he spring
before, and the proceeds from their sale had lifted me from the slough
of despond and set me on a financial rock. Therefore my regard for the
eternal cow was enhancing.

Home prices were again ten dollars for two-year-old steers and
twelve for threes. Instead of buying outright at these figures, my
proposition was to buy individually brands of stock cattle, and turn
over all steers of acceptable ages at prevailing prices to the firm of
Hunter, Anthony & Co. in making up trail herds. We had already agreed
to drive ten thousand head that spring, and my active partner readily
saw the advantages that would accrue where one had the range and
outfit to take care of the remnants of mixed stock. My partners were
both straining their credit at home, and since it was immaterial to
them, I was given permission to go ahead. This method of buying
might slightly delay the starting of herds, and rather than do so I
contracted for three thousand straight threes in Erath County. This
herd would start ten days in advance of any other, which would give
us cattle on the market at Wichita with the opening of the season. My
next purchase was two brands whose range was around the juncture of
the main Brazos and Clear Fork, adjoining my ranch. These cattle
were to be delivered at our corrals, as, having received the
three-year-olds from both brands the spring before, I had a good idea
how the stock ought to classify. A third brand was secured up the
Clear Fork, adjacent to my range, supposed to number about three
thousand, from which nothing had been sold in four years. This latter
contingent cost me five dollars a head, but my boys knew the brand
well enough to know that they would run forty per cent steer cattle.
In all three cases I bought all right and title to the brand, giving
them until the last day of March to gather, and anything not tendered
for count on receiving, the tail went with the hide.

From these three brands I expected to make up the second herd easily.
With no market for cattle, it was safe to count on a brand running one
third steers or better, from which I ought to get twenty-five per cent
of age for trail purposes. Long before any receiving began I bought
four more brands outright in adjoining counties, setting the day for
receiving on the 5th of April, everything to be delivered on my ranch
on the Clear Fork. There were fully twenty-five thousand cattle in
these seven brands, and as I had bought them all ha