Belknap. Active preparations were in progress for the driving of the
second herd, oxen had been secured, and a number of extra fine horses
were already added to the saddle stock. The remuda had enjoyed a good
month's rest and were in strong working flesh, and within a few days
all the boys reported for duty. The senior member of the firm was the
owner of a large number of range cattle, and it was the intention to
round up and gather as many of his beeves as possible for the coming
drive. We should have ample time to do this; by waiting until the
latter part of the month for starting, it was believed that few
Indians would be encountered, as the time was nearing for their annual
buffalo hunt for robes and a supply of winter meat. This was a gala
occasion with the tribes which depended on the bison for food and
clothing; and as the natural hunting grounds of the Comanches and
Kiowas lay south of Red River, the drovers considered that that would
be an opportune time to start. The Indians would no doubt confine
their operations to the first few tiers of counties in Texas, as the
robes and dried meat would tax the carrying capacity of their horses
returning, making it an object to kill their supplies as near their
winter encampment as possible.

Some twenty days were accordingly spent in gathering beeves along the
main Brazos and Clear Fork. Our herd consisted of about a thousand in
the straight ranch brand, and after receiving and road-branding five
hundred outside cattle we were ready to start. Sixteen men constituted
our numbers, the horses were culled down until but five were left to
the man, and with the previous armament the start was made. Never
before or since have I enjoyed such an outing as this was until we
struck the dry drive on approaching the Pecos River. The absence of
the Indians was correctly anticipated, and either their presence
elsewhere, preying on the immense buffalo herds, or the drift of