him with a log chain that a bone-picker had lost in
our pasture. Mouse gave Jack a four-tined fork which the hay outfit
had forgotten when they left. Coon Floyd's compliments went with five
cow-bells, which we always thought he rustled from a boomer's wagon
that broke down over on the Reno trail. It bothered some of us to
rustle something for a present, for you know we couldn't buy anything.
We managed to get some deer's antlers, a gray wolf's skin for the
bride's tootsies, and several colored sheepskins, which we had bought
from a Mexican horse herd going up the trail that spring. We killed
a nice fat little beef, the evening before we started, hanging it out
over night to harden. None of the boys knew the brand; in fact, it's
bad taste to remember the brand on anything you've beefed. No one
troubles himself to notice it carefully. That night a messenger
brought a letter to Miller, ordering him to ship out the remnant
of "Diamond Tail" cattle as soon as possible. They belonged to a
northwest Texas outfit, and we were maturing them. The messenger
stayed all night, and in the morning asked, "Shall I order cars for
you?"

"No, I have a few other things to attend to first," answered Miller.

We took the wagon with us to carry our bedding and the other plunder,
driving along with us a cow and a calf of Jack's, the little "Flower
Pot" cow, and a beef. Our outfit reached Jack's house by the middle of
the afternoon. The first thing was to be introduced to the bride. Jack
did the honors himself, presenting each one of us, and seemed just as
proud as a little boy with new boots. Then we were given introductions
to several good-looking neighbor girls. We began to feel our own
inferiority.

While we were hanging up the quarters of beef on some pegs on the
north side of the cabin, Edwards said, whispering, "Jack must have
pictured this claim mighty hifalutin to that gal, for she's a way up
good-looker. Another thing, watch me build to the one inside with the
black eyes. I claimed her first, remember. As soon as we get this beef
hung up I'm going in and sidle up to her."

"We won't differ with you on that point," remarked Mouse, "but if she
takes any special shine to a runt like you, when there's boys like the
rest of us standing around, all I've got to say is, her tastes must be
a heap sight sorry and depraved. I expect to dance with the bride--in
the head set--a whirl or two myself."

"If I'd only thought," chimed in Coon, "