Major Hunter came down again about the last of February.  Still unshaken in his confidence in the future of Texas, he complimented me on securing more land scrip.  He had just returned from our camps on the Medicine River, and reported the cattle coming through in splendid condition.  Gray wolves had harassed the herd during the early winter; but long-range rifles and poison were furnished, and our men waged a relentless war on these pirates along the Medicine.  Cattle in Texas had wintered strong, which would permit of active operations beginning earlier than usual, and after riding the range for a week we were ready for business.  It was well known in all the surrounding country that we would again be in the market for trail cattle, and offerings were plentiful.  These tenders ran anywhere from stock cattle to heavy beeves; but the market which we were building up with farmers at Council Grove required young two and three year old steers.  It again fell to my province to do the buying, and with the number of brands for sale in the country I expected, with the consent of my partners, to make a new departure.  I was beginning to understand the advantages of growing cattle.  My holdings of mixed stock on the Clear Fork had virtually cost me nothing, and while they may have been unsalable, yet there was a steady growth and they were a promising source of income.  From the results of my mavericking and my trading operations I had been enabled to send two thousand young steers up the trail the spring before, and the proceeds from their sale had lifted me from the slough of despond and set me on a financial rock.  Therefore my regard for the eternal cow was enhancing.

Home prices were again ten dollars for two-year-old steers and twelve for threes.  Instead of buying outright at these figures, my proposition was to buy individually brands of stock cattle, and turn over all steers of acceptable ages at prevailing prices to the firm of Hunter, Anthony & Co. in making up trail herds.  We had already agreed to drive ten thousand head that spring, and my active partner readily saw the advantages that would accrue where one had the range and outfit to take care of the remnants of mixed stock.  My partners were both straining their credit at home, and since it was immaterial to them, I was given permission to go ahead.  This method of buying might slightly delay the starting of herds, and rather than do so I contracted for three thousand straight threes in Erath County.  This herd would start ten days in advance of any other, which would give us cattle on the market at Wichita with the opening of the season.  My next purchase was two brands whose range was around the juncture of the main Brazos and Clear Fork, adjoining my ranch.  These cattle were to be delivered at our corrals, as, having received the three-year-olds from both brands the spring before, I had a good idea how the stock ought to classify.  A third brand was secured up the Clear Fork, adjacent to my range, supposed to number about three thousand, from which nothing had been sold in four years.  This latter contingent cost me five dollars a head, but my boys knew the brand well enough to know that they would run forty per cent steer cattle.  In all three cases I bought all right and title to the brand, giving them until the last day of March to gather, and anything not tendered for count on receiving, the tail went with the hide.