the outlet-第2章

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But　the　drover　brushed　the　correspondence　aside；　and　asked　for　the　possible　feed　bills。　A　blanket　rate　had　been　given　on　the　entire　shipment　from　that　city；　or　any　point　south；　to　Wichita　Falls；　with　one　rest　and　feed。　Making　a　memorandum　of　the　items；　Lovell　arose　from　the　table　and　came　over　to　where　Jim　Flood　and　I　were　searching　for　Fort　Buford　on　a　large　wall　map。　We　were　both　laboring　under　the　impression　that　it　was　in　Montana；　but　after　our　employer　pointed　it　out　to　us　at　the　mouth　of　the　Yellowstone　in　Dakota；　all　three　of　us　adjourned　to　an　ante…room。　Flood　was　the　best　posted　trail　foreman　in　Don　Lovell's　employ；　and　taking　seats　at　the　table；　we　soon　reduced　the　proposed　shipping　expense　to　a　pro…rata　sum　per　head。　The　result　was　not　to　be　considered；　and　on　returning　to　the　main　office；　our　employer；　as　already　expressed；　declined　the　proffered　rate。

Then　the　freight　men　doubled　on　him；　asking　if　he　had　taken　into　consideration　a　saving　in　wages。　In　a　two　days'　run　they　would　lay　down　the　cattle　farther　on　their　way　than　we　could　possibly　drive　in　six　weeks；　even　if　the　country　was　open；　not　to　say　anything　about　the　wear　and　tear　of　horseflesh。　But　Don　Lovell　had　not　been　a　trail　drover　for　nearly　fifteen　years　without　understanding　his　business　as　well　as　the　freight　agents　did　theirs。　After　going　over　a　large　lot　of　other　important　data；　our　employer　arose　to　take　his　leave；　when　the　agent　of　the　local　line　expressed　a　hope　that　Mr。　Lovell　would　reconsider　his　decision　before　spring　opened；　and　send　his　drive　a　portion　of　the　way　by　rail。

〃Well；　I'm　glad　I　met　you；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　cowman　at　parting；　〃but　this　is　purely　a　business　proposition；　and　you　and　I　look　at　it　from　different　viewpoints。　At　the　rate　you　offer；　it　will　cost　me　one　dollar　and　seventy…five　cents　to　lay　a　steer　down　on　Red　River。　Hold　on；　mine　are　all　large　beeves；　and　I　must　mount　my　men　just　the　same　as　if　they　trailed　all　the　way。　Saddle　horses　were　worth　nothing　in　the　North　last　year；　and　I　kept　mine　and　bought　enough　others　around　Dodge　to　make　up　a　thousand　head；　and　sent　them　back　over　the　trail　to　my　ranch。　Now；　it　will　take　six　carloads　of　horses　for　each　herd；　and　I　propose　to　charge　the　freight　on　them　against　the　cattle。　I　may　have　to　winter　my　remudas　in　the　North；　or　drive　them　home　again；　and　if　I　put　two　dollars　a　head　freight　in　them；　they　won't　bring　a　cent　more　on　that　account。　With　the　cattle　it's　different；　they　are　all　under　contract；　but　the　horses　must　be　charged　as　general　expense；　and　if　nothing　is　realized　out　of　them；　the　herd　must　pay　the　fiddler。　My　largest　delivery　is　a　sub…contract　for　Fort　Buford；　calling　for　five　million　pounds　of　beef　on　foot。　It　will　take　three　herds　or　ten　thousand　cattle　to　fill　it。　I　was　anxious　to　give　those　Buford　beeves　an　early　start；　and　that　was　the　main　reason　in　my　consenting　to　this　conference。　I　have　three　other　earlier　deliveries　at　Indian　agencies；　but　they　are　not　as　far　north　by　several　hundred　miles；　and　it's　immaterial　whether　we　ship　or　not。　But　the　Buford　contract　sets　the　day　of　delivery　for　September　15；　and　it's　going　to　take　close　figuring　to　make　a　cent。　The　main　contractors　are　all　right；　but　I'm　the　one　that's　got　to　scratch　his　head　and　figure　close　and　see　that　there's　no　leakages。　Your　freight　bill　alone　would　be　a　nice　profit。　It　may　cost　us　a　little　for　water　getting　out　of　Texas；　but　with　the　present　outlet　for　cattle；　it's　bad　policy　to　harass　the　herds。　Water　is　about　the　best　crop　some　of　those　settlers　along　the　trail；　have　to　sell；　and　they　ought　to　treat　us　right。〃

After　the　conference　was　over；　we　scattered　about　the　city；　on　various　errands；　expecting　to　take　the　night　train　home。　It　was　then　the　middle　of　February；　and　five　of　the　six　herds　were　already　purchased。　In　spite　of　the　large　numbers　of　cattle　which　the　trail　had　absorbed　in　previous　years；　there　was　still　an　abundance　of　all　ages；　anxious　for　a　market。　The　demand　in　the　North　had　constantly　been　for　young　cattle；　leaving　the　matured　steers　at　home。　Had　Mr。　Lovell's　contracts　that　year　called　for　forty　thousand　five　and　six　year　old　beeves；　instead　of　twenty；　there　would　have　been　the　same　inexhaustible　supply　from　which　to　pick　and　choose。　But　with　only　one　herd　yet　to　secure；　and　ample　offerings　on　every　hand；　there　was　no　necessity　for　a　hurry。　Many　of　the　herds　driven　the　year　before　found　no　sale；　and　were　compelled　to　winter　in　the　North　at　the　drover's　risk。　In　the　early　spring　of　'84；　there　was　a　decided　lull　over　the　enthusiasm　of　the　two　previous　years；　during　the　former　of　which　the　trail　afforded　an　outlet　for　nearly　seven　hundred　thousand　Texas　cattle。

In　regard　to　horses　we　were　well　outfitted。　During　the　summer　of　'83；　Don　Lovell　had　driven　four　herds；　two　on　Indian　contract　and　two　of　younger　cattle　on　speculation。　Of　the　latter；　one　was　sold　in　Dodge　for　delivery　on　the　Purgatory　River　in　southern　Colorado；　while　the　other　went　to　Ogalalla；　and　was　disposed　of　and　received　at　that　point。　In　both　cases　there　was　no　chance　to　sell　the　saddle　horses；　and　they　returned　to　Dodge　and　were　sent　to　pasture　down　the　river　in　the　settlements。　My　brother；　Bob　Quirk；　had　driven　one　of　the　other　herds　to　an　agency　in　the　Indian　Territory。　After　making　the　delivery；　early　in　August；　on　his　employer's　orders；　he　had　brought　his　remuda　and　outfit　into　Dodge；　the　horses　being　also　sent　to　pasture　and　the　men　home　to　Texas。　I　had　made　the　trip　that　year　to　the　Pine　Ridge　Agency　in　Dakota　with　thirty…five　hundred　beeves；　under　Flood　as　foreman。　Don　Lovell　was　present　at　the　delivery；　and　as　there　was　no　hope　of　effecting　a　sale　of　the　saddle　stock　among　the　Indians；　after　delivering　the　outfit　at　the　nearest　railroad；　I　was　given　two　men　and　the　cook；　and　started　back　over　the　trail　for　Dodge　with　the　remuda。　The　wagon　was　a　drawback；　but　on　reaching　Ogalalla；　an　emigrant　outfit　offered　me　a　fair　price　for　the　mules　and　commissary；　and　I　sold　them。　Lashing　our　rations　and　blankets　on　two　pack…horses；　we　turned　our　backs　on　the　Platte　and　crossed　the　Arkansaw　at　Dodge　on　the　seventh　day。

But　instead　of　the　remainder　of　the　trip　home　by　rail；　as　we　fondly　expected；　the　programme　had　changed。　Lovell　and　Flood　had　arrived　in　Dodge　some　ten　days　before；　and　looking　over　the　situation；　had　come　to　the　conclusion　it　was　useless　even　to　offer　our　remudas。　As　remnants　of　that　year's　drive；　there　had　concentrated　in　and　around　that　market　something　like　ten　thousand　saddle　horses。　Many　of　these　were　from　central　and　north　Texas；　larger　and　better　stock　than　ours；　even　though　care　had　been　used　in　selecting　the　latter。　So　on　their　arrival；　instead　of　making　any　effort　to　dispose　of　our　own；　the　drover　and　his　foreman　had　sized　up　the　congested　condition　of　the　market；　and　turned　buyers。　They　had　bought　two　whole　remudas；　and　picked　over　five　or　six　others　until　their　purchases　amounted　to　over　five　hundred　head。　Consequently　on　our　reaching　Dodge　with　the　Pine　Ridge　horses；　I　was　informed　that　they　were　going　to　send　all　the　saddle　stock　back　over　the　trail　to　the　ranch　and　that　I　was　to　have　charge　of　the　herd。　Had　the　trip　been　in　the　spring　and　the　other　way；　I　certainly　would　have　felt　elated　over　my　promotion。　Our　beef　herd　that　year　had　been　put　up　in　Dimmit　County；　and　from　there　to　the　Pine　Ridge　Agency　and　back　to　the　ranch　would　certainly　be　a　summer's　work　to　gratify　an　ordinary　ambition。

In　the　mean　time　and　before　our　arrival；　Flood　had　brought　up　all　the　stock　and　wagons　from　the　settlement；　and　established　a　camp　on　Mulberry　Creek；　south　of　Dodge　on　the　trail。　He　had　picked　up　two　Texans　who　were　anxious　to　see　their　homes　once　more；　and　the　next　day　at　noon　we　started。　The　herd　numbered　a　thousand　and　sixty　head；　twenty　of　which　were　work…mules。　The　commissary　which　was　to　accompany　us　was　laden　principally　with　harness；　and　waving　Flood　farewell；　we　turned　homeward；　leaving　behind　unsold　of　that　year's　drive　only　two　wagons。　Lovell　had　instructed　us　never　to　ride　the　same　horse　twice；　and　wherever　good　grass　and　water　were　encountered；　to　kill　as　much　time　as　possible。　My　employer　was　enthusiastic　over　the　idea；　and　well　he　might　be；　for　a　finer　lot　of　saddle　horses