The boys were catching, at first hand, an insight into the exacting nature of trail work.  Their friends were up with the dawn, and while harnessing in the team, Forrest called Joel’s attention to setting the ranch in order to water the passing herds.

“I was telling Dell yesterday,” said he, “the danger of Texas fever among wintered cattle, and you must isolate your little herd until after frost falls.  Graze your cattle up around Hackberry Grove, and keep a dead-line fully three miles wide between the wintered and through trail herds.  Any new cattle that you pick up, cripples or strays, hold them down the creek—­between here and the old trail crossing.  For fear of losing them you can’t even keep milk cows around the ranch, so turn out your calves.  Don’t ask me to explain Texas fever.  It’s one of the mysteries of the trail.  The very cattle that impart it after a winter in the north catch the fever and die like sheep.  It seems to exist, in a mild form, in through, healthy cattle, but once imparted to native or northern wintered stock, it becomes violent and is usually fatal.  The sure, safe course is to fear and avoid it.”

The two foremen were off at an early hour.  Priest was again in charge of Lovell’s lead herd, and leaving the horse that he had ridden to the Republican River in care of the boys, he loitered a moment at parting.

“If my herd left Dodge at noon yesterday,” said he, mentally calculating, “I’ll overtake it some time to-morrow night.  Allowing ten days to reach here—­”

He turned to the boys.  “This is the sixteenth of June.  Well, come out on the divide on the morning of the twenty-fifth and you will see a dust cloud in the south.  The long distance between waters will put the herd through on schedule time.  Come out and meet me.”

The brothers waved the buckboard away.  The dragging days were over.  The herds were coming, and their own little ranch promised relief to the drover and his cattle.

“Mr. Quince says the usual price for watering trail herds is from one to three cents a head,” said Dell, as their friends dipped from sight.  “The government, so he says, allows three cents for watering cavalry horses and harness mules.  He tells me that the new settlers, in control of the water on the trail, in northern Texas, fairly robbed the drovers this year.  The pastoral Texan, he contends, shared his canteen with the wayfarer, and never refused to water cattle.  He wants us to pattern after the Texans—­to give our water and give it freely.  When Mr. Lovell raised the question of arranging to water his herds from our beaver ponds, do you remember how Mr. Quince answered for us?  I’m mighty glad money wasn’t mentioned.  No money could buy Dog-toe from me.  And Mr. Lovell gave us three of our best horses.”

“He offered me ten dollars for taking him to the railroad,” said Joel, “but I looked him square in the eye and refused the money.  He says we must buy more cattle.  He wants me to come to Dodge in August, and I’m going.”