he sudden change in affairs would prevent our
submitting estimates only so far as we had the cattle in hand.

Three days before the limit expired, we submitted twenty bids to the
War Department. Our figures were such that we felt fully protected, as
we had twenty thousand cattle on our Northern range, while advice
was reaching us daily from the beef regions of Texas. The opening of
proposals was no surprise, only seven falling to us, and all admitting
of Southern beeves. Within an hour after the result was known, a wire
was sent to Edwards, authorizing him to contract immediately for
twenty-two thousand heavy steer cattle and advance money liberally on
every agreement. Duplicates of our estimates had been sent him the
same day they were submitted at the War Office. Our segundo had triple
the number of cattle in sight, and was then in a position to act
intelligently. The next morning Major Hunter and I left the capital
for San Antonio, taking a southern route through Virginia, sighting
old battlefields where both had seen service on opposing sides,
but now standing shoulder to shoulder as trail drovers and army
contractors. We arrived at our destination promptly. Edwards was
missing, but inquiry among our bankers developed the fact that he had
been drawing heavily the past few days, and we knew that all was well.
A few nights later he came in, having secured our requirements at
an advance of two to three dollars a head over the prices of the
preceding spring.

The live-stock interests of the State were centring in the coming
cattle convention, which would be held at Fort Worth in February. At
this meeting heavy trading was anticipated for present and future
delivery, and any sales effected would establish prices for the coming
spring. From the number of Northern buyers that were in Texas, and
others expected at the convention, Edwards suggested buying, before
the meeting, at least half the requirements for our beef ranch and
trail cattle. Major Hunter and I both fell in with the idea of our
segundo, and we scattered to our old haunts under agreement to report
at Fort Worth for the meeting of the clans. I spent two weeks among my
ranchmen friends on the headwaters of the Frio and Nueces rivers, and
while they were fully awake to the advance in prices, I closed trades
on twenty-one thousand two and three year old steers for March
delivery. It was always a weakness in me to overbuy, and in receiving
I could never hold a h