man there with a large family in the states who received a salary of
$1500 a year. I knew that he did not want to be thrown out of a job, and
I was eager to "try some new experience." So I told Mr. Moore that I had
heard from one of Maxwell's clerks that Dillon did still want me to go
with the sheep, and if he was willing to let me off I would make Dillon
a proposition. "All right, Billy, you can make a proposition with Dillon
and in case you do not carry it out, you need not quit here," said
Mr. Moore.

Joe Dillon came up the next Thursday night and began to talk to me there
in the store about taking his sheep to Montana. I told him that I would
talk to him about the matter as soon as the store closed that night, but
that I did not want to hear one word of it until that time.

After the store was closed up I told Mr. Walker to stay with me and hear
my proposition with Dillon, and I wanted him to draw up our contract. I
told Dillon that I would take charge of his sheep under these
stipulations. I would have to have absolute control of the sheep, men,
mess wagons, pack horses and everything else. I would employ the men and
discharge them. I told him I would furnish $700.00 or $800.00 to
properly equip the train, and I would take a bill of sale from him for
all the sheep. I also told him that he would have to go on ahead on the
stage coach, or do as he chose in the matter, that he must absolutely
remain away from our camps and herds while I was in control. After much
deliberation, he agreed to my terms, and we signed up.

I filled an ox wagon with bacon, flour, salt, soda, tobacco and saddles.
Mr. Dillon watched me put tobacco on the wagon and said I was loading
unnecessary stuff on the wagon. I told him that I would need all the
bacon and the tobacco, and perhaps several head of sheep to make my