experience and rob myself. Not this summer, John Quincy."

But rather than let Forrest feel that he was being taken
advantage of, I repeated my former proposition. Accepting it as a
last resort, the two boys were sent for and the dividing
commenced. Remounting our horses, we entered the large corral,
and as fast as they were selected the different outfits were
either roped or driven singly through a guarded gate. It took
over an hour of dusty work to make the division, but when it was
finished I had a remuda of a hundred and fifty-two saddle horses
that would make a man willing to work for his board and the
privilege of riding them. Turning out of the corrals, Priest and
I accompanied the horses out on the prairie where our toppy ones
were being grazed. Paul was tickled over my outfit of saddle
stock, but gave me several hints that he was entitled to another
picked mount. I attempted to explain that he had a good remuda,
but he still insisted, and I promised him if he would be at my
wagon the next morning when we corralled, he should have a good
one. I could well afford to be generous with my old bunkie.

There now only remained the apportionment of the work-stock. Four
mules were allowed to the wagon, and in order to have them in
good condition they had been grain-fed for the past month. In
their allotment the Buford herds were given the best teams, and
when mine was pointed out by my employer, the outfit assisted the
cook to harness in. Giving him instructions to go into camp on a
creek three miles south of headquarters, my wagon was the second
one to get away. Some of the teams bolted at the start, and only
for timely assistance Sponsilier's commissary would have been
overturned in the sand. Two of the wagons headed west for Uvalde,