he hills where
the bigger steer cattle ranged. He had not been there the year before,
and he had a great curiosity to see what the upper country was like.

In the extreme range of the hills back from the river, the two spent
the entire summer, or until the first norther drove them down to the
valley. The second winter was much milder than the first one, snow and
ice being unknown. So when spring came again they were both very fat,
and together they planned--as soon as the June rains came--to go on
a little pasear over north on the Frio River. They had met others of
their kind from the Frio when out on those hills the summer before,
and had found them decently behaved cattle.

But though the outing was feasible and well planned, it was not to be.
For after both had shed their winter coats, the speckled heifer was as
pretty a two-year-old as ever roamed the Nueces valley or drank out
of its river, and the line-back steer had many rivals. Almost daily
he fought other steers of his own age and weight, who were paying
altogether too marked attention to his crony. Although he never
outwardly upbraided her for it, her coquetry was a matter of no small
concern with him. At last one day in April she forced matters to
an open rupture between them. A dark red, arch-necked, curly-headed
animal came bellowing defiance across their feeding-grounds. Without
a moment's hesitation the line-back had accepted the challenge and had
locked horns with this Adonis. Though he fought valiantly the battle
is ever with the strong, and inch by inch he was forced backward. When
he realized that he must yield, he turned to flee, and his rival with
one horn caught him behind the fore shoulder, cutting a cruel gash
nearly a foot in length. Reaching a point of safety he halted, and as
he witnessed his adversary basking in the coquettish, amorous advances
of her who had been his constant companion since babyhood, his wrath
was uncontrollable. Kneeling, he cut the ground with his horns,
throwing up clouds of dust, and then and there he renounced kith and
kin, the speckled heifer and the Nueces valley forever. He firmly
resolved to start at once for the Frio country. He was a proud
two-year-old and had always held his head high. Could his spirit
suffer the humiliation of meeting his old companions after such
defeat? No! Hurling his bitterest curses on the amorous pair, he
turned his face to the northward.

On reaching the Nueces, feverish in anger, he