r own private horses, the old cronies started off to San Antonio.
They expected to make Mr. Booth's ranch in a little over half a day, and
from there a sixty-mile ride would put them in the city.

After the departure of the boys the dull routine of ranch work went
heavily forward. The horse breaking continued, vaqueros rode the range
looking after the calf crop, while I had to content myself with nursing
a crippled foot and hobbling about on crutches. Had I been able to ride
a horse, it is quite possible that a ranch on the San Miguel would have
had me as its guest; but I must needs content myself with lying around
the house, visiting with Juana, or watching the carpenter finishing the
cottages. I tried several times to interest my mistress in a scheme to
invite my sweetheart over for a week or two, but she put me off on one
pretext and another until I was vexed at her lack of enthusiasm. But
truth compels me to do that good woman justice, and I am now satisfied
that my vexation was due to my own peevishness over my condition and not
to neglect on her part. And just then she was taking such an absorbing
interest in June and the widow, and likewise so sisterly a concern for
Dan Happersett, that it was little wonder she could give me no special
attention when I was soon to be married. It was the bird in the bush
that charmed Miss Jean.

Towards the close of March a number of showers fell, and we had a week
of damp, cloudy weather. This was unfortunate, as it called nearly every
man from the horse breaking to ride the range and look after the young
calves. One of the worst enemies of a newly born calf is screw worms,
which flourish in wet weather, and prove fatal unless removed; for no
young calf withstands the pest over a few days. Clear dry weather was
the best preventive against screw worms, but until the present damp
spell abated every man in the ranch was in the saddle from sunrise to
sunset.

In the midst of this emergency work a beef buyer by the name of Wayne
Orahood reached the ranch. He was representing the lessees of a
steamship company plying between New Orleans and Texas coast points. The
merchant at the ferry had advised Orahood to visit Las Palomas, but on
his arrival about noon there was not a white man on the ranch to show
him the cattle. I knew the anxiety of my employer to dispose of his
matured beeves, and as the buyer was impatient there was nothing to do
but get up horses and ride the range with him