n to Texas was crowding the ranches to the
frontier, many of them unwillingly, and it appealed to me strongly
that the time was opportune for securing an ample holding of stock
cattle. The appearance of my active partner was the beginning of
active operations, and after we had outlined the programme for the
summer and gone through all the details thoroughly, I asked for the
privilege of supplying the cows on the Indian contracts. Never did
partners stand more willingly by each other than did the firm of
Hunter, Anthony & Co., and I only had to explain the opportunity of
buying brands at wholesale, sending the young steers up the trail and
the aging, dry, and barren cows to Indian agencies, to gain the hearty
approval of the little Yankee major. He was entitled to a great deal
of credit for my holdings in land, for from his first sight of Texas,
day after day, line upon line, precept upon precept, he had urged upon
me the importance of securing title to realty, while its equivalent
in scrip was being hawked about, begging a buyer. Now we rejoiced
together in the fulfillment of his prophecy, as I can lay little claim
to any foresight, but am particularly anxious to give credit where
credit is due.

With an asylum for any and all remnants of stock cattle, we authorized
George Edwards to close trades on a number of brands. Taking with us
the two foremen who had brought beef herds out of Uvalde County the
spring before, the major and I started south on the lookout for
beeves. The headwaters of the Nueces and its tributaries were again
our destination, and the usual welcome to buyers was extended with
that hospitality that only the days of the open range knew and
practiced. We closed contracts with former customers without looking
at their cattle. When a ranchman gave us his word to deliver us as
good or better beeves than the spring before, there was no occasion to
question his ability, and the cattle never deceived. There might arise
petty wrangles over trifles, but the general hungering for a market
among cowmen had not yet been satiated, and they offered us their best
that we might come again. We placed our contracts along three rivers
and over as many counties, limiting the number to ten thousand beeves
of the same ages and paying one dollar a head above the previous
spring. One of our foremen was provided with a letter of credit, and
the two were left behind to make up three new and complete outfits for
the trail.

T