near
all the money there was in the Junction with our horses in a six hundred
yard race, between ourselves and cow boys from different outfits who
happened to be in the city.

Our horses without exception proved the fastest runners, accordingly we
pocketed considerable coin, and in consequence we were feeling first
rate when we struck the trail homeward bound. We arrived at the home
ranch all right in June. This was the last trip we were called to make
this season, and our time for the remainder of the year was taken up
with the general routine work of the large cattle ranch.

Late the next season we took the trail en route to Cheyenne, Wyoming,
with two thousand head of fine Texas steers for the Swan Brothers, 20
miles northwest of Cheyenne. Nothing of unusual importance happened on
this trip aside from the regular incidents pertaining to driving such a
large herd of cattle on the trail. We had a few stampedes and lost a
few cattle, arriving in Cheyenne we had a royal good time for a few
days as usual before starting home. On arriving at the home ranch again
we found considerable excitement, owing to the war between the cattle
men and cattle rustlers and every man was needed at home and few there
were who did not take part in one way or another in the most bitter and
furious cattle war of history and I being one of the leading cowboys of
the West, necessarily took an active part in the dispute and many were
the sharp clashes between the waring factions that I witnessed and
fought in and was wounded many times in these engagements. For years the
cattle rustlers had been invading the large cattle ranges belonging to
the large cattle kings of the West and running off and branding large
numbers of choice cattle and horses, this led to many a sharp fight
between the cowboys and the rustlers, but of late these thieves had
become so bold and the losses of the cattle men had become so great that
the latter determined to put a stop to it, and so open war was declared.

On one side was the large ranchmen and cattle men and on the other the
Indians, half breeds, Mexicans and white outlaws that made the cattle
country their rendezvous. The cattle men had now organized with the
given determination of either killing or running out of the country for
good these thieves, who had caused them so much loss. And during the war
many of them cashed in and the others for the most part left for
pastures new, having been virtually whipped o