t mountains as of course he knew whom she meant as my
little love affair was pretty generally known among the boys. When the
boss told her that I had not been seen since they had crossed the last
mountains, she hung her head and looked completely heart broken. I was
lying in the mess wagon at the time an interested spectator of all that
took place, and seeing her looking so downhearted I could hardly
restrain myself from jumping out of the wagon and taking her in my arms.
After a time she slowly raised her head and looked long and wistfully up
the trail. Then turning to the camp boss again she said, "Camp boss tell
me truly if Nat Love works with you and did he come on this trip with
you". The boss answered her as before that I had not been seen since
crossing the last mountains, which was true as I had been riding in the
mess wagon. On hearing the boss' answer she took it as final and started
to ride away.

[Illustration: The First Glimpse of My Spanish Sweetheart]

I thought it high time to make my presence known, as with the sight of
her, all my old love returned, and I forgot every thing except that I
loved her. So I jumped out of the wagon exclaiming here I am, and in a
minute we were locked in each others arms and I believe I kissed her
before all the boys, but I didn't care, she was mine now. We became
engaged and were to be married in the fall and were to make our home in
the city of Mexico, but in the spring she took sick and died. Her death
broke me all up and after I buried her I became very wild and reckless,
not caring what happened to me and when you saw me in the saddle you saw
me at home, and while I saw many women since I could never care for any
as I did for her. And I vainly tried to forget her and my sorrow in the
wild life of the plains and every danger I could find courting death in
fights with Indians and Mexicans and dare devil riding on the range, but
it seemed to me that I bore a charmed life. Horses were shot from under
me, men were killed around me, but always I escaped with a trifling
wound at the worst. As time passed I began to recover from my
disappointment and to take my old interest in the work of the ranch, and
as my reputation had spread over the country I did not lack work, but
was kept on the go all the time, first with one large cattle owner, then
with another. Most of my working being in the round ups and brandings,
brand reading, and with large herds on the trail, as during my lo