourselves。　On　reaching　Pig　Boggy；　nothing　but　pools　greeted　us；　while　the　regular　crossing　was　dry　and　dusty　and　paved　with　cattle　bones。　My　curiosity　was　strong　enough　to　cause　me　to　revisit　the　old　bridge　which　I　had　helped　to　build　two　seasons　before；　though　unused；　it　was　still　intact；　a　credit　to　the　crude　engineering　of　Pete　Slaughter。　After　leaving　the　valley　of　the　Solomon；　the　next　running　water　was　Pawnee　Fork；　where　we　overtook　and　passed　six　thousand　yearling　heifers　in　two　herds；　sold　the　winter　before　by　John　Blocker　for　delivery　in　Montana。　The　Northwest　had　not　yet　learned　that　Texas　was　the　natural　breeding…ground　for　cattle；　yet　under　favorable　conditions　in　both　sections；　the　ranchman　of　the　South　could　raise　one　third　more　calves　from　an　equal　number　of　cows。
  The　weather　continued　hot　and　sultry。　Several　times　storms　hung　on　our　left　for　hours　which　we　hoped　would　reach　us；　and　at　night　the　lightning　flickered　in　sheets；　yet　with　the　exception　of　cooling　the　air；　availed　us　nothing。　But　as　we　encamped　one　night　on　the　divide　before　reaching　the　Smoky　River；　a　storm　struck　us　that　sent　terror　to　our　hearts。　There　were　men　in　my　outfit；　and　others　in　Lovell's　employ；　who　were　from　ten　to　twenty　years　my　senior；　having　spent　almost　their　lifetime　in　the　open；　who　had　never　before　witnessed　such　a　night。　The　atmosphere　seemed　to　be　overcharged　with　electricity；　which　played　its　pranks　among　us；　neither　man　nor　beast　being　exempt。　The　storm　struck　the　divide　about　two　hours　after　the　cattle　had　been　bedded；　and　from　then　until　dawn　every　man　was　in　the　saddle；　the　herd　drifting　fully　three　miles　during　the　night。　Such　keen　flashes　of　lightning　accompanied　by　instant　thunder　I　had　never　before　witnessed；　though　the　rainfall；　after　the　first　dash；　was　light　in　quantity。　Seve