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  CHAPTER II. ORGANIZING THE FORCES

  Don Lovell and Jim Flood returned from Lasalle County on the last dayof February. They had spent a week along the Upper Nueces, and beforereturning to the ranch closed a trade on thirty-four hundred five andsix year old beeves. According to their report, the cattle along theriver had wintered in fine condition, and the grass had already startedin the valley. This last purchase concluded the buying for trailpurposes, and all absent foremen were notified to be on hand at theranch on March 10, for the beginning of active operations. Only some tenof us had wintered at headquarters in Medina County, and as about ninetymen would be required for the season's work, they would have to besecured elsewhere. All the old foremen expected to use the greaterportion of the men who were in their employ the year before, and couldsummon them on a few days' notice. But Forrest and myself were compelledto hire entirely new outfits, and it was high time we were looking upour help.

  One of Flood's regular outfit had married during the winter, and withForrest's and my promotion, he had only to secure three new men. Hehad dozens of applications from good cow-hands, and after selecting forhimself offered the others to Quince and me. But my brother Bob arrivedat the ranch, from our home in Karnes County, two days later, havingalso a surplus of men at his command. Although he did not show anyenthusiasm over my promotion, he offered to help me get up a good outfitof boys. I had about half a dozen good fellows in view, and on Bob'sapproval of them, he selected from his overplus six more as first choiceand four as second. It would take me a week of constant riding to seeall these men, and as Flood and Forrest had made up an outfit for thelatter from the former's available list, Quince and I saddled up androde away to hire outfits. Forrest was well acquainted in Wilson, whereLovell had put up several trail herds, and as it joined my home county,we bore each other company the first day.

  A long ride brought us to the Atascosa, where we stayed all night. Thenext morning we separated, Quince bearing due east for Floresville,while I continued southeast towards my home near Cibollo Ford on the SanAntonio River. It had been over a year since I had seen the family, andon reaching the ranch, my father gruffly noticed me, but my mother andsisters received me with open arms. I was a mature man of twenty-eightat the time, mustached, and stood six feet to a plumb-line. The familywere cognizant of my checkered past, and although never mentioning it,it seemed as if my misfortunes had elevated me in the estimation of mysisters, while to my mother I had become doubly dear.

  During the time spent in that vicinity, I managed to reach home at nightas often as possible. Constantly using fresh horses, I covered a widecircle of country, making one ride down the river into Goliad County ofover fifty miles, returning the next day. Within a week I had made up myoutfit, including the horse-wrangler and cook. Some of the men were tenyears my senior, while only a few were younger, but I knew that theselatter had made the trip before and were as reliable as their elders.The wages promised that year were fifty dollars a month, the men tofurnish only their own saddles and blankets, and at that figure Ipicked two pastoral counties, every man bred to the occupation. The trippromised six months' work with return passage, and I urged every oneemployed to make his appearance at headquarters, in Medina, on or beforethe 15th of the month. There was no railroad communication throughKarnes and Goliad counties at that time, and all the boys were assuredthat their private horses would have good pasturage at the home ranchwhile they were away, and I advised them all to come on horseback. Bythis method they would have a fresh horse awaiting them on their returnfrom the North with which to continue their homeward journey. All themen engaged were unmarried, and taken as a whole, I flattered myself onhaving secured a crack outfit.

  I was in a hurry to get back to the ranch. There had been nothing saidabout the remudas before leaving, and while we had an abundance ofhorses, no one knew them better than I did. For that reason I wanted tobe present when their allotment was made, for I knew that every foremanwould try to get the best mounts, and I did not propose to stand behindthe door and take the culls. Many of the horses had not had a saddle onthem in eight months, while all of them had run idle during the winterin a large mesquite pasture and were in fine condition with the openingof spring. So bidding my folks farewell, I saddled at noon and took across-country course for the ranch, covering the hundred and odd milesin a day and a half. Reaching headquarters late at night, I found thatactive preparations had been going on during my absence. There were newwagons to rig, harness to oil, and a carpenter was then at work buildingchuck-boxes for each of the six commissaries. A wholesale house in thecity had shipped out a stock of staple supplies, almost large enough tostart a store. There were whole coils of new rope of various sizes, fromlariats to corral cables, and a sufficient amount of the largest size tomake a stack of hobbles as large as a haycock. Four new branding-ironsto the wagon, the regulation "Circle Dot," completed the mainessentials.

  All the foremen had reported at the ranch, with the exception ofForrest, who came in the next evening with three men. The division ofthe horses had not even come up for discussion, but several of the boysabout headquarters who were friendly to my interests posted me that theolder foremen were going to claim first choice. Archie Tolleston, nextto Jim Flood in seniority in Lovell's employ, had spent every day ridingamong the horses, and had even boasted that he expected to claim fifteenof the best for his own saddle. Flood was not so particular, as hisdestination was in southern Dakota, but my brother Bob was againticketed for the Crow Agency in Montana, and would naturally expecta good remuda. Tolleston was going to western Wyoming, while the FortBuford cattle were a two-weeks' later delivery and fully five hundredmiles farther travel. On my return Lovell was in the city, but I feltpositive that if he took a hand in the division, Tolleston would onlyrun on the rope once.

  A few days before the appointed time, the men began thronging intoheadquarters. Down to the minutest detail about the wagons and muleteams, everything was shipshape. The commissary department was stockedfor a month, and everything was ready to harness in and move. Lovell'sheadquarters was a stag ranch, and as fast as the engaged cooksreported, they were assigned to wagons, and kept open house in relievingthe home cocinero. In the absence of our employer, Flood was virtuallyat the head of affairs, and artfully postponed the division of horsesuntil the last moment. My outfit had all come in in good time, and wewere simply resting on our oars until the return of old man Don fromSan Antonio. The men were jubilant and light-hearted as a lot ofschool-boys, and with the exception of a feeling of jealousy among theforemen over the remudas, we were a gay crowd, turning night into day.But on the return of our employer, all frivolity ceased, and the ranchstood at attention. The only unfinished work was the division ofthe horses, and but a single day remained before the agreed time forstarting. Jim Flood had met his employer at the station the nightbefore, and while returning to the ranch, the two discussed theapportionment of the saddle stock. The next morning all the foremen werecalled together, when the drover said to his trail bosses:

  "Boys, I suppose you are all anxious to get a good remuda for thissummer's trip. Well, I've got them for you. The only question is,how can we distribute them equitably so that all interests will beprotected. One herd may not have near the distance to travel that theothers have. It would look unjust to give it the best horses, and yetit may have the most trouble. Our remudas last year were all pickedanimals. They had an easy year's work. With the exception of a few head,we have the same mounts and in much better condition than last year.This is about my idea of equalizing things. You four old foremen willuse your remudas of last year. Then each of you six bosses selecttwenty-five head each of the Dodge horses,--turn and turn about. Addthose to your old remudas, and cull back your surplus, allowing ten tothe man, twelve to the foreman, and five extra to each herd in case ofcripples or of galled backs. By this method, each herd will have twodozen prime saddlers, the pick of a thousand picked ones, and fit forany man who was ever in my employ. I'm breaking in two new foremen thisye
ar, and they shall have no excuse for not being mounted, and willdivide the remainder. Now, take four men apiece and round up the saddlestock, and have everything in shape to go into camp to-night. I'll bepresent at the division, and I warn you all that I want no clashing."

  A ranch remuda was driven in, and we saddled. There were about thirtythousand acres in the pasture, and by eleven o'clock everything wasthrown together. The private horses of all the boys had been turnedinto a separate inclosure, and before the cutting out commenced, everymother's son, including Don Lovell, arrived at the round-up. There wereno corrals on the ranch which would accommodate such a body of animals,and thus the work had to be done in the open; but with the force at handwe threw a cordon around them, equal to a corral, and the cutting out tothe four quarters commenced.

  The horses were gentle and handled easily. Forrest and I turned to andhelped our old foreman cut out his remuda of the year before. There wereseveral horses in my old mount that I would have liked to have again,but I knew it was useless to try and trade Jim out of them, as he knewtheir qualities and would have robbed me in demanding their equivalent.When the old remudas were again separated, they were counted andcarefully looked over by both foremen and men, and were open to theinspection of all who cared to look. Everything was passing verypleasantly, and the cutting of the extra twenty-five began. Then myselfishness was weighed in the balance and found to be full weight. Ihad ridden over a hundred of the best of them, but when any one appealedto me, even my own dear brother, I was as dumb as an oyster about ahorse. Tolleston, especially, cursed, raved, and importuned me to helphim get a good private mount, but I was as innocent as I was immovable.The trip home from Dodge was no pleasure jaunt, and now I was determinedto draw extra pay in getting the cream of that horse herd. There wereother features governing my actions: Flood was indifferent; Forrest, attimes, was cruel to horses, and had I helped my brother, I might havebeen charged with favoritism. Dave Sponsilier was a good horseman, ashis selections proved, and I was not wasting any love and affection onArchie Tolleston that day, anyhow.

  That no undue advantage should be taken, Lovell kept tally of everyhorse cut out, and once each foreman had taken his number, he was wavedout of the herd. I did the selecting of my own, and with the assistanceof one man, was constantly waiting my turn. With all the help he coulduse, Tolleston was over half an hour making his selections, and tookthe only blind horse in the entire herd. He was a showy animal, a dapplegray, fully fifteen hands high, bred in north Texas, and belonged toone of the whole remudas bought in Dodge. At the time of his purchase,neither Lovell nor Flood detected anything wrong, and no one could seeanything in the eyeball which would indicate he was moon-eyed. Yet anyhorseman need only notice him closely to be satisfied of his defect,as he was constantly shying from other horses and objects and smelledeverything which came within his reach. There were probably half a dozenpresent who knew of his blindness, but not a word was said until all theextras were chosen and the culling out of the overplus of the variousremudas began. It started in snickers, and before the cutting back wasover developed into peals of laughter, as man after man learned that thedapple gray in Tolleston's remuda was blind.

  Among the very last to become acquainted with the fact was the trailforeman himself. After watching the horse long enough to see hismistake, Tolleston culled the gray back and rode into the herd to claimanother. But the drover promptly summoned his foreman out, and, as theymet, Lovell said to his trail boss, "Arch, you're no better than anybodyelse. I bought that gray and paid my good money for him. No doubt butthe man who sold him has laughed about it often since, and if ever wemeet, I'll take my hat off and compliment him on being the only personwho ever sold me a moon-eyed horse. I'm still paying my tuition, and youneedn't flare up when the laugh's on you. You have a good remuda withouthim, and the only way you can get another horse out of that herd is withthe permission of Quince Forrest and Tom Quirk."

  "Well, if the permission of those new foremen is all I lack, thenI'll cut all the horses I want," retorted Tolleston, and galloped backtowards the herd. But Quince and I were after him like a flash, followedleisurely by Lovell. As he slacked his mount to enter the mass ofanimals, I passed him, jerking the bridle reins from his hand. Throwingmy horse on his haunches, I turned just as Forrest slapped Tolleston onthe back, and said: "Look-ee here, Arch; just because you're a littlehot under the collar, don't do anything brash, for fear you may regretit afterward. I'm due to take a little pasear myself this summer, andI always did like to be well mounted. Now, don't get your back up orattempt to stand up any bluffs, for I can whip you in any sized circleyou can name. You never saw me burn powder, did you? Well, just you keepon acting the d---- fool if you want a little smoke thrown in your face.Just fool with me and I'll fog you till you look like an angel in theclouds."

  But old man Don reached us, and raised his hand. I threw the reins backover the horse's head. Tolleston was white with rage, but before hecould speak our employer waved us aside and said, "Tom, you and Quinceclear right out of here and I'll settle this matter. Arch, there's yourremuda. Take it and go about your business or say you don't want to.Now, we know each other, and I'll not mince or repeat any words withyou. Go on."

  "Not an inch will I move until I get another horse," hissed Tollestonbetween gasps. "If it lies between you and me, then I'll have one inplace of that gray, or you'll get another foreman. Now, you have myterms and ticket."

  "Very well then, Archie; that changes the programme entirely," repliedLovell, firmly. "You'll find your private horse in the small pasture,and we'll excuse you for the summer. Whenever a man in my employ getsthe impression that I can't get along without him, that moment hebecomes useless to me. It seems that you are bloated with that idea, anda season's rest and quiet may cool you down and make a useful man of youagain. Remember that you're always welcome at my ranch, and don't letthis make us strangers," he called back as he turned away.

  Riding over with us to where a group were sitting on their horses, ouremployer scanned the crowd without saying a word. Turning halfway in hissaddle, he looked over towards Flood's remuda and said: "One of youboys please ride over and tell Paul I want him." During the ratherembarrassing interim, the conversation instantly changed, and weborrowed tobacco and rolled cigarettes to kill time.

  Priest was rather slow in making his appearance, riding leisurely, buton coming up innocently inquired of his employer, "Did you want to seeme?"

  "Yes. Paul, I've just lost one of my foremen. I need a good reliableman to take a herd to Fort Washakie. It's an Indian agency on the headwaters of the North Platte in Wyoming. Will you tackle the job?"

  "A good soldier is always subject to orders," replied The Rebel with amilitary salute. "If you have a herd for delivery in Wyoming, give methe men and horses, and I'll put the cattle there if possible. You arethe commandant in the field, and I am subject to instructions."

  "There's your remuda and outfit, then," said Lovell, pointing to the oneintended for Tolleston, "and you'll get a commissary at the ranch and gointo camp this evening. You'll get your herd in Nueces County, andJim will assist in the receiving. Any other little details will all bearranged before you get away."

  Calling for all the men in Tolleston's outfit, the two rode away forthat remuda. Shortly before the trouble arose, our employer instructedthose with the Buford cattle to take ten extra horses for each herd.There were now over a hundred and forty head to be culled back, andSponsilier was entitled to ten of them. In order to be sure of ournumbers, we counted the remaining band, and Forrest and I trimmed themdown to two hundred and fifty-four head. As this number was too small tobe handled easily in the open, we decided to take them into the corralsfor the final division. After the culling back was over, and everythinghad started for the ranch, to oblige Sponsilier, I remained behind andhelped him to retrim his remuda. Unless one knew the horses personally,it was embarrassing even to try and pick ten of the best ones from theoverplus. But I knew many of them at first hand, and at Dave's r
equest,after picking out the extra ones, continued selecting others in exchangefor horses in his old band. We spent nearly an hour cutting back andforth, or until we were both satisfied that his saddle stock could notbe improved from the material at hand.

  The ranch headquarters were fully six miles from the round-up. LeavingSponsilier delighted with the change in his remuda, I rode to overtakethe undivided band which were heading for the ranch corrals. On comingup with them, Forrest proposed that we divide the horses by a runningcut in squads of ten, and toss for choice. Once they were in thecorrals, this could have been easily done by simply opening a gate andallowing blocks of ten to pass alternately from the main into smallerinclosures. But I was expecting something like this from Quince, and hadentirely different plans of my own. Forrest and I were good friends, buthe was a foxy rascal, and I had never wavered in my determination to getthe pick of that horse herd. Had I accepted his proposal, the chance ofa spinning coin might have given him a decided advantage, and I declinedhis proposition. I had a remuda in sight that my very being had hungeredfor, and now I would take no chance of losing it. But on the other hand,I proposed to Forrest that he might have the assistance of two men inFlood's outfit who had accompanied the horse herd home from Dodge. Inthe selecting of Jim's extra twenty-five, the opinion of these two lads,as the chosen horses proved, was a decided help to their foreman. ButQuince stood firm, and arguing the matter, we reached the corrals andpenned the band.

  The two top bunches were held separate and were left a mile back on theprairie, under herd. The other remudas were all in sight of the ranch,while a majority of the men were eating a late dinner. Still contendingfor his point, Forrest sent a lad to the house to ask our employer tocome over to the corrals. On his appearance, accompanied by Flood, eachof us stated our proposition.

  "Well, the way I size this up," said old man Don, "one of you wants torely on his own judgment and the other don't. It looks to me, Quince,you want a gambler's chance where you can't lose. Tom's willing to bankon his own judgment, but you ain't. Now, I like a man who does his ownthinking, and to give you a good lesson in that line, why, divide them,horse and horse, turn about. Now, I'll spin this coin for first pick,and while it's in the air, Jim will call the turn.... Tom wins firstchoice."

  "That's all right, Mr. Lovell," said Quince, smilingly. "I just gotthe idea that you wanted the remudas for the Buford herds to be equallygood. How can you expect it when Tom knows every horse and I neversaddled one of them. Give me the same chance, and I might know them aswell as the little boy knew his pap."

  "You had the same chance," I put in, "but didn't want it. You wereoffered the Pine Ridge horses last year to take back to Dodge, and youkicked like a bay steer. But I swallowed their dust to the Arkansaw, andfrom there home we lived in clouds of alkali. You went home drunk anddressed up, with a cigar in your mouth and your feet through the carwindow, claiming you was a brother-in-law to Jay Gould, and simply outon a tour of inspection. Now you expect me to give you the benefit of myexperience and rob myself. Not this summer, John Quincy."

  But rather than let Forrest feel that he was being taken advantage of,I repeated my former proposition. Accepting it as a last resort, the twoboys were sent for and the dividing commenced. Remounting our horses,we entered the large corral, and as fast as they were selected thedifferent outfits were either roped or driven singly through a guardedgate. It took over an hour of dusty work to make the division, but whenit was finished I had a remuda of a hundred and fifty-two saddle horsesthat would make a man willing to work for his board and the privilegeof riding them. Turning out of the corrals, Priest and I accompanied thehorses out on the prairie where our toppy ones were being grazed. Paulwas tickled over my outfit of saddle stock, but gave me several hintsthat he was entitled to another picked mount. I attempted to explainthat he had a good remuda, but he still insisted, and I promised him ifhe would be at my wagon the next morning when we corralled, he shouldhave a good one. I could well afford to be generous with my old bunkie.

  There now only remained the apportionment of the work-stock. Four muleswere allowed to the wagon, and in order to have them in good conditionthey had been grain-fed for the past month. In their allotment theBuford herds were given the best teams, and when mine was pointed outby my employer, the outfit assisted the cook to harness in. Givinghim instructions to go into camp on a creek three miles south ofheadquarters, my wagon was the second one to get away. Some of theteams bolted at the start, and only for timely assistance Sponsilier'scommissary would have been overturned in the sand. Two of the wagonsheaded west for Uvalde, while my brother Bob's started southeast for BeeCounty. The other two belonging to Flood and The Rebel would camp on thesame creek as mine, their herds being also south. Once the wagons wereoff, the saddle stock was brought in and corralled for our first mounts.The final allotment of horses to the men would not take place until theherds were ready to be received, and until then, they would be riddenuniformly but promiscuously. With instructions from our employer toreturn to the ranch after making camp, the remudas were started afterthe wagons.

  On our return after darkness, the ranch was as deserted as aschool-house on Saturday. A Mexican cook and a few regular ranch handswere all that were left. Archie Tolleston had secured his horse and quitheadquarters before any one had even returned from the round-up. Whenthe last of the foremen came in, our employer delivered his finalmessages. "Boys," said he, "I'll only detain you a few minutes. I'mgoing west in the morning to Uvalde County, and will be present at thereceiving of Quince and Dave's herds. After they start, I'll come backto the city and take stage to Oakville. But you go right ahead andreceive your cattle, Bob, for we don't know what may turn up. Flood willhelp Tom first, and then Paul, to receive their cattle. That will givethe Buford herds the first start, and I'll be waiting for you at Abilenewhen you reach there. And above all else, boys, remember that I'vestrained my credit in this drive, and that the cattle must be A 1, andthat we must deliver them on the spot in prime condition. Now, that'sall, but you'd better be riding so as to get an early start in themorning."

  Our employer walked with us to the outer gate where our horses stood atthe hitch-rack. That he was reticent in his business matters was wellknown among all his old foremen, including Forrest and myself. If he hada confidant among his men, Jim Flood was the man--and there were afew things he did not know. As we mounted our horses to return to ourrespective camps, old man Don quietly took my bridle reins in hand andallowed the others to ride away. "I want a parting word with you,Tom," said he a moment later. "Something has happened to-day which willrequire the driving of the Buford herds in some road brand other thanthe 'Circle Dot.' The first blacksmith shop you pass, have your ironsaltered into 'Open A's,' and I'll do the same with Quince and Dave'sbrands. Of the why or wherefore of this, say nothing to any one, as noone but myself knows. Don't breathe a word even to Flood, for he don'tknow any more than he should. When the time comes, if it ever does,you'll know all that is necessary--or nothing. That's all."