The firm of Hunter, Anthony & Co. made a barrel of money in trailing cattle and from their beef ranch during the summer of 1882.  I actually felt grieved over my portion of the season’s work for while I had established a promising ranch, I had little to show, the improvement account being heavy, owing to our isolation.  It was doubtful if we could have sold the ranch and cattle at a profit, yet I was complimented on my management, and given to understand that the stockholders were anxious to double the capitalization should I consent.  Range was becoming valuable, and at a meeting of the directors that fall a resolution was passed, authorizing me to secure a lease adjoining our present one.  Accordingly, when paying the second installment of rent money, I took the Indian agent of the two tribes with me.  The leading chiefs were pleased with my punctuality in meeting the rental, and a proposition to double their income of “grass” money met with hearty grunts of approval.  I made the council a little speech,—­my maiden endeavor,—­and when it was interpreted to the squatting circle I had won the confidence of these simple aborigines.  A duplicate of our former lease in acreage and terms was drawn up and signed; and during the existence of our company the best teepee in the winter or summer encampments, of either the Cheyennes or Arapahoes, was none too good for Reed Anthony when he came with the rent money or on other business.

Our capital stock was increased to two million dollars, in the latter half of which, one hundred thousand was asked for and allotted to me.  I stayed on the range until the first of December, freighting in a thousand bushels of corn for the horses and otherwise seeing that the camps were fully provisioned before returning to my home in Texas.  The winter proved dry and cold, the cattle coming through in fine condition, not one per cent of loss being sustained, which is a good record for through stock.  Spring came and found me on the trail, with five herds on company account and eight herds under contract,—­a total of forty thousand cattle intended for the enlarged range.  All these had been bought north of the quarantine line in Texas, and were turned loose with the wintered ones, fever having been unknown among our holdings of the year before.  In the mean time the eastern spur of fence had been taken down and the southern line extended forty miles eastward and north the same distance.  The northern line of our range was left open, the fences being merely intended to catch any possible drift from summer storms or wintry blizzards.  Yet in spite of this precaution, two round-up outfits were kept in the field through the early summer, one crossing into the Chickasaw Nation and the other going as far south as Red River, gathering any possible strays from the new range.