ose purchased in Dodge could have been resold in San
Antonio at a nice profit. Many of the horses had run idle several months
and were in fine condition. With the allowance of four men and a cook, a
draft-book for personal expenses, and over a thousand horses from which
to choose a mount, I felt like an embryo foreman, even if it was a back
track and the drag end of the season. Turning everything scot free
at night, we reached the ranch in old Medina in six weeks, actually
traveling about forty days.

But now, with the opening of the trail season almost at hand, the trials
of past years were forgotten in the enthusiasm of the present. I had a
distinct recollection of numerous resolves made on rainy nights, while
holding a drifting herd, that this was positively my last trip over the
trail. Now, however, after a winter of idleness, my worst fear was that
I might be left at home with the ranch work, and thus miss the season's
outing entirely. There were new charms in the Buford contract which
thrilled me,--its numerical requirements, the sight of the Yellowstone
again, and more, to be present at the largest delivery of the year to
the government. Rather than have missed the trip, I would have gladly
cooked or wrangled the horses for one of the outfits.

On separating, Lovell urged his foreman and myself to be at the depot in
good time to catch our train. That our employer's contracts for the year
would require financial assistance, both of us were fully aware. The
credit of Don Lovell was gilt edge, not that he was a wealthy cowman,
but the banks and moneyed men of the city recognized his business
ability. Nearly every year since he began driving cattle, assistance had
been extended him, but the promptness with which he had always met his
obligations made his patronage desirable.

Flood and I had a number of errands to look after for the boys on the
ranch and ourselves, and, like countrymen, reached the depot fully
an hour before the train was due. Not possessed of enough gumption to
inquire if the westbound was on time, we loitered around until some
other passengers informed us that it was late. Just as we were on the
point of starting back to town, Lovell drove up in a hack, and the three
of us paced the platform until the arrival of the belated train.

"Well, boys, everything looks serene," said our employer, when we had
walked to the farther end of the depot. "I can get all the money I need,
even if we shipped part