“’Some of you boys must have given him a heavy dose for so early in the morning,’ said Pink, ’for he ordered me to have the cattle counted, and report to him at the wagon.  Acted like he didn’t aim to do the trick himself.  Now, as I’m foreman,’ continued Pink, ’I want you two point-men to go up to the first little rise of ground, and we’ll put the cattle through between you.  I want a close count, understand.  You’re working under a boss now that will shove you through hell itself.  So if you miss them over a hundred, I’ll speak to the management, and see if I can’t have your wages raised, or have you made a foreman or something with big wages and nothing to do.’

“The point-men smiled at Pink’s orders, and one asked, ’Are you ready now?’

“‘All set,’ responded Pink.  ‘Let the fiddlers cut loose.’

“Well, we lined them up and got them strung out in shape to count, and our point-men picking out a favorite rise, we lined them through between our counters.  We fed them through, and as regularly as a watch you could hear Californy call out to his pardner ‘tally!’ Alternately they would sing out this check on the even hundred head, slipping a knot on their tally string to keep the hundreds.  It took a full half hour to put them through, and when the rear guard of crips and dogies passed this impromptu review, we all waited patiently for the verdict.  Our counters rode together, and Californy, leaning over on the pommel of his saddle, said to his pardner, ‘What you got?’

“‘Thirty-three six,’ was the answer.

“‘Why, you can’t count a little bit,’ said Californy.  ’I got thirty-three seven.  How does the count suit you, boss?’

“‘Easy suited, gents,’ said Pink.  ’But I’m surprised to find such good men with a common cow herd.  I must try and have you appointed by the government on this commission that’s to investigate Texas fever.  You’re altogether too accomplished for such a common calling as claims you at present.’

“Turning to the rest of us, he said, ’Throw your cattle on the trail, you vulgar peons, while I ride back to order forward my wagon and saddle stock.  By rights, I ought to have one of those centre fire cigars to smoke, to set off my authority properly on this occasion.’

“He jogged back to the wagon and satisfied the dethroned medicine man that the cattle were there to a hoof.  We soon saw the saddle horses following, and an hour afterward Pink and the foreman rode by us, big as fat cattle-buyers from Kansas City, not even knowing any one, so absorbed in their conversation were they; rode on by and up the trail, looking out for grass and water.

“It was over two weeks afterward when Pink said to us, ’When we strike the Santa Fe Railway, I may advise my man to take a needed rest for a few weeks in some of the mountain resorts.  I hope you all noticed how worried he looks, and, to my judgment, he seems to be losing flesh.  I don’t like to suggest anything, but the day before we reach the railroad, I think a day’s curlew shooting in the sand hills along the Arkansas River might please his highness.  In case he’ll go with me, if I don’t lose him, I’ll never come back to this herd.  It won’t hurt him any to sleep out one night with the dry cattle.’