The Log of a Cowboy | Page 8

on handling a herd, but you
have until the 10th day of September to reach the Blackfoot Agency.
An average of fifteen miles a day will put you there on time, so don't
hurry. I'll try and see you at Dodge and Ogalalla on the way. Now, live
well, for I like your outfit of men. Your credit letter is good anywhere
you need supplies, and if you want more horses on the trail, buy them
and draft on me through your letter of credit. If any of your men meet
with accident or get sick, look out for them the same as you would for
yourself, and I'll honor all bills. And don't be stingy over your expense
account, for if that herd don't make money, you and I had better quit
cows."
I had been detained to do any interpreting needful, and at parting Lovell
beckoned to me. When I rode alongside the carriage, he gave me his
hand and said,--
"Flood tells me to-day that you're a brother of Bob Quirk. Bob is to be
foreman of my herd that I'm putting up in Nueces County. I'm glad
you're here with Jim, though, for it's a longer trip. Yes, you'll get all the
circus there is, and stay for the concert besides. They say God is good
to the poor and the Irish; and if that's so, you'll pull through all right.
Good-by, son." And as he gave me a hearty, ringing grip of the hand, I
couldn't help feeling friendly toward him, Yankee that he was.
After Lovell and the dons had gone, Flood ordered McCann to move
his wagon back from the river about a mile. It was now too late in the
day to start the herd, and we wanted to graze them well, as it was our
first night with them. About half our outfit grazed them around on a
large circle, preparatory to bringing them up to the bed ground as it
grew dusk. In the untrammeled freedom of the native range, a cow or
steer will pick old dry grass on which to lie down, and if it is summer,
will prefer an elevation sufficient to catch any passing breeze. Flood
was familiar with the habits of cattle, and selected a nice elevation on
which the old dry grass of the previous summer's growth lay matted
like a carpet.
Our saddle horses by this time were fairly well broken to camp life, and,
with the cattle on hand, night herding them had to be abandoned. Billy

Honeyman, however, had noticed several horses that were inclined to
stray on day herd, and these few leaders were so well marked in his
memory that, as a matter of precaution, he insisted on putting a rope
hobble on them. At every noon and night camp we strung a rope from
the hind wheel of our wagon and another from the end of the wagon
tongue back to stakes driven in the ground or held by a man, forming a
triangular corral. Thus in a few minutes, under any conditions, we
could construct a temporary corral for catching a change of mounts, or
for the wrangler to hobble untrustworthy horses. On the trail all horses
are free at night, except the regular night ones, which are used
constantly during the entire trip, and under ordinary conditions keep
strong and improve in flesh.
Before the herd was brought in for the night, and during the supper
hour, Flood announced the guards for the trip. As the men usually
bunked in pairs, the foreman chose them as they slept, but was under
the necessity of splitting two berths of bedfellows. "Rod" Wheat, Joe
Stallings, and Ash Borrowstone were assigned to the first guard, from
eight to ten thirty P.M. Bob Blades, "Bull" Durham, and Fox
Quarternight were given second guard, from ten thirty to one. Paul
Priest, John Officer, and myself made up the third watch, from one to
three thirty. The Rebel and I were bunkies, and this choice of guards,
while not ideal, was much better than splitting bedfellows and having
them annoy each other by going out and returning from guard
separately. The only fault I ever found with Priest was that he could use
the poorest judgment in selecting a bed ground for our blankets, and
always talked and told stories to me until I fell asleep. He was a light
sleeper himself, while I, being much younger, was the reverse. The
fourth and last guard, from three thirty until relieved after daybreak, fell
to Wyatt Roundtree, Quince Forrest, and "Moss" Strayhorn. Thus the
only men in the outfit not on night duty were Honeyman, our horse
wrangler, Barney McCann, our cook, and Flood, the foreman. The
latter, however, made up by riding almost