thumb over his shoulder as
much as to say, "Next man." I turned out and met the strangers, who had
already noted the road brand, and politely answered every question. One
of the two offered me a cigar, and after lighting it, I did remember
hearing one of my boys say that among the herds lying over on the head
of Stinking Water was an "Open A" and "Drooping T," but I was unable to
recall the owner's or foremen's names. Complimenting me on the condition
of my beeves, and assuring me that I would have time to water my herd
and reach the mesa beyond Ogalalla, they passed on down the column of
cattle.

I had given the cook an order on an outfitting house for new supplies,
saying I would call or send a draft in the morning. A new bridge had
been built across the Platte opposite the town, and when nearing
the river, the commissary turned off the trail for it, but the
horse-wrangler for the day gave the bridge a wide berth and crossed the
stream a mile below the village. The width of the river was a decided
advantage in watering a thirsty herd, as it gave the cattle room to
thrash around, filling its broad bed for fully a half mile. Fortunately
there were few spectators, but I kept my eye on the lookout for a
certain faction, being well disguised with dust and dirt and a month's
growth of beard. As we pushed out of the river and were crossing the
tracks below the railroad yards, two other herds were sighted coming
down to the water, their remudas having forded above and below our
cattle. On scaling the bluffs, we could see the trail south of the
Platte on which arose a great column of dust. Lovell was waiting with
the saddle stock in the hills beyond the town, and on striking the first
good grass, the cattle fell to grazing while we halted to await the
arrival of the wagon. The sun was still several hours high, and while
waiting for our commissary to come up, my employer and myself rode to
the nearest point of observation to reconnoitre the rear. Beneath us
lay the hamlet; but our eyes were concentrated beyond the narrow Platte
valley on a dust-cloud which hung midway down the farther slope. As we
watched, an occasional breeze wafted the dust aside, and the sinuous
outline of a herd creeping forward greeted our vision. Below the town
were two other herds, distinctly separate and filling the river for over
a mile with a surging mass of animals, while in every direction cattle
dotted the plain and valley. Turning aside from the p