“Let me put you boys in possession of some facts,” urged Mr. Stoddard, in confidence to the brothers.  “Most of us drovers are tired out, disgusted with the slight demand for cattle, and if you’ll buy out our little remnants and send us home—­well, we’d almost let you name the price.  Unless my herds are under contract, this is my last year on the trail.”

The remnant of Mr. Stoddard’s herd numbered around seven hundred head.  They were largely twos, only a small portion of threes, and as an inducement their owner offered to class them at the lesser age, and priced them at the same figures as those delivered on the Beaver.  On range markets, there was a difference in the selling value of the two ages, amounting to three dollars a head; and as one third of the cattle would have classed as threes, Joel waived his objection to their ages.

“We’ll take your remnant on one condition,” said he.  “Start your outfits home, but you hang around until we make up our herd.”

“That’s my intention, anyhow,” replied Mr. Stoddard.  “My advice would be to pick up these other remnants.  Two years on a steer makes them all alike.  You have seen cripple and fagged cattle come out of the kinks, and you know the advantage of a few cows; keeps your cattle quiet and on the home range.  You might keep an eye open for any bargains in she stuff.”

“That’s just what Jack Sargent says,” said Dell; “that we ought to have a cow to every ten or fifteen steers.”

“Sargent’s our foreman,” explained Joel.  “He’s a Texan, and knows cattle right down to the split in their hoof.  With his and your judgment, we ought to make up a herd of cattle in a few days.”

The two outfits came in on the evening of the fourth day.  The next morning the accepted cattle were counted and received, the through outfits relieved, the remudas started overland under a detail, and the remainder of the men sent home by rail.  In acquiring a nucleus, Wells Brothers fell heir to a temporary range and camp, which thereafter became their headquarters.

A single day was wasted in showing the different remnants to Sargent, and relieved of further concern, Mr. Stoddard lent his best efforts to bring buyer and seller together.  Barter began in earnest, on the different fragments acceptable in age and quality.  Prices on range cattle were nearly standard, at least established for the present, and any yielding on the part of drovers was in classing and conceding ages.  Bargaining began on the smaller remnants, and once the buyers began to receive and brand, there was a flood of offerings, and the herd was made up the second day.  The ——­ Y was run on the different remnants as fast as received, and when completed, the herd numbered a few over thirty-four hundred head.  The suggestion to add cows to their holdings was not overlooked, and in making up the herd, two fragments, numbering nearly five hundred, were purchased.

“The herd will be a trifle unwieldy,” admitted Sargent, “but we’re only going to graze home.  And unless we get a permit, we had better hold over the line in Colorado until after the first frost.”