orrest and Sponsilier, also starting at daybreak, naturally took the
lead, the latter having fully a five-mile start over my outfit. But as
we left the valley and came up on the mesa, there on an angle in our
front, Flood's herd snailed along like an army brigade, anxious to
dispute our advance. The point-men veered our cattle slightly to the
left, and as the drag-end of Flood's beeves passed before us, standing
in our stirrups we waved our hats in farewell to the lads, starting on
their last tack for the Rosebud Agency. Across the river were the dim
outlines of two herds trailing upstream, being distinguishable from
numerous others by the dust-clouds which marked the moving from the
grazing cattle. The course of the North Platte was southwest, and on the
direction which we were holding, we would strike the river again during
the afternoon at a bend some ten or twelve miles above.

Near the middle of the forenoon we were met by Hugh Morris. He was
discouraged, as it was well known now that his cattle would be tendered
in competition with ours at Fort Buford. There was no comparison between
the beeves, ours being much larger, more uniform in weight, and in
better flesh. He looked over both Forrest's and Sponsilier's herds
before meeting us, and was good enough judge of cattle to know that
his stood no chance against ours, if they were to be received on their
merits. We talked matters over for fully an hour, and I advised him
never to leave Keith County until the last dollar in payment for
his beeves was in hand. Morris thought this was quite possible, as
information had reached him that the buyers had recently purchased a
remuda, and now, since they had failed to take possession of two of
Lovell's herds, it remained to be seen what the next move would be. He
thought it quite likely, though, that a settlement could be effected
whereby he would be relieved at Ogalalla. Mutually hoping that all would
turn out well, we parted until our paths should cross again.

We intercepted the North Fork again during the afternoon, watering from
it for the last time, and the next morning struck the Blue River, the
expected tributary. Sponsilier maintained his position in the lead, but
I was certain when we reached the source of the Blue, David would fall
to the rear, as thenceforth there was neither trail nor trace, map nor
compass. The year before, Forrest and I had been over the route to the
Pine Ridge Agency, and one or the other of u