Tolleston would only
run on the rope once.

A few days before the appointed time, the men began thronging into
headquarters. Down to the minutest detail about the wagons and mule
teams, everything was shipshape. The commissary department was stocked
for a month, and everything was ready to harness in and move. Lovell's
headquarters was a stag ranch, and as fast as the engaged cooks
reported, they were assigned to wagons, and kept open house in relieving
the home cocinero. In the absence of our employer, Flood was virtually
at the head of affairs, and artfully postponed the division of horses
until the last moment. My outfit had all come in in good time, and we
were simply resting on our oars until the return of old man Don from
San Antonio. The men were jubilant and light-hearted as a lot of
school-boys, and with the exception of a feeling of jealousy among the
foremen over the remudas, we were a gay crowd, turning night into day.
But on the return of our employer, all frivolity ceased, and the ranch
stood at attention. The only unfinished work was the division of
the horses, and but a single day remained before the agreed time for
starting. Jim Flood had met his employer at the station the night
before, and while returning to the ranch, the two discussed the
apportionment of the saddle stock. The next morning all the foremen were
called together, when the drover said to his trail bosses:

"Boys, I suppose you are all anxious to get a good remuda for this
summer's trip. Well, I've got them for you. The only question is,
how can we distribute them equitably so that all interests will be
protected. One herd may not have near the distance to travel that the
others have. It would look unjust to give it the best horses, and yet
it may have the most trouble. Our remudas last year were all picked
animals. They had an easy year's work. With the exception of a few head,
we have the same mounts and in much better condition than last year.
This is about my idea of equalizing things. You four old foremen will
use your remudas of last year. Then each of you six bosses select
twenty-five head each of the Dodge horses,--turn and turn about. Add
those to your old remudas, and cull back your surplus, allowing ten to
the man, twelve to the foreman, and five extra to each herd in case of
cripples or of galled backs. By this method, each herd will have two
dozen prime saddlers, the pick of a thousand picked ones, and fit for
any man who