"Old Blacky could swim across," said Jack, "but Browny would
go to sleep and drown."

[Illustrations: Hats]

It is rather doubtful, however, about even Blacky's ability
to have swum the river, since it was a half-mile wide, and with a
rather swift current. In the afternoon we walked back to Yankton
and bought the biggest felt hats we could find, with wide and
heavy leather bands. We knew that we should now soon be out in
the stock-growing country, and that, as Jack said, "the cowboys
wouldn't have any respect for us unless we were top-heavy with
hat."

We were camped on the high bank of the river, opposite a
farm-house. It was getting dusk when we got back to the wagon,
with our heads aching from our new hats, which seemed to weigh
several pounds apiece. Jack, as cook, announced that there was no
milk on hand, and sent Ollie over to the neighboring house to see
if he could get some. Ollie returned, and reported that the man
was away from home, but that the woman said we could have some if
we were willing to go out to the barn-yard and milk one of the
cows. The others decided that it was my duty to milk, but I asked
so many foolish questions about the operation that Jack became
convinced that I didn't know how, and said he would do it
himself. We all went over to the house, borrowed a tin pail from
the woman, and went out to the yard.

We found about a dozen cows inside, of various sizes, but all
long-legged and long-horned.