The beef steers were held under herd to await the arrival of the other
contingents. If they fell short in twos and threes, I had hopes of
finding an outlet for my beeves with the last herd. The young stuff
and stock cattle were allowed to drift back on their own ranges, and
we rested on our oars. We had warning of the approach of outside
brands, several arriving in advance of appointment, and they were
received at once. As before, every brand overran expectations, with no
shortage in steers. My men had been wide awake, any number of mature
beeves coming in with the mixed stock. As fast as they arrived we
cut all steers of desirable age into our herd of beeves, sending the
remnant up the river about ten miles to be put under loose herd for
the first month. Fifteen-thousand cattle were tendered in the four
brands, from which we cut out forty-six hundred steers of trail age.
The numbers were actually embarrassing, not in stock cattle, but in
steers, as our trail herd numbered now over five thousand. The outside
outfits were all detained a few days for a settlement, lending their
assistance, as we tally-marked all the stock cattle before sending
them up the river to be put under herd. This work was done in a chute
with branding irons, running a short bar over the holding-brand, the
object being to distinguish animals received then from what might be
gathered afterward. There were nearly one hundred men present, and
with the amount of help available the third herd was ready to start on
the morning of the 6th. It numbered thirty-five hundred, again nearly
equal in twos and threes, my ranch foreman having charge. With the
third herd started, the question arose what to do with the remnant of
a few over sixteen hundred beeves. To turn them loose meant that with
the first norther that blew they would go back to their own range.
Major Hunter suggested that I drive an individual herd. I tried to
sell him an interest in the cattle, but as their ages were unsuited to
his market, he pleaded bankruptcy, yet encouraged me to fill up the
herd and drive them on my own account.

Something had to be done. I bought sixty horses from the different
outfits then waiting for a settlement, adding thirty of my own to the
remuda, made up an outfit from the men present, rigged a wagon, and
called for a general round-up of my range. Two days afterward we had
fifteen hundred younger steers of my own raising in the herd, and on
the 10th of the month t