for the start.  The Coryell herds were to be received one week later than the beef cattle, and the outfits would necessarily have to start in ample time to meet us on our return from the upper Nueces River country.  The two foremen allotted to Hood County would start a week later still, so that we would really move north with the advance of the season in receiving the cattle under contract.  Only a few days were required in securing the necessary foremen, a remuda was apportioned to each, and credit for the commissary supplies arranged for, the employment of the men being left entirely to the trail bosses.  Taking two of my older foremen with me, I started for Fort Worth, where an agreeable surprise awaited me.  We had been underbidden at the War Department on both our proposals for northern wintered beeves.  The fortunate bidder on one contract was refused the award,—­for some duplicity in a former transaction, I learned later,—­and the Secretary of War had approached our silent partner to fill the deficiency.  Six weeks had elapsed, there was no obligation outstanding, and rather than advertise and relet the contract, the head of the War Department had concluded to allot the deficiency by private award.  Major Hunter had been burning the wires between Fort Worth and Washington, in order to hold the matter open until I came in for a consultation.  The department had offered half a cent a pound over and above our previous bid, and we bribed an operator to reopen his office that night and send a message of acceptance.  We had ten thousand cattle wintering on the Medicine River, and it would just trim them up nicely to pick out all the heavy, rough beeves for filling an army contract.

When we had got a confirmation of our message, we proceeded on south, accompanied by the two foremen, and reached Uvalde County within a week of the time set for receiving.  Edwards had two good remudas in pastures, wagons and teams secured, and cooks and wranglers on hand, and it only remained to pick the men to complete the outfits.  With three old trail foremen on the alert for good hands while the gathering and receiving was going on, the help would be ready in ample time to receive the herds.  Gathering the beeves was in active operation on our arrival, a branding chute had been built to facilitate the work, and all five of us took to the saddle in assisting ranchmen in holding under herd, as we permitted nothing to be corralled night or day.  The first herd was completed on the 14th, and the second a day later, both moving out without an hour’s delay, the only instructions being to touch at Great Bend, Kansas, for final orders.  The cattle more than came up to expectations, three fourths of them being six and seven years old, and as heavy as oxen.  There was something about the days of the open range that left its impression on animals, as these two herds were as uniform in build as deer, and I question if the same country to-day has as heavy beeves.