the outfit," he suggested, "by taking a little
swing around the range. It will gentle the horses, instruct the cook and
wrangler, and give us all a touch of the real thing."

Joel consulted a calendar. "We have four days before beginning to gather
beeves," he announced. "Let's go somewhere and camp."

"We'll move to the old trail crossing at sun-up," announced Sargent.
"Roll your blankets in the morning, boys."

A lusty shout greeted the declaration. It was the opening of the
beef-shipping season, the harvest time of the year, and the boys were
impatient to begin the work. But the best-laid plans are often
interrupted. That evening a courier reached headquarters, bearing a
message from the commission firm which read, "Have your double-wintered
beeves on Saturday's market."

"That's better," said Sargent, glancing over the telegram. "The wagon
and remuda will start for Hackberry Grove at sun-up. Have the messenger
order ten cars for Friday morning. The shipment will be on
Saturday's market."

Dawn found the outfit at attention. Every movement was made with
alacrity. Two men assisted a husky boy to corral the remuda, others
harnessed in a span of mules, and before the sun peeped over the
horizon, the cavalcade moved out up the valley, the courier returning to
the station. The drag-net from below would be thrown out from the old
winter corral; but as an hour's sun on the cattle rendered them lazy,
half the horsemen halted until the other sighted the grove above. As
early as advisable, the gradual circle was begun, turning the cattle
into the valley, concentrating, and by slowly edging in, the first
round-up of the day was thrown together, numbering, range run, fully six
hundred head. Two men were detailed to hold the round-up compactly, Dell
volunteered to watch the cut (the beeves selected), leaving the other
three to cut out the marketable cattle which would make up the shipment.
A short hour's work followed, resulting in eighty-odd beeves being
selected. Flesh, age, and the brand governed each selection, and when
cut into a class by themselves, the mettle of the pasture was reflected
in every beef.

The cut was grazed up to the second round-up, which contributed nearly
double the former number. On finishing the work, a count of the beeves
was made, which overran in numbers the necessary shipment. They were
extremely heavy cattle, twenty head to the car was the limit, and it
became necessary to trim or cull back