t. Under ideal range conditions, the
cattle of marketable age proved a revelation, having rounded into form
beyond belief.

"That's why I love cattle," said Manly to Dell, while riding the range;
"they never disappoint. Cattle endure time and season, with a hardiness
that no other animal possesses. Given a chance, they repay every debt.
Why, one shipment from these Stoddard cattle will almost wipe the slate.
Uncle Dudley thought this was a fool deal, but Mr. Lovell seemed so bent
on making it that my old man simply gave in. And now you're going to
make a fortune out of these Lazy H's. No wonder us fool Texans love
a cow."

The absent ones returned promptly. "The Beaver valley not only topped
the market for range cattle," loftily said Sargent, "but topped it in
price and weight. The beeves barely netted fifty-two dollars a head!"

Early shipments were urged from every quarter. "Hereafter," said Joel,
"the commission firm will order the trains and send us a practical
shipper. There may rise a situation that we may have to rush our
shipments, and we can't spare men to go to market. It pays to be on
time. Those commission men are wide awake. Look at these railroad
passes, good for the year, that they secured for us boys. If any one has
to go to market, we can take a passenger train, and leave the cattle
to follow."

The addition of two men to the shipping outfit was a welcome asset. The
first consignment from the ranch gave the men a field-trial, and now
that the actual shipping season was at hand, an allotment of horses was
made. The numbers of the remuda admitted of mounting every man to the
limit, and with their first shipment a success, the men rested
impatiently awaiting orders.

The commission firm, with its wide knowledge of range and market
conditions, was constantly alert. The second order, of ten days' later
date, was a duplicate of the first, with one less for fulfillment. The
outfit dropped down to the old trail crossing the evening before, and by
noon two round-ups had yielded twenty car-loads of straight Lazy H
beeves. When trimmed to their required numbers, twenty-two to the car,
they reflected credit to breeder and present owner.

In grazing down to the railroad, every hour counted. There was no
apparent rush, but an hour saved at noon, an equal economy at evening
and morning, brought the herd within summons of the shipping yards on
time. That the beeves might be favored, they were held outside for th