act called for a million
and a half pounds on foot, I assisted him in buying sixteen hundred
more. The contractor was a shrewd Yankee, and although I admitted
having served in the Confederate army, he offered to form a
partnership with me for supplying beef to the army posts along the
upper Missouri River. He gave me an insight into the profits in that
particular trade, and even urged the partnership, but while the
opportunity was a golden one, I was distrustful of a Northern man
and declined the alliance. Within a year I regretted not forming the
partnership, as the government was a stable patron, and my adopted
State had any quantity of beef cattle.

My brother paid me a visit during the latter part of June. We had not
seen each other in five years, during which time he had developed into
a prosperous stockman, feeding cattle every winter on his Missouri
farm. He was anxious to interest me in corn-feeding steers, but I had
my hands full at home, and within a week he went on west and bought
two hundred Colorado natives, shipping them home to feed the coming
winter. Meanwhile a perfect glut of cattle was arriving at Abilene,
fully six hundred thousand having registered at Stone's Store on
passing into Kansas, yet prices remained firm, considering the
condition of the stock. Many drovers halted only a day or two, and
turned westward looking for ranges on which to winter their herds.
Barely half the arrivals were even offered, which afforded fair prices
to those who wished to sell. Before the middle of July the last of
ours was closed out at satisfactory prices, and the next day the
outfit started home, leaving me behind. I was anxious to secure an
extra remuda of horses, and, finding no opposition in that particular
field, had traded extensively in saddle stock ever since my arrival
at Abilene. Gentle horses were in good demand among shippers and
ranchmen, and during my brief stay I must have handled a thousand
head, buying whole remudas and retailing in quantities to suit, not
failing to keep the choice ones for my own use. Within two weeks after
George Edwards started home, I closed up my business, fell in with a
returning outfit, and started back with one hundred and ten picked
saddle horses. After crossing Red River, I hired a boy to assist me
in driving the remuda, and I reached home only ten days behind the
others.

I was now the proud possessor of over two hundred saddle horses which
had actually cost me nothin