a tow line. We threw the wagon
tongue back and lashed it, and making fast to the wagon with one end
of the tow rope, fastened our lariats to the other. With the remainder
of our unused rope, we took a guy line from the wagon and snubbed it
to a tree on the south bank. Everything being in readiness, the word
was given, and as those on the south bank eased away, those on
horseback on the other side gave the rowel to their horses, and our
commissary floated across. The wagon floated so easily that McCann was
ordered on to the raft to trim the weight when it struck the current.
The current carried it slightly downstream, and when it lodged on the
other side, those on the south bank fastened lariats to the guy rope;
and with them pulling from that side and us from ours, it was soon
brought opposite the landing and hauled into shallow water. Once the
raft timber was unlashed and removed, the tongue was lowered, and from
the pommels of six saddles the wagon was set high and dry on the north
bank. There now only remained to bring up the cattle and swim them,
which was an easy task and soon accomplished.

After putting the Salt Fork behind us, our spirits were again
dampened, for it rained all the latter part of the night and until
noon the next day. It was with considerable difficulty that McCann
could keep his fire from drowning out while he was getting breakfast,
and several of the outfit refused to eat at all. Flood knew it was
useless to rally the boys, for a wet, hungry man is not to be jollied
or reasoned with. Five days had now elapsed since we turned off the
established trail, and half the time rain had been falling. Besides,
our doubt as to where we were had been growing, so before we started
that morning, Bull Durham very good-naturedly asked Flood if he had
any idea where he was.

"No, I haven't. No more than you have," replied our foreman. "But this
much I do know, or will just as soon as the sun comes out: I know
north from south. We have been traveling north by a little west, and
if we hold that course we're bound to strike the North Fork, and
within a day or two afterwards we will come into the government trail,
running from Fort Elliot to Camp Supply, which will lead us into our
own trail. Or if we were certain that we had cleared the Indian
reservation, we could bear to our right, and in time we would reenter
the trail that way. I can't help the weather, boys, and as long as I
have chuck, I'd as lief be lost