arrived in Dodge some ten days before, and looking over the
situation, had come to the conclusion it was useless even to
offer our remudas. As remnants of that year's drive, there had
concentrated in and around that market something like ten
thousand saddle horses. Many of these were from central and north
Texas, larger and better stock than ours, even though care had
been used in selecting the latter. So on their arrival, instead
of making any effort to dispose of our own, the drover and his
foreman had sized up the congested condition of the market, and
turned buyers. They had bought two whole remudas, and picked over
five or six others until their purchases amounted to over five
hundred head. Consequently on our reaching Dodge with the Pine
Ridge horses, I was informed that they were going to send all the
saddle stock back over the trail to the ranch and that I was to
have charge of the herd. Had the trip been in the spring and the
other way, I certainly would have felt elated over my promotion.
Our beef herd that year had been put up in Dimmit County, and
from there to the Pine Ridge Agency and back to the ranch would
certainly be a summer's work to gratify an ordinary ambition.

In the mean time and before our arrival, Flood had brought up all
the stock and wagons from the settlement, and established a camp
on Mulberry Creek, south of Dodge on the trail. He had picked up
two Texans who were anxious to see their homes once more, and the
next day at noon we started. The herd numbered a thousand and
sixty head, twenty of which were work-mules. The commissary which
was to accompany us was laden principally with harness; and
waving Flood farewell, we turned homeward, leaving behind unsold
of that year's drive only two wagons. Lovell had instructed us
never to ride the same horse twice, and wherever good grass and