track before the judge's stand six piles of "truck," each pile
precisely like the others, lay in a row. Each consisted of a sack of
flour, a bundle of bacon, a bag of beans, a box, a camp stove, a pick, a
shovel, and a tent. These were to be packed, covered with a mantle, and
caught by "the diamond hitch."

Mose laid aside hat and coat, and as the six pack horses approached,
seized the one intended for him. Catching the saddle blanket up by the
corners, he shook it straight, folded it once, twice--and threw it to
the horse. The sawbuck followed it, the cinch flying high so that it
should go clear. A tug, a grunt from the horse, and the saddle was on.
Unwinding the sling ropes, he made his loops, and end-packed the box.
Against it he put both flour and beans. Folding the tent square he laid
it between. On this he set the stove, and packing the smaller bags
around it, threw on the mantle. As he laid the hitch and began to go
around the pack, the crowd began to cheer:

"Go it, Mose!"

"He's been there before."

"Well, I guess," said another.

Mose set his foot to the pack and "pinched" the hitch in front. Nothing
remained now but the pick, shovel, and coffee can. The tools he crowded
under the ropes on either side, tied the cans under the pack at the back
and called Kintuck, "Come on, boy." The old horse with shining eyes drew
near. Catching his mane, Mose swung to the saddle, Kintuck nipped the
laden cayuse, and they were off while the next best man was still
worrying over the hitch.

"Nine dollars to the good on that transaction," muttered Mose, as the
marshal handed him a ten dollar gold piece.

"The next exercise on the programme," announced Haney, "will be the
roping contest. The crowd will please be as quiet as possible while this
is going on. Bring on your cows."

Down the track in a cloud of dust came a bunch of cattle of all shapes
and sizes. They came snuffing and bawling, urged on by a band of
cowboys, while a cordon of older men down the track stopped and held
them before the judge's stand.

"First exercise--'rope and hold,'" called the marshal. "Denver Dan comes
first."

Dan spurred into the arena, his rope swinging gracefully in his supple
up-raised wrist.

"Which one you want?" he asked.

"The line-back yearling," called Haney.

With careless cast Dan picked up both hind feet of the calf--his horse
set his hoofs and held the bawling brute.

"All right," called the judge. The rope was slack