pelled
to read between the lines; yet I hope the saints, to whom he daily
prayed, will blot out any untruthful embellishments.

The second message was given me by Frank Nancrede, early in January,
'81. As was his custom, he was buying saddle horses at Las Palomas
during the winter for trail purposes, when he learned of my whereabouts
in Mexico. Deweese had given him directions where I could be found, and
as the Rio San Juan country was noted for good horses, Nancrede and a
companion rode directly from the Nueces valley to the hacienda where I
was employed. They were on the lookout for a thousand saddle horses, and
after buying two hundred from the ranch where I was employed, secured
my services as interpreter in buying the remainder. We were less than a
month in securing the number wanted, and I accompanied the herd to the
Rio Grande on its way to Texas. Nancrede offered me every encouragement
to leave Mexico, assuring me that Bethel & Oxenford had lost their mail
contract between San Antonio and Brownsville, and were now operating in
other sections of the state. He was unable to give me the particulars,
but frauds had been discovered in Star Route lines, and the government
had revoked nearly all the mail contracts in southern Texas. The trail
boss promised me a job with any of their herds, and assured me that a
cow hand of my abilities would never want a situation in the north.
I was anxious to go with him, and would have done so, but felt a
compunction which I did not care to broach to him, for I was satisfied
he would not understand.

The summer passed, during which I made it a point to meet other drovers
from Texas who were buying horses and cattle. From several sources the
report of Nancrede, that the stage line south from San Antonio was now
in new hands, was confirmed. One drover assured me that a national
scandal had grown out of the Star Route contracts, and several officials
in high authority had been arraigned for conspiracy to defraud. He
further asserted that the new contractor was now carrying the mail for
ten per cent, of what was formerly allowed to Bethel & Oxenford, and
making money at the reduced rate. This news was encouraging, and after
an exile of over two years and a half, I recrossed the Rio Grande on the
same horse on which I had entered. Carefully avoiding ranches where I
was known, two short rides put me in Las Palomas, reaching headquarters
after nightfall, where, in seclusion, I spent a res