we found the gentleman. He asked where our traps were.
We told him, and also assured him that we would report for duty the
following morning.

When we reached our camp we were completely tired out, but passed the
remainder of the day in celebrating our success, and feeling assured
that if we escaped the scalping knife of the Indians, we would reach
Denver in due time, and, when paid off have a nice sum in dollars.

The following morning we had an early breakfast, broke camp, and
reported at the corral where each was presented with two revolvers and
a repeating carbine. I was then taken over to the mess wagon which was
liberally supplied with bacon (in the rough), flour, beans, cargum (or
sour molasses), coffee, salt, pepper, baking-powder and dried apples;
the latter we were allowed three times a week for dessert. There was
also a skillet for baking bread, which resembled a covered spider
without a handle.

When the assistant cook, with whom I was favored, had started the fire
and sufficient coals had accumulated, he would rake them out and
place the skillet on them. As soon as the dough was prepared, a chunk
was cut off and put in the skillet, the lid placed and covered with
coals; in fifteen minutes we would have as nice a looking loaf of
bread as one could wish to see, browned to a tempting color. When
eaten warm, it was very palatable, but when cold, only bullwhackers
could digest it. An old-fashioned iron kettle in which to stew the
beans and boil the dried apples, or vice versa, coffee pots, frying
pans, tin plates, cups, iron knives and forks, spoons and a
combination dish and bread-pan made up the remainder of the cooking
and eating utensils.

EXPERIENCES AMONG THE BUSHWHACKERS

It seemed that my assistant was exempt from bringing water, which
often had to be carried in kegs for two miles, so he fried the meat
and washed the dishes. I soon caught on to the cooking, and doing my
best to please everyone, soon became aware of the fact that I had many
friends among the toughest individuals on earth, the professional
bullwhackers, who, according to their own minds, were very important
personages. Their good qualities were few, and consisted of being a
sure shot, and expert at lariat and whip-throwing. They would bet a
tenderfoot a small sum that they could at a distance of twelve feet,
abstract a small piece from his trousers without disturbing the flesh.
They could do this trick nine times out of ten. The wh