Chapter II. Organizing the Forces

by Andy Adams

　　Don Lovell and Jim Flood returned from Lasalle County on the lastday of February. They had spent a week along the Upper Nueces,and before returning to the ranch closed a trade on thirty-fourhundred five and six year old beeves. According to their report,the cattle along the river had wintered in fine condition, andthe grass had already started in the valley. This last purchaseconcluded the buying for trail purposes, and all absent foremenwere notified to be on hand at the ranch on March 10, for thebeginning of active operations. Only some ten of us had winteredat headquarters in Medina County, and as about ninety men wouldbe required for the season's work, they would have to be securedelsewhere. All the old foremen expected to use the greaterportion of the men who were in their employ the year before, andcould summon them on a few days' notice. But Forrest and myselfwere compelled to hire entirely new outfits, and it was high timewe were looking up our help.One of Flood's regular outfit had married during the winter, andwith Forrest's and my promotion, he had only to secure three newmen. He had dozens of applications from good cow-hands, and afterselecting for himself offered the others to Quince and me. But mybrother Bob arrived at the ranch, from our home in Karnes County,two days later, having also a surplus of men at his command.Although he did not show any enthusiasm over my promotion, heoffered to help me get up a good outfit of boys. I had about halfa dozen good fellows in view, and on Bob's approval of them, heselected from his overplus six more as first choice and four assecond. It would take me a week of constant riding to see allthese men, and as Flood and Forrest had made up an outfit for thelatter from the former's available list, Quince and I saddled upand rode away to hire outfits. Forrest was well acquainted inWilson, where Lovell had put up several trail herds, and as itjoined my home county, we bore each other company the first day.A long ride brought us to the Atascosa, where we stayed allnight. The next morning we separated, Quince bearing due east forFloresville, while I continued southeast towards my home nearCibollo Ford on the San Antonio River. It had been over a yearsince I had seen the family, and on reaching the ranch, my fathergruffly noticed me, but my mother and sisters received me withopen arms. I was a mature man of twenty-eight at the time,mustached, and stood six feet to a plumb-line. The family werecognizant of my checkered past, and although never mentioning it,it seemed as if my misfortunes had elevated me in the estimationof my sisters, while to my mother I had become doubly dear.During the time spent in that vicinity, I managed to reach homeat night as often as possible. Constantly using fresh horses, Icovered a wide circle of country, making one ride down the riverinto Goliad County of over fifty miles, returning the next day.Within a week I had made up my outfit, including thehorse-wrangler and cook. Some of the men were ten years mysenior, while only a few were younger, but I knew that theselatter had made the trip before and were as reliable as theirelders. The wages promised that year were fifty dollars a month,the men to furnish only their own saddles and blankets, and atthat figure I picked two pastoral counties, every man bred to theoccupation. The trip promised six months' work with returnpassage, and I urged every one employed to make his appearance atheadquarters, in Medina, on or before the 15th of the month.There was no railroad communication through Karnes and Goliadcounties at that time, and all the boys were assured that theirprivate horses would have good pasturage at the home ranch whilethey were away, and I advised them all to come on horseback. Bythis method they would have a fresh horse awaiting them on theirreturn from the North with which to continue their homewardjourney. All the men engaged were unmarried, and taken as awhole, I flattered myself on having secured a crack outfit.I was in a hurry to get back to the ranch. There had been nothingsaid about the remudas before leaving, and while we had anabundance of horses, no one knew them better than I did. For thatreason I wanted to be present when their allotment was made, forI knew that every foreman would try to get the best mounts, and Idid not propose to stand behind the door and take the culls. Manyof the horses had not had a saddle on them in eight months, whileall of them had run idle during the winter in a large mesquitepasture and were in fine condition with the opening of spring. Sobidding my folks farewell, I saddled at noon and took across-country course for the ranch, covering the hundred and oddmiles in a day and a half. Reaching headquarters late at night, Ifound that active preparations had been going on during myabsence. There were new wagons to rig, harness to oil, and acarpenter was then at work building chuck-boxes for each of thesix commissaries. A wholesale house in the city had shipped out astock of staple supplies, almost large enough to start a store.There were whole coils of new rope of various sizes, from lariatsto corral cables, and a sufficient amount of the largest size tomake a stack of hobbles as large as a haycock. Four newbranding-irons to the wagon, the regulation "Circle Dot,"completed the main essentials.All the foremen had reported at the ranch, with the exception ofForrest, who came in the next evening with three men. Thedivision of the horses had not even come up for discussion, butseveral of the boys about headquarters who were friendly to myinterests posted me that the older foremen were going to claimfirst choice. Archie Tolleston, next to Jim Flood in seniority inLovell's employ, had spent every day riding among the horses, andhad even boasted that he expected to claim fifteen of the bestfor his own saddle. Flood was not so particular, as hisdestination was in southern Dakota, but my brother Bob was againticketed for the Crow Agency in Montana, and would naturallyexpect a good remuda. Tolleston was going to western Wyoming,while the Fort Buford cattle were a two-weeks' later delivery andfully five hundred miles farther travel. On my return Lovell wasin the city, but I felt positive that if he took a hand in thedivision, Tolleston would only run on the rope once.A few days before the appointed time, the men began thronginginto headquarters. Down to the minutest detail about the wagonsand mule teams, everything was shipshape. The commissarydepartment was stocked for a month, and everything was ready toharness in and move. Lovell's headquarters was a stag ranch, andas fast as the engaged cooks reported, they were assigned towagons, and kept open house in relieving the home cocinero. Inthe absence of our employer, Flood was virtually at the head ofaffairs, and artfully postponed the division of horses until thelast moment. My outfit had all come in in good time, and we weresimply resting on our oars until the return of old man Don fromSan Antonio. The men were jubilant and light-hearted as a lot ofschool-boys, and with the exception of a feeling of jealousyamong the foremen over the remudas, we were a gay crowd, turningnight into day. But on the return of our employer, all frivolityceased, and the ranch stood at attention. The only unfinishedwork was the division of the horses, and but a single dayremained before the agreed time for starting. Jim Flood had methis employer at the station the night before, and while returningto the ranch, the two discussed the apportionment of the saddlestock. The next morning all the foremen were called together,when the drover said to his trail bosses:"Boys, I suppose you are all anxious to get a good remuda forthis summer's trip. Well, I've got them for you. The onlyquestion is, how can we distribute them equitably so that allinterests will be protected. One herd may not have near thedistance to travel that the others have. It would look unjust togive it the best horses, and yet it may have the most trouble.Our remudas last year were all picked animals. They had an easyyear's work. With the exception of a few head, we have the samemounts and in much better condition than last year. This is aboutmy idea of equalizing things. You four old foremen will use yourremudas of last year. Then each of you six bosses selecttwenty-five head each of the Dodge horses,--turn and turn about.Add those to your old remudas, and cull back your surplus,allowing ten to the man, twelve to the foreman, and five extra toeach herd in case of cripples or of galled backs. By this method,each herd will have two dozen prime saddlers, the pick of athousand picked ones, and fit for any man who was ever in myemploy. I'm breaking in two new foremen this year, and they shallhave no excuse for not being mounted, and will divide theremainder. Now, take four men apiece and round up the saddlestock, and have everything in shape to go into camp to-night.I'll be present at the division, and I warn you all that I wantno clashing."A ranch remuda was driven in, and we saddled. There were aboutthirty thousand acres in the pasture, and by eleven o'clockeverything was thrown together. The private horses of all theboys had been turned into a separate inclosure, and before thecutting out commenced, every mother's son, including Don Lovell,arrived at the round-up. There were no corrals on the ranch whichwould accommodate such a body of animals, and thus the work hadto be done in the open; but with the force at hand we threw acordon around them, equal to a corral, and the cutting out to thefour quarters commenced.The horses were gentle and handled easily. Forrest and I turnedto and helped our old foreman cut out his remuda of the yearbefore. There were several horses in my old mount that I wouldhave liked to have again, but I knew it was useless to try andtrade Jim out of them, as he knew their qualities and would haverobbed me in demanding their equivalent. When the old remudaswere again separated, they were counted and carefully looked overby both foremen and men, and were open to the inspection of allwho cared to look. Everything was passing very pleasantly, andthe cutting of the extra twenty-five began. Then my selfishnesswas weighed in the balance and found to be full weight. I hadridden over a hundred of the best of them, but when any oneappealed to me, even my own dear brother, I was as dumb as anoyster about a horse. Tolleston, especially, cursed, raved, andimportuned me to help him get a good private mount, but I was asinnocent as I was immovable. The trip home from Dodge was nopleasure jaunt, and now I was determined to draw extra pay ingetting the cream of that horse herd. There were other featuresgoverning my actions: Flood was indifferent; Forrest, at times,was cruel to horses, and had I helped my brother, I might havebeen charged with favoritism. Dave Sponsilier was a goodhorseman, as his selections proved, and I was not wasting anylove and affection on Archie Tolleston that day, anyhow.That no undue advantage should be taken, Lovell kept tally ofevery horse cut out, and once each foreman had taken his number,he was waved out of the herd. I did the selecting of my own, andwith the assistance of one man, was constantly waiting my turn.With all the help he could use, Tolleston was over half an hourmaking his selections, and took the only blind horse in theentire herd. He was a showy animal, a dapple gray, fully fifteenhands high, bred in north Texas, and belonged to one of the wholeremudas bought in Dodge. At the time of his purchase, neitherLovell nor Flood detected anything wrong, and no one could seeanything in the eyeball which would indicate he was moon-eyed.Yet any horseman need only notice him closely to be satisfied ofhis defect, as he was constantly shying from other horses andobjects and smelled everything which came within his reach. Therewere probably half a dozen present who knew of his blindness, butnot a word was said until all the extras were chosen and theculling out of the overplus of the various remudas began. Itstarted in snickers, and before the cutting back was overdeveloped into peals of laughter, as man after man learned thatthe dapple gray in Tolleston's remuda was blind.Among the very last to become acquainted with the fact was thetrail foreman himself. After watching the horse long enough tosee his mistake, Tolleston culled the gray back and rode into theherd to claim another. But the drover promptly summoned hisforeman out, and, as they met, Lovell said to his trail boss,"Arch, you're no better than anybody else. I bought that gray andpaid my good money for him. No doubt but the man who sold him haslaughed about it often since, and if ever we meet, I'll take myhat off and compliment him on being the only person who ever soldme a moon-eyed horse. I'm still paying my tuition, and youneedn't flare up when the laugh's on you. You have a good remudawithout him, and the only way you can get another horse out ofthat herd is with the permission of Quince Forrest and TomQuirk.""Well, if the permission of those new foremen is all I lack, thenI'll cut all the horses I want," retorted Tolleston, and gallopedback towards the herd. But Quince and I were after him like aflash, followed leisurely by Lovell. As he slacked his mount toenter the mass of animals, I passed him, jerking the bridle reinsfrom his hand. Throwing my horse on his haunches, I turned justas Forrest slapped Tolleston on the back, and said: "Look-eehere, Arch; just because you're a little hot under the collar,don't do anything brash, for fear you may regret it afterward.I'm due to take a little pasear myself this summer, and I alwaysdid like to be well mounted. Now, don't get your back up orattempt to stand up any bluffs, for I can whip you in any sizedcircle you can name. You never saw me burn powder, did you? Well,just you keep on acting the d----- fool if you want a littlesmoke thrown in your face. Just fool with me and I'll fog youtill you look like an angel in the clouds."But old man Don reached us, and raised his hand. I threw thereins back over the horse's head. Tolleston was white with rage,but before he could speak our employer waved us aside and said,"Tom, you and Quince clear right out of here and I'll settle thismatter. Arch, there's your remuda. Take it and go about yourbusiness or say you don't want to. Now, we know each other, andI'll not mince or repeat any words with you. Go on.""Not an inch will I move until I get another horse," hissedTolleston between gasps. "If it lies between you and me, thenI'll have one in place of that gray, or you'll get anotherforeman. Now, you have my terms and ticket.""Very well then, Archie; that changes the programme entirely,"replied Lovell, firmly. "You'll find your private horse in thesmall pasture, and we'll excuse you for the summer. Whenever aman in my employ gets the impression that I can't get alongwithout him, that moment he becomes useless to me. It seems thatyou are bloated with that idea, and a season's rest and quiet maycool you down and make a useful man of you again. Remember thatyou're always welcome at my ranch, and don't let this make usstrangers," he called back as he turned away.Riding over with us to where a group were sitting on theirhorses, our employer scanned the crowd without saying a word.Turning halfway in his saddle, he looked over towards Flood'sremuda and said: "One of you boys please ride over and tell PaulI want him." During the rather embarrassing interim, theconversation instantly changed, and we borrowed tobacco androlled cigarettes to kill time.Priest was rather slow in making his appearance, ridingleisurely, but on coming up innocently inquired of his employer,"Did you want to see me?""Yes. Paul, I've just lost one of my foremen. I need a goodreliable man to take a herd to Fort Washakie. It's an Indianagency on the head waters of the North Platte in Wyoming. Willyou tackle the job?""A good soldier is always subject to orders," replied The Rebelwith a military salute. "If you have a herd for delivery inWyoming, give me the men and horses, and I'll put the cattlethere if possible. You are the commandant in the field, and I amsubject to instructions.""There's your remuda and outfit, then," said Lovell, pointing tothe one intended for Tolleston, "and you'll get a commissary atthe ranch and go into camp this evening. You'll get your herd inNueces County, and Jim will assist in the receiving. Any otherlittle details will all be arranged before you get away."Calling for all the men in Tolleston's outfit, the two rode awayfor that remuda. Shortly before the trouble arose, our employerinstructed those with the Buford cattle to take ten extra horsesfor each herd. There were now over a hundred and forty head to beculled back, and Sponsilier was entitled to ten of them. In orderto be sure of our numbers, we counted the remaining band, andForrest and I trimmed them down to two hundred and fifty-fourhead. As this number was too small to be handled easily in theopen, we decided to take them into the corrals for the finaldivision. After the culling back was over, and everything hadstarted for the ranch, to oblige Sponsilier, I remained behindand helped him to retrim his remuda. Unless one knew the horsespersonally, it was embarrassing even to try and pick ten of thebest ones from the overplus. But I knew many of them at firsthand, and at Dave's request, after picking out the extra ones,continued selecting others in exchange for horses in his oldband. We spent nearly an hour cutting back and forth, or until wewere both satisfied that his saddle stock could not be improvedfrom the material at hand.The ranch headquarters were fully six miles from the round-up.Leaving Sponsilier delighted with the change in his remuda, Irode to overtake the undivided band which were heading for theranch corrals. On coming up with them, Forrest proposed that wedivide the horses by a running cut in squads of ten, and toss forchoice. Once they were in the corrals, this could have beeneasily done by simply opening a gate and allowing blocks of tento pass alternately from the main into smaller inclosures. But Iwas expecting something like this from Quince, and had entirelydifferent plans of my own. Forrest and I were good friends, buthe was a foxy rascal, and I had never wavered in my determinationto get the pick of that horse herd. Had I accepted his proposal,the chance of a spinning coin might have given him a decidedadvantage, and I declined his proposition. I had a remuda insight that my very being had hungered for, and now I would takeno chance of losing it. But on the other hand, I proposed toForrest that he might have the assistance of two men in Flood'soutfit who had accompanied the horse herd home from Dodge. In theselecting of Jim's extra twenty-five, the opinion of these twolads, as the chosen horses proved, was a decided help to theirforeman. But Quince stood firm, and arguing the matter, wereached the corrals and penned the band.The two top bunches were held separate and were left a mile backon the prairie, under herd. The other remudas were all in sightof the ranch, while a majority of the men were eating a latedinner. Still contending for his point, Forrest sent a lad to thehouse to ask our employer to come over to the corrals. On hisappearance, accompanied by Flood, each of us stated ourproposition."Well, the way I size this up," said old man Don, "one of youwants to rely on his own judgment and the other don't. It looksto me, Quince, you want a gambler's chance where you can't lose.Tom's willing to bank on his own judgment, but you ain't. Now, Ilike a man who does his own thinking, and to give you a goodlesson in that line, why, divide them, horse and horse, turnabout. Now, I'll spin this coin for first pick, and while it's inthe air, Jim will call the turn. . . . Tom wins first choice.""That's all right, Mr. Lovell," said Quince, smilingly. "I justgot the idea that you wanted the remudas for the Buford herds tobe equally good. How can you expect it when Tom knows every horseand I never saddled one of them. Give me the same chance, and Imight know them as well as the little boy knew his pap.""You had the same chance," I put in, "but didn't want it. Youwere offered the Pine Ridge horses last year to take back toDodge, and you kicked like a bay steer. But I swallowed theirdust to the Arkansaw, and from there home we lived in clouds ofalkali. You went home drunk and dressed up, with a cigar in yourmouth and your feet through the car window, claiming you was abrother-in-law to Jay Gould, and simply out on a tour ofinspection. Now you expect me to give you the benefit of myexperience and rob myself. Not this summer, John Quincy."But rather than let Forrest feel that he was being takenadvantage of, I repeated my former proposition. Accepting it as alast resort, the two boys were sent for and the dividingcommenced. Remounting our horses, we entered the large corral,and as fast as they were selected the different outfits wereeither roped or driven singly through a guarded gate. It tookover an hour of dusty work to make the division, but when it wasfinished I had a remuda of a hundred and fifty-two saddle horsesthat would make a man willing to work for his board and theprivilege of riding them. Turning out of the corrals, Priest andI accompanied the horses out on the prairie where our toppy oneswere being grazed. Paul was tickled over my outfit of saddlestock, but gave me several hints that he was entitled to anotherpicked mount. I attempted to explain that he had a good remuda,but he still insisted, and I promised him if he would be at mywagon the next morning when we corralled, he should have a goodone. I could well afford to be generous with my old bunkie.There now only remained the apportionment of the work-stock. Fourmules were allowed to the wagon, and in order to have them ingood condition they had been grain-fed for the past month. Intheir allotment the Buford herds were given the best teams, andwhen mine was pointed out by my employer, the outfit assisted thecook to harness in. Giving him instructions to go into camp on acreek three miles south of headquarters, my wagon was the secondone to get away. Some of the teams bolted at the start, and onlyfor timely assistance Sponsilier's commissary would have beenoverturned in the sand. Two of the wagons headed west for Uvalde,while my brother Bob's started southeast for Bee County. Theother two belonging to Flood and The Rebel would camp on the samecreek as mine, their herds being also south. Once the wagons wereoff, the saddle stock was brought in and corralled for our firstmounts. The final allotment of horses to the men would not takeplace until the herds were ready to be received, and until then,they would be ridden uniformly but promiscuously. Withinstructions from our employer to return to the ranch aftermaking camp, the remudas were started after the wagons.On our return after darkness, the ranch was as deserted as aschool-house on Saturday. A Mexican cook and a few regular ranchhands were all that were left. Archie Tolleston had secured hishorse and quit headquarters before any one had even returned fromthe round-up. When the last of the foremen came in, our employerdelivered his final messages. "Boys," said he, "I'll only detainyou a few minutes. I'm going west in the morning to UvaldeCounty, and will be present at the receiving of Quince and Dave'sherds. After they start, I'll come back to the city and takestage to Oakville. But you go right ahead and receive yourcattle, Bob, for we don't know what may turn up. Flood will helpTom first, and then Paul, to receive their cattle. That will givethe Buford herds the first start, and I'll be waiting for you atAbilene when you reach there. And above all else, boys, rememberthat I've strained my credit in this drive, and that the cattlemust be A 1, and that we must deliver them on the spot in primecondition. Now, that's all, but you'd better be riding so as toget an early start in the morning."Our employer walked with us to the outer gate where our horsesstood at the hitch-rack. That he was reticent in his businessmatters was well known among all his old foremen, includingForrest and myself. If he had a confidant among his men, JimFlood was the man--and there were a few things he did not know.As we mounted our horses to return to our respective camps, oldman Don quietly took my bridle reins in hand and allowed theothers to ride away. "I want a parting word with you, Tom," saidhe a moment later. "Something has happened to-day which willrequire the driving of the Buford herds in some road brand otherthan the 'Circle Dot.' The first blacksmith shop you pass, haveyour irons altered into 'Open A's,' and I'll do the same withQuince and Dave's brands. Of the why or wherefore of this, saynothing to any one, as no one but myself knows. Don't breathe aword even to Flood, for he don't know any more than he should.When the time comes, if it ever does, you'll know all that isnecessary--or nothing. That's all."