"'That's all right,' he retorted, 'but don't forget what I told you
yesterday, and let it be enough said.'

"'Well, let's put the cattle in,' I urged, seeing that he was getting
hot under the collar. 'We're burning daylight, pardner.'

"'Well, I'm going to cross my wagon first,' said he.

"'That's a good idea,' I answered. 'Bring her up.' Their cook seemed
to have a little sense, for he brought up his wagon in good shape. We
tied some guy ropes to the upper side, and taking long ropes from the
end of the tongue to the pommels of our saddles, the ease with which
we set that commissary over didn't trouble any one but the boss-man,
whose orders were not very distinct from the distance between banks.
It was a good hour then before he would bring up his cattle. The main
trouble seemed to be to devise means to keep their guns and cartridges
dry, as though that was more important than getting the whole herd
of nearly thirty-five hundred cattle over. We gave them a clean cloth
until they needed us, but as they came up we divided out and were
ready to give the lead a good push. If a cow changed his mind about
taking a swim that morning, he changed it right back and took it.
For in less than twenty minutes' time they were all over, much to the
surprise of the boss and his men; besides, their weapons were quite
dry; just the splash had wet them.

"I told the boss that we would not need any help to cross ours, but
to keep well out of our way, as we would try and cross by noon, which
ought to give him a good five-mile start. Well, we crossed and nooned,
lying around on purpose to give them a good lead, and when we hit the
trail back in these sand-hills, there he was, not a mile ahead, and