“I rode away in a walk, to give them a chance to say anything they wanted to, but there were no further remarks.  My men were all hopping mad when I told them, but I promised them that to-morrow we would fix them plenty or use up our supply of cartridges if necessary.  We dropped back a mile off the trail and camped for the night.  Early the next morning I sent one of my boys out on the highest sand dune to Injun around and see what they were doing.  After being gone for an hour he came back and said they had thrown their cattle off the bed-ground up the trail, and were pottering around like as they aimed to move.  Breakfast over, I sent him back again to make sure, for I wanted yet to avoid trouble if they didn’t draw it on.  It was another hour before he gave us the signal to come on.  We were nicely strung out where you saw those graves on that last ridge of sand-hills, when there they were about a mile ahead of us, moseying along.  This side of Chapman’s, the Indian trader’s store, the old route turns to the right and follows up this black-jack ridge.  We kept up close, and just as soon as they turned in to the right,—­the only trail there was then,—­we threw off the course and came straight ahead, cross-country style, same route we came over to-day, except there was no trail there; we had to make a new one.

“Now they watched us a plenty, but it seemed they couldn’t make out our game.  When we pulled up even with them, half a mile apart, they tumbled that my bluff of the day before was due to take effect without further notice.  Then they began to circle and ride around, and one fellow went back, only hitting the high places, to their wagon and saddle horses, and they were brought up on a trot.  We were by this time three quarters of a mile apart, when the boss of their outfit was noticed riding out toward us.  Calling one of my men, we rode out and met him halfway.  ’Young man, do you know just what you are trying to do?’ he asked.

“’I think I do.  You and myself as cowmen don’t pace in the same class, as you will see, if you will only watch the smoke of our tepee.  Watch us close, and I’ll pass you between here and the next water.’

“‘We will see you in hell first!’ he said, as he whirled his horse and galloped back to his men.  The race was on in a brisk walk.  His wagon, we noticed, cut in between the herds, until it reached the lead of his cattle, when it halted suddenly, and we noticed that they were cutting off a dry cowskin that swung under the wagon.  At the same time two of his men cut out a wild steer, and as he ran near their wagon one of them roped and the other heeled him.  It was neatly done.  I called Big Dick, my boss roper, and told him what I suspected,—­that they were going to try and stampede us with a dry cowskin tied to that steer’s tail they had down.  As they let him up, it was clear I had called the turn, as they headed him for our herd, the flint thumping at his heels.  Dick rode out in a lope, and I signaled for my crowd to come on and we would back Dick’s play.  As we rode out together, I said to my boys, ‘The stuff’s off, fellows!  Shoot, and shoot to hurt!’