d let him hoss that chuck-wagon to amuse himself. One
of my wheelers was getting a little tenderfooted, anyhow."

On the arrival of the freight outfit, short shift was made in
transferring a portion of the cargo to the waiting chuck-wagons. As we
expected to reach Abilene, a railroad point, within a week, we took on
only a small stock of staple supplies. Having helped ourselves, the only
delay was in getting a clerk to look over our appropriation, make out
an itemized bill, and receive a draft on my employer. When finally
the merchant in person climbed into our wagon and took a list of the
articles, Parent started back to overtake the herd. I remained behind
several hours, chatting with the other foremen.

None of the other trail bosses had seen anything of Lovell's other
herds, though they all knew him personally or by reputation, and
inquired if he was driving again in the same road brand. By general
agreement, in case of trouble, we would pick up each other's cattle; and
from half a cent to a cent a head was considered ample remuneration in
buying water in Texas. Owing to the fact that many drovers had
shipped to Red River, it was generally believed that there would be no
congestion of cattle south of that point. All herds were then keeping
well to the westward, some even declaring their intention to go through
the Panhandle until the Canadian was reached.

Two days later we came into the main trail at the crossing of the
Colorado River. Before we reached it, several ominous dust-clouds hung
on our right for hours, while beyond the river were others, indicating
the presence of herds. Summer weather had already set in, and during
the middle of the day the glare of heat-waves and mirages obstructed our
view of other wayfarers like ourselves, but morning and evening we were
never out of sight of their signals. The banks of the river at the ford
were trampled to the level of the water, while at both approach and exit
the ground was cut into dust. On our arrival, the stage of water was
favorable, and we crossed without a halt of herd, horses, or commissary.
But there was little inducement to follow the old trail. Washed into
ruts by the seasons, the grass on either side eaten away for miles,
there was a look of desolation like that to be seen in the wake of an
army. As we felt under obligations to touch at Abilene within a few
days, there was a constant skirmish for grass within a reasonable
distance of the trail; and w