h some seven or eight miles before being bedded down
for the night. Hamilton, who had crossed to the beef side of the round-up
to have a necessary word with the "Circle-Star" foreman, was amazed to
find Simpson making ready to start with the trail herd. Peter inquired,
with a few expletives, "how long he had been a cow-man, in good and
regular standing?"

"As far as the regularity is concerned, that would be a pretty hard thing
to answer, but he's had an interest in the 'XXX' since--since--"

"He drove Rodney's sheep over the cliff?"

"Ain't you a little hard on the beginning of his cattle career? It usually
goes by a more business-like name, but--" he shrugged his shoulders--"it's
up to the 'XXX.' We wouldn't have him help to pull bogged cattle out of a
creek."

The beeves, hidden in a simoom of their own stamping, were gradually being
pressed forward on the trail, a huge pawn, ignorant of its own strength,
manipulated by a handful of men and horses. Its bellowing, like the tuning
of a thousand bass-fiddles, shook the stillness like the long, sullen roar
of the sea, as out of the plain they thundered, to feed the multitude.

"Well, there goes as pretty a bunch of porterhouses as I'd want to put
tooth to. If I get away from here within the next two months, as I'm
expecting, doubtless I'll meet some of you again with your personality
somewhat obscured by reason of fried onions."

The foreman of the "Circle-Star" waved his hand after the slowly moving
herd that gradually pressed forward like an army in loose marching order.
Outriders galloped ahead, like darting insects, and pointing the lumbering
mass that trailed its half-mile length at a snail's-pace. The great column
steadily advanced, checked, turned, led as easily as a child trails his
little steam-cars after him on the nursery floor, and always by the little
force of a handful of men and a few horses.

After supper came general relaxation around the camp-fire. The men, who
had all day been strung to a keen pitch of nervous energy, lounged in
loose, picturesque uncouthness, while each began to unravel his own lively
miscellany of information or invention. There was jest, laughter, spinning
of yarns, singing of songs. As Peter lay in the fire-light, smoking his
brier-wood, he noticed that the man next him spent a great deal of time
poring over a letter, holding it close to the blaze, now at arm's-length,
which was hardly surprising, considering the penmanship o