the outlet-第8部分

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　remained　to　complete　our　numbers。　The　last　contingent　were　fully　up　to　the　standard；　and　rather　than　disappoint　the　sellers；　I　accepted　fifty　head　extra；　making　my　herd　at　starting　thirty…four　hundred　and　fifty。　When　the　last　beef　had　passed　the　branding…chute；　there　was　nothing　remaining　but　to　give　a　receipt　to　the　seller　for　the　number　of　head　received；　in　behalf　of　my　employer；　pending　a　later　settlement　between　them。

Meanwhile　competition　in　the　matter　of　inspection　had　been　carefully　nursed。　Conscious　of　each　other's　presence；　and　both　equally　anxious　for　the　fee；　the　one　deputy　was　entertained　at　my　camp　and　the　other　at　Los　Lobos。　They　were　treated　courteously；　but　given　to　understand　that　in　the　present　instance　money　talked。　With　but　a　small　bunch　of　beeves　to　brand　on　the　starting　day；　the　direction　in　which　the　herd　was　allowed　to　leave　the　bed…ground　would　be　the　final　answer。　If　west；　Dimmit　had　underbid　Lasalle；　if　the　contrary；　then　the　departure　of　this　herd　would　be　a　matter　of　record　in　the　latter　county。　Dr。　Beaver　enjoyed　the　situation　hugely；　acting　the　intermediary　in　behalf　of　his　guest。　Personally　I　was　unconcerned；　but　was　neutral　and　had　little　to　say。

My　outfit　understood　the　situation　perfectly。　Before　retiring　on　the　night　of　our　last　camp　on　the　county　line；　and　in　the　presence　of　the　Dimmit　inspector；　the　last　relief　received　instructions；　in　the　absence　of　contrary　orders；　to　allow　the　herd　to　drift　back　into　Lasalle　in　the　morning。　Matters　were　being　conducted　in　pantomime；　and　the　players　understood　their　parts。　Our　guest　had　made　himself　useful　in　various　ways；　and　I　naturally　felt　friendly　towards　him。　He　had　stood　several　guards　for　the　boys；　and　Burl　Van　Vedder；　of　the　last　watch；　had　secret　instructions　to　call　him　for　that　guard。

The　next　morning　the　camp　was　not　astir　as　early　as　usual。　On　the　cook's　arousing　us；　in　the　uncertain　light　of　dawn；　the　herd　was　slowly　rising；　and　from　the　position　of　a　group　of　four　horsemen；　it　was　plainly　evident　that　our　guest　had　shaded　all　competition。　Our　camp　was　in　plain　view　of　Los　Lobos；　and　only　some　five　or　six　miles　distant。　With　the　rising　of　the　sun；　and　from　the　top　of　a　windmill　derrick；　by　the　aid　of　a　field…glass；　the　Lasalle　inspector　had　read　his　answer；　and　after　the　work　in　the　morning　was　over；　and　the　final　papers　had　been　exchanged；　Dr。　Beaver　insisted　that；　in　commiseration　of　his　departed　guest；　just　one　more　mint…julep　should　be　drunk　standing。

When　Don　Lovell　glanced　over　my　expense　account　on　our　arrival　at　Abilene；　he　said：　〃Look　here；　Tom；　is　this　straight　？twenty　dollars　for　inspection？the　hell　you　say！　Corrupted　them；　did　you？　Well；　that's　the　cheapest　inspection　I　ever　paid；　with　one　exception。　Dave　Sponsilier　once　got　a　certificate　for　his　herd　for　five　dollars　and　a　few　drinks。　But　he　paid　for　it　a　month　in　advance　of　the　starting　of　the　herd。　It　was　dated　ahead；　properly　sealed；　and　all　ready　for　filling　in　the　brands　and　numbers。　The　herd　was　put　up　within　a　mile　of　where　four　counties　cornered；　and　that　inspector　was　a　believer　in　the　maxim　of　the　early　bird。　The　office　is　a　red…tape　one；　anyhow；　and　little　harm　in　taking　all　the　advantage　you　can。This　item　marked　'sundries'　was　DRY　goods；　I　suppose？　All　right；　Quirk；　I　reckon　rattlesnakes　were　rather　rabid　this　spring。〃　



CHAPTER　IV。　MINGLING　WITH　THE　EXODUS

By　noon　the　herd　had　grazed　out　five　miles　on　its　way。　The　boys　were　so　anxious　to　get　off　that　on　my　return　the　camp　was　deserted　with　the　exception　of　the　cook　and　the　horse…wrangler；　none　even　returning　for　dinner。　Before　leaving　I　had　lunched　at　Los　Lobos　with　its　owner；　and　on　reaching　the　wagon；　Levering　and　I　assisted　the　cook　to　harness　in　and　start　the　commissary。　The　general　course　of　the　Nueces　River　was　southeast　by　northwest；　and　as　our　route　lay　on　the　latter　angle；　the　herd　would　follow　up　the　valley　for　the　first　day。　Once　outside　the　boundaries　of　our　camp　of　the　past　week；　the　grass　matted　the　ground　with　its　rank　young　growth。　As　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　the　mesas；　clothed　in　the　verdure　of　spring；　rolled　in　long　swells　away　to　the　divides。　Along　the　river　and　in　the　first　bottom；　the　timber　and　mesquite　thickets　were　in　leaf　and　blossom；　while　on　the　outlying　prairies　the　only　objects　which　dotted　this　sea　of　green　were　range　cattle　and　an　occasional　band　of　horses。

The　start　was　made　on　the　27th　of　March。　By　easy　drives　and　within　a　week；　we　crossed　the　〃Sunset〃　Railway；　about　thirty　miles　to　the　westward　of　the　ranch　in　Medina。　On　reaching　the　divide　between　the　Leona　and　Frio　rivers；　we　sighted　our　first　herd　of　trail　cattle；　heading　northward。　We　learned　that　some　six　herds　had　already　passed　upward　on　the　main　Frio；　while　a　number　of　others　were　reported　as　having　taken　the　east　fork　of　that　river。　The　latter　stream　almost　paralleled　the　line　between　Medina　and　Uvalde　counties；　and　as　we　expected　some　word　from　headquarters；　we　crossed　over　to　the　east　fork。　When　westward　of　and　opposite　the　ranch；　Runt　Pickett　was　sent　in　for　any　necessary　orders　that　might　be　waiting。　By　leaving　us　early　in　the　evening　he　could　reach　headquarters　that　night　and　overtake　us　before　noon　the　next　day。　We　grazed　leisurely　forward　the　next　morning；　killing　as　much　time　as　possible；　and　Pickett　overtook　us　before　the　wagon　had　even　gone　into　camp　for　dinner。　Lovell　had　not　stopped　on　his　return　from　the　west；　but　had　left　with　the　depot　agent　at　the　home　station　a　letter　for　the　ranch。　From　its　contents　we　learned　that　the　other　two　Buford　herds　had　started　from　Uvalde；　Sponsilier　in　the　lead；　one　on　the　24th　and　the　other　the　following　day。　Local　rumors　were　encouraging　in　regard　to　grass　and　water　to　the　westward；　and　the　intimation　was　clear　that　if　favorable　reports　continued；　the　two　Uvalde　herds　would　intersect　an　old　trail　running　from　the　head　of　Nueces　Canon　to　the　Llano　River。　Should　they　follow　this　route　there　was　little　hope　of　their　coming　into　the　main　western　trail　before　reaching　the　Colorado　River。　Sponsilier　was　a　daring　fellow；　and　if　there　was　a　possible　chance　to　get　through　beyond　the　borders　of　any　settlement；　he　was　certain　to　risk　it。

The　letter　contained　no　personal　advice。　Years　of　experience　in　trail　matters　had　taught　my　employer　that　explicit　orders　were　often　harmful。　The　emergencies　to　be　met　were　of　such　a　varied　nature　that　the　best　method　was　to　trust　to　an　outfit　worming　its　way　out　of　any　situation　which　confronted　it。　From　the　information　disclosed；　it　was　evident　that　the　other　Buford　herds　were　then　somewhere　to　the　northwest；　and　possibly　over　a　hundred　miles　distant。　Thus　freed　from　any　restraint；　we　held　a　due　northward　course　for　several　days；　or　until　we　encountered　some　rocky　country。　Water　was　plentiful　and　grass　fairly　good；　but　those　flinty　hills　must　be　avoided　or　sorefooted　beeves　would　be　the　result。　I　had　seen　trails　of　blood　left　by　cattle　from　sandy　countries　on　encountering　rock；　and　now　the　feet　of　ours　were　a　second　consideration　to　their　stomachs。　But　long　before　the　herd　reached　this　menace；　Morg　Tussler　and　myself；　scouting　two　full　days　in　advance；　located　a　safe　route　to　the　westward。　Had　we　turned　to　the　other　hand；　we　should　have　been　forced　into　the　main　trail　below　Fredericksburg；　and　we　preferred　the　sea…room　of　the　boundless　plain。　From　every　indication　and　report；　this　promised　to　be　the　banner　year　in　the　exodus　of　cattle　from　the　South　to　the　then　new　Northwest。　This　latter　section　was　affording　the　long…looked…for　outlet；　by　absorbing　the　offerings　of　cattle　which　came　up　from　Texas　over　the　trail；　and　marking　an　epoch　barely　covering　a　single　decade。

Turning　on　a　western　angle；　a　week's　drive　brought　us　out　on　a　high　tableland。　Veering　again　to　the　north；　we　snailed　along　through　a　delightful　country；　rich　in　flora　and　the　freshness　of　the　season。　From　every　possible　elevation；　we　scanned　the　west　in　the　hope　of　sighting　some　of　the　herd　which　had　followed　up　the　main　Frio；　but　in　vain。　Sweeping　northward　at　a　leisurely　gait；　the　third　week　out　we　sighted　the　Blue　Mountains；　the　first　familiar　landmark　on　our　course。　As　the　main　western　trail　skirted　its　base　on　the　eastward；　our　position　was　easily　established。

So　far　the　cattle　were　well　behaved；　not　a　run；　and　only　a　single　incident　occurring　worth　mention。　About　half　an　hour　before　dawn　one　morning；　the　cook　aroused　the　camp　with　the　report　that　the　herd　was　missing。　The　beeves　had　been　bedded　within　two　hundred　yards　of　the　wagon；　and　the　last　watch　usually　hailed　the　rekindling　of　the　cook's　fire　as　the　first　harbinger　of　day。　But　on　this　occasion　the　absence　of　the　usual　salutations　from　the　bed…ground　aroused　Parent's　suspicion。　He　rushed　into　camp；　and　laboring　under　the　impression　that　the　cattle　had　stampeded；　trampled　over　our　beds；　yelling　at　the；　top　of　his　lungs。　Aroused　in　the　darkness　from　heavy　sleep；　bewildered　by　a　bright　fire　burning　and　a　crazy　man　shouting；　〃The　beeves　have　stampeded！　the　herd's　gone！　Get　up；　everybody！〃　we　were　almost　thrown　into　a　panic。　Many　of　the　boys　ran　for　their　night…horses；　but　Clay　Zilligan　and　I　fell　on　the　cook　and　shook　the　statement　out　of　him　that　the　cattle　had　left　their　beds。　This　simplified　the　situation；　but　before　I　could　recall　the　men；　several　of　them　had　reached　the　bed…ground。　As　fast　as　horses　could　be　secured；　others　dashed　through　the　lighted　circle　and　faded　into　the　darkness。　From　the　flickering　of　matches　it　was　evident　that　the　boys　were　dismounting　and　looking　for　some　sign　of　trouble。　Zilligan　was　swearing　like　a　pirate；　looking　for　his　horse　in　the　murky　night；　but　instead　of　any　alarm；　oaths　and　derision　greeted　our　ears　as　the　men　returned　to　camp。　Halting　their　horses　within　the　circle　of　the　fire；　Dorg　Seay　said　to　the　cook：

〃Neal；　the　next　time　you　find　a　mare's　nest；　keep　the　secret　to　yourself。　I　don't　begrudge　losing　thirty　minutes'　beauty　sleep；　but　I　hate　to　be　scared　out　of　a　year's　growth。　Haven't　you　got　cow…sense　enough　to　know　that　if　those　beeves　had　run；　they'd　have　shook　the　earth？　If　they　had　stampeded；　that　alarm　clock　of　yours　wouldn't　be　a　circumstance　to　the　barking　of　the　boys'　guns。　Why；　the　cattle　haven't　been　gone　thirty　minutes。　You　can　see　where　they　got　up　a