corralled the _remuda_ a second time, and taking out Flood's
brown and Officer's chestnut, tried the two horses for a short dash of
about a hundred yards. The trial confirmed the general opinion of the
outfit, for the brown outran the chestnut over four lengths, starting
half a neck in the rear. A general canvass of the outfit was taken,
and to my surprise there was over three hundred dollars amongst us. I
had over forty dollars, but I only promised to loan mine if it was
needed, while Priest refused flat-footed either to lend or bet his. I
wanted to bet, and it would grieve me to the quick if there was any
chance and I didn't take it--but I was young then.

Flood met us at noon about seven miles out from the Republican with
the superintendent of a cattle company in Montana, and, before we
started the herd after dinner, had sold our _remuda_, wagon, and mules
for delivery at the nearest railroad point to the Blackfoot Agency
sometime during September. This cattle company, so we afterwards
learned from Flood, had headquarters at Helena, while their ranges
were somewhere on the headwaters of the Missouri. But the sale of the
horses seemed to us an insignificant matter, compared with the race
which was on the tapis; and when Stallings had made the ablest talk of
his life for the loan of the brown, Flood asked the new owner, a Texan
himself, if he had any objections.

"Certainly not," said he; "let the boys have a little fun. I'm glad to
know that the _remuda_ has fast horses in it. Why didn't you tell me,
Flood?--I might have paid you extra if I had known I was buying
racehorses. Be sure and have the race come off this evening, for I
want to see it."

And he was not only good enough to give his consent, but added a word
of advice. "There's a deadfall down here on the river," said he, "that
robs a man going and coming. They've got booze to sell you that would
make a pet rabbit fight a wolf. And if you can't stand the whiskey,
why, they have skin games running to fleece you as fast as you can get
your money to the centre. Be sure, lads, and let both their whiskey
and cards alone."

While changing mounts after dinner, Stallings caught out the brown
horse and tied him behind the wagon, while Flood and the horse buyer
returned to the river in the conveyance, our foreman having left his
horse at the ford. When we reached the Republican with the herd about
two hours before sundown, and while we were crossing and watering, wh