whole column of beeves turned aside and began feeding. The men called it
'throwing the herd off the trail to graze.' It was just like saying
_halt_! to soldiers--like we saw at that reunion in Ohio."

"And you weren't afraid?" timidly queried the younger brother.

"No one else was afraid, and why should I be? I was on horseback. Stop
asking foolish questions and go to sleep," concluded Joel, with pitying
finality, and turned to the wall.

"But suppose those big Texas beeves had stampeded, then what?" There was
challenge in Dell's voice, but the brother vouchsafed no answer. A
seniority of years had given one a twelve hours' insight over the other,
in range cattle, and there was no common ground between sleepy
bedfellows to justify further converse. "I piloted in the doctor,
anyhow," said Dell defensively. No reply rewarded his assertion.

Morning brought little or no change in the condition of the wounds. The
doctor was anxious to return, but Priest urged otherwise. "Let's call it
Sunday," said he, "and not work to-day. Besides, if I overtake the herd,
I'll have to make a hand. Wait until to-morrow, and we'll bear each
other company. If another herd shows up on the trail to-day, it may have
a cow. We must make these boys comfortable."

The doctor consented to stay over, and amused himself by quarreling with
his patient. During the forenoon Priest and Joel rode out to the
nearest high ground, from which a grove was seen on the upper Beaver.
"That's what we call Hackberry Grove," said Joel, "and where we get our
wood. The creek makes a big bend, and all the bottom land has grown up
with timber, some as big as a man's body. It doesn't look very far away,