February. With the West for our market and Texas the main source of
supply, there was no occasion for any delay in placing our contracts
for trail stock. The closing figures obtainable at Dodge and Ogalalla
the previous summer had established a new scale of prices for Texas,
and a buyer must either pay the advance or let the cattle alone.
Edwards and I were in the field fully three weeks before the
convention met, covering our old buying grounds and venturing into new
ones, advancing money liberally on all contracts, and returning to
the meeting with thirty herds secured. Major Hunter met us at the
convention, and while nothing definite was accomplished in securing
a range, a hopeful word had reached us in regard to the new
administration. Starting the new company that spring was out of the
question, and all energies were thrown into the forthcoming drive.
Representatives from the Northwest again swept down on the convention,
all Texas was there, and for three days and nights the cattle
interests carried the keys of the city. Our firm offered nothing,
but, on the other hand, bought three herds of Pan-Handle steers for
acceptance early in April. Three weeks of active work were required
to receive the cattle, the herds starting again with the grass. My
individual contingent included ten thousand three-year-old steers,
two full herds of two-year-old heifers, and seven thousand cows. The
latter were driven in two herds; extra wagons with oxen attached
accompanied each in order to save the calves, as a youngster was an
assistance in selling an old cow. Everything was routed by Doan's
Crossing, both Edwards and myself accompanying the herds, while Major
Hunter returned as usual by rail. The new route, known as the Western
trail, was more direct than the Chisholm though beset by Comanche and
Kiowa Indians once powerful tribes, but now little more than beggars.
The trip was nearly featureless, except that during a terrible storm
on Big Elk, a number of Indians took shelter under and around one of
our wagons and a squaw was killed by lightning. For some unaccountable
reason the old dame defied the elements and had climbed up on a water
barrel which was ironed to the side of the commissary wagon, when
the bolt struck her and she tumbled off dead among her people. The
incident created quite a commotion among the Indians, who set up a
keening, and the husband of the squaw refused to be comforted until I
gave him a stray cow, when he