第51章 MARSHALING THE FORCES(3)

Lovell had a set-to over the beef, the old man refusing to cut him back, but he rode out of the herd and never again offered to interfere.Forrest was present, and at dinner that day old man Don admitted that he was too easy when receiving.Sponsilier and Forrest did the trimming afterward, and that is the secret of these two herds being so uniform."A general halt was called at the head of Stinking Water.We were then within forty miles of Ogalalla, and a day's drive would put us within the jurisdiction of Keith County.Some time was lost at this last water, waiting for the rear herds to arrive, as it was the intention to place the "Open A" and "Drooping T" cattle at the rear in crossing this dry belt.At the ford on the Republican, a number of strangers were noticed, two of whom rode a mile or more with mc, and innocently asked numerous but leading questions.I frankly answered every inquiry, and truthfully, with the exception of the names of the lead foreman and my own.

Direct, it was only sixty miles from the crossing on the Republican to Ogalalla, an easy night's ride, and I was conscious that our whereabouts would be known at the latter place the next morning.For several days before starting across this arid stretch, we had watered at ten o'clock in the morning, so when Flood and Forrest came up, mine being the third herd to reach the last water, I was all ready to pull out.But old man Don counseled another day's lie-over, as it would be a sore trial for the herds under a July sun, and for a full day twenty thousand beeves grazed in sight of each other on the mesas surrounding the head of Stinking Water.All the herds were aroused with the dawn, and after a few hours' sun on the cattle, the Indian beeves were turned onto the water and held until the middle of the forenoon, when the start was made for the Platte and Ogalalla.