Live-stock commission firms in San Antonio were notified of our coming, and with six men to the herd and the seventh driving the remuda, we put twenty miles behind us the first day.  With the exception of water for saddle stock, which we hoisted from a well, there was no hope of watering the herd before reaching Mr. Booth’s ranch on the Frio.  He had been husbanding his water supply, and early the second evening we watered the herd to its contentment from a single shaded pool.  From the Frio we could not follow any road, but were compelled to direct our course wherever there was a prospect of water.  By hobbling the bell mare of the remuda at evening, and making two watches of the night-herding, we easily systematized our work.  Until we reached the San Antonio River, about twenty miles below the city, not over two days passed without water for all the stock, though, on account of the variations from our course, we were over a week in reaching San Antonio.  Having moved the herd up near some old missions within five or six miles of the city, with an abundance of water and some grass, Deweese went into town, visiting the commission firms and looking for a buyer.  Fortunately a firm, which was expecting our arrival, had a prospective purchaser from Fort Worth for about our number.  Making a date with the firm to show our horses the next morning, our segundo returned to the herd, elated over the prospect of a sale.

On their arrival the next morning, we had the horses already watered and were grazing them along an abrupt slope between the first and second bottoms of the river.  The salesman understood his business, and drove the conveyance back and forth on the down hill side, below the herd, and the rise in the ground made our range stock look as big as American horses.  After looking at the animals for an hour, from a buckboard, the prospective buyer insisted on looking at the remuda.  But as these were gentle, he gave them a more critical examination, insisting on their being penned in a rope corral at our temporary camp, and had every horse that was then being ridden unsaddled to inspect their backs.  The remuda was young, gentle, and sound, many of them submitting to be caught without a rope.  The buyer was pleased with them, and when the price came up for discussion Deweese artfully set a high figure on the saddle stock, and, to make his bluff good, offered to reserve them and take them back to the ranch.  But Tuttle would not consider the herd without the remuda, and sparring between them continued until all three returned to town.

It was a day of expectancy to the vaqueros and myself.  In examining the saddle horses, the buyer acted like a cowman; but as regarding the range stock, it was evident to me that his armor was vulnerable, and if he got any the best of our segundo he was welcome to it.  Deweese returned shortly after dark, coming directly to the herd where I and two vaqueros were on guard, to inform us that he had sold lock, stock, and barrel, including the two pack mules.  I felt like shouting over the good news, when June threw a damper on my enthusiasm by the news that he had sold for delivery at Fort Worth.