"Jealous of each other, ain't you? Very well; I want these herds grazed across to Buford at the rate of four miles a day.Nothing but a Mexican pastor, or a white man as lazy as Quince Forrest can fill the bill.You're listening, are you, Quince? Well, after the sun sets to-night, you're in charge of ten thousand beeves from here to the mouth of the Yellowstone.I want to put every ounce possible on those steers for the next twenty days.We utay have to make a comparison of cattle, and if we should, I want ours to lay over the opposition like a double eagle does over a lead dime.We may run up against a lot of red tape at Fort Buford, but if there is a lick of cow-sense among the government representatives, we want our beeves to speak for themselves.Fat animals do their own talking.You remember when every one was admiring the fine horse, the blind man said, 'Isn't he fat?' Now, Dave, you and Tom appoint your segundos, and we'll all catch the 10:20 train west to-night."I dared to risk one eye on Forrest.Inwardly I was chuckling, but Quince was mincing along with his dinner, showing that languid indifference which is inborn to the Texan.Lovell continued to monopolize the conversation, blowing on the cattle and ribbing up Forrest to see that the beeves thenceforth should never know tire, hunger, or thirst.The commissaries had run low;Sponsilier's cook had been borrowing beans from us for a week past, while Parent point-blank refused to share any more of our bacon.The latter was recognized as a staple in trail-work, and it mattered not how inviting the beef or venison might be, we always fell back to bacon with avidity.When it came time to move out on the evening lap, Forrest's herd took the lead, the other two falling in behind, the wagons pulling out for town in advance of everything.Jack Splann had always acted as segundo in my absence, and as he had overheard Lovell's orders to Forrest, there was nothing further for me to add, and Splann took charge of my "Open A's."When changing mounts at noon, I caught out two of my best saddlers and tied one behind the chuckwagon, to be left with a liveryman in town.Leaving old man Don with the cattle, all three of us foremen went into the village in order to secure a few staple supplies with which to complete the journey.
It can be taken for granted that Sponsilier and myself were feeling quite gala.The former took occasion, as we rode along, to throw several bouquets at Forrest over his preferment, when the latter turned on us, saying: "You fellows think you're d--d smart, now, don't you? You're both purty good talkers, but neither one of you can show me where the rainbow comes in in rotting along with these measly cattle.It's enough to make a man kick his own dog.But I can see where the old man was perfectly right in sending you two up to Miles City.When you fellows work your rabbit's foot, it will be Katy with those Washington City schemers--more than likely they'll not draw cards when they see that you are in the game- When it comes to the real sabe, you fellows shine like a tree full of owls.Honest, it has always been a wonder to me that Grant didn't send for both of you when he was making up his cabinet."The herds crossed the railroad about a mile west of Little Missouri Station.The wagons secured the needed supplies, and pulled out down the river, leaving Sponsilier and myself foot-loose and free.
Lovell was riding a livery horse, and as neither of us expected him to return until it was too dark to see the cattle, we amused ourselves by looking over the town.There seemed to be a great deal of freighting to outlying points, numerous ox and mule trains coming in and also leaving for their destinations.Our employer came in about dusk, and at once went to the depot, as he was expecting a message.One had arrived during his absence, and after reading it, he came over to Dave and me, saying:
"It's from Mike Sutton.I authorized him to secure the services of the best lawyer in the West, and he has just wired me that he has retained Senator Aspgrain of Sioux City, Iowa.They will report at Fort Buford on September the 5th and will take care of any legal complications which may arise.I don't know who this senator is, but Mike has orders not to spare any expense as long as we have the other fellow's money to fight with.Well, if the Iowa lawyers are as good stuff as the Iowa troops were down in Dixie, that's all I ask.Now, we'll get our suppers and then sack our saddles--why, sure, you'll need them; every good cowman takes his saddle wherever he goes, though he may not have clothes enough with him to dust a fiddle."
