登陆注册
38551700000015

第15章 RECEIVING AT LOS LOBOS(5)

There was a possibility of fully a hundred more coming in with the neighboring cattle, and Dr.Beaver was delighted over the ranch delivery.The outside contingents were in four bunches, then encamped in different directions and within from three to five miles of the ranch.Taking Vick Wolf with me for the afternoon, I looked over the separate herds and found them numbering more than fifteen hundred.They were the same uniform Nueces Valley cattle, and as we lacked only a few over a thousand, the offerings were extremely liberal.Making arrangements with three of the four herds to receive the next day, Vick and I reached our camp on the county line about sunset.

The change was a decided advantage; wood, water, and grass were plentiful, and not over a mile farther from the branding-pens.

The next morning found us in our saddles at the usual early hour.

We were anxious to receive and brand every animal possible that day, so that with a few hours' work the next forenoon the herd would be ready to start.After we had passed on the first contingent of the outside cattle, and as we were nearing the corrals, Dr.Beaver overtook us.Calling me aside, he said:

"Quirk, if you play your cards right, you'll get a certificate of inspection for nothing and a chromo as a pelon.I've bolstered up the Lasalle man that he's better entitled to the work than the Dimmit inspector, and he'll wait until the herd is ready to start.Now, you handle the one, and I'll keep the other as my guest.We must keep them apart and let them buck each other to their hearts' content.Every hoof in your herd will be in a ranch brand of record; but still the law demands inspection and you must comply with it.I'll give you a duplicate list of the brands, so that neither inspector need see the herd, and if we don't save your employer a hundred dollars, then we are amateurs."Everything was pointing to an auspicious start.The last cattle on the delivery were equal to the first, if not better.The sky clouded over, and before noon a light shower fell, settling the dust in the corrals.Help increased as the various bunches were accepted, and at the end of the day only a few over two hundred remained to complete our numbers.The last contingent were fully up to the standard; and rather than disappoint the sellers, Iaccepted fifty head extra, ****** my herd at starting thirty-four hundred and fifty.When the last beef had passed the branding-chute, there was nothing remaining but to give a receipt to the seller for the number of head received, in behalf of my employer, pending a later settlement between them.

Meanwhile competition in the matter of inspection had been carefully nursed.Conscious of each other's presence, and both equally anxious for the fee, the one deputy was entertained at my camp and the other at Los Lobos.They were treated courteously, but given to understand that in the present instance money talked.With but a small bunch of beeves to brand on the starting day, the direction in which the herd was allowed to leave the bed-ground would be the final answer.If west, Dimmit had underbid Lasalle; if the contrary, then the departure of this herd would be a matter of record in the latter county.Dr.Beaver enjoyed the situation hugely, acting the intermediary in behalf of his guest.Personally I was unconcerned, but was neutral and had little to say.

My outfit understood the situation perfectly.Before retiring on the night of our last camp on the county line, and in the presence of the Dimmit inspector, the last relief received instructions, in the absence of contrary orders, to allow the herd to drift back into Lasalle in the morning.Matters were being conducted in pantomime, and the players understood their parts.Our guest had made himself useful in various ways, and Inaturally felt friendly towards him.He had stood several guards for the boys, and Burl Van Vedder, of the last watch, had secret instructions to call him for that guard.

The next morning the camp was not astir as early as usual.On the cook's arousing us, in the uncertain light of dawn, the herd was slowly rising, and from the position of a group of four horsemen, it was plainly evident that our guest had shaded all competition.

Our camp was in plain view of Los Lobos, and only some five or six miles distant.With the rising of the sun, and from the top of a windmill derrick, by the aid of a field-glass, the Lasalle inspector had read his answer; and after the work in the morning was over, and the final papers had been exchanged, Dr.Beaver insisted that, in commiseration of his departed guest, just one more mint-julep should be drunk standing.

When Don Lovell glanced over my expense account on our arrival at Abilene, he said: "Look here, Tom, is this straight ?--twenty dollars for inspection?--the hell you say! Corrupted them, did you? Well, that's the cheapest inspection I ever paid, with one exception.Dave Sponsilier once got a certificate for his herd for five dollars and a few drinks.But he paid for it a month in advance of the starting of the herd.It was dated ahead, properly sealed, and all ready for filling in the brands and numbers.The herd was put up within a mile of where four counties cornered, and that inspector was a believer in the maxim of the early bird.

The office is a red-tape one, anyhow, and little harm in taking all the advantage you can.--This item marked 'sundries' was DRYgoods, I suppose? All right, Quirk; I reckon rattlesnakes were rather rabid this spring."

同类推荐
  • 古杭杂记

    古杭杂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金丹正宗

    金丹正宗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 医病简要

    医病简要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Two Brothers

    The Two Brothers

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 慈悲道场忏法

    慈悲道场忏法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 温与言

    温与言

    顾遇之,外界比他的报道评价并不多,这个男人像是始终带着一副面具,让人捉摸不透。他极度渴望得到爱情却又对比充满恐惧,内心深出的卑微,行为的自负出格。一步一步,让自己内心的在矛盾中逐渐迷失。于苏翎而言,他们曾经共同许下承诺,“翎儿,我们答应彼此,永不抛弃,永不分离”“拉钩上吊一百年不许变”……而当孩时的誓言被现实所击碎,“永不抛弃,永不分离……可是你为什么要抛弃我,为什么,你在哪……数年后的相逢,究竟该何去何从。于夏之雪而言,他究竟是救她脱离水火的天使,还是从地狱中归来的撒旦。她曾天真的以为他是世上最完美的男人,她会成为最幸福的新娘,当梦醒时分,她对他说:我恨你,放我走吧!他们的爱注定是爱与恨的交缠,最终能否换来对彼此的救赎。
  • 诡秘世界开客栈

    诡秘世界开客栈

    充满了魑魅魍魉的诡秘世界里,穿越成了客栈老板的秦安忆有些慌。但是一张神秘的黄纸上显现出了一行小字。“莫慌”秦安忆觉得稳了。
  • 乡村大纪事

    乡村大纪事

    一个个催人泪下的小故事、一个个令人难忘的小人物,讲述着新中国的建立之艰难。以一个人为线索背景,见证了新中国从无到有,从积贫积弱到繁荣昌盛。
  • tfboys之梦的彼岸

    tfboys之梦的彼岸

    就是三只和女孩的爱情啦,希望四叶草梦捧场哦。
  • 不简单王爷

    不简单王爷

    一个晚上付笑笑经历了人生最惨的事情,先是被交往了八年的初恋男友甩了,然后大醉一场不小心吐在自己老弟车上,忍着失恋之苦还要连夜给老弟洗车,结果,一觉醒来已经在另一个不认识的世界了!一开始就是一场不高兴的认识,可是最后谁也没想到会爱上彼此,且看付笑笑如何将这个不简单的王爷打包带走!情节虚构,请勿模仿!
  • 糟心的室友

    糟心的室友

    混迹大城市的年轻打工者张木阳,也和其他一样光光净净毕业,没有含着金钥匙的待遇。拿着国内一流大学毕业的硕士学位证书,在一家科技公司实习上班,公司是不包住的。他所在的公司城市是国内一线城市,因此单独租房子,那简直就是奢望,所以他随大流选择了合租,随后张木阳各种糟心的事就来了。
  • 吞天洪荒

    吞天洪荒

    一次精心预谋叛乱,庞大的王朝在一夜之间解体,天才修士及其家族惨遭灭门之灾。浑沌间,上天却竟然让他重反少年时代……拥有了第二次机会,少年凭一己之力力挽狂澜,让前世悲剧不再上演,前世的遗憾此生统统了却!化龙池,万魔灭。少年偶得上古传承,修炼天品神技,游于天地间,成就至尊。一粒尘方可填海,一根草斩便日月星辰,弹指间天翻地覆。大域群雄并起,万族林立,诸圣争霸,惊天动地。问苍茫大地,谁主沉浮?一切,从这里开始……
  • 妖尾之sans

    妖尾之sans

    *多么美好的一天啊*鸟儿在歌唱,鲜花在绽放*在这样美好的一天里,像你这样的孩子*……*我为什么要管这个孩子?我都穿越了喂!PS没有了解sans的读者去百度一下传说之下
  • 龙起长渊

    龙起长渊

    背叛?重生?背后无比巨大的阴谋,还原少年热血时光,看魔王重生降临异世扬我魔威,舞动大陆风云
  • 飞到古代来享福

    飞到古代来享福

    景枫穿到异世并附赠随身空间一枚,却被告诉她被选中为某仙的传承弟子只有完成任务才能回去.....她顿感有压力,但为了完成自己的心愿,拼了!从此她一边勤勤恳恳、认认真真的努力升级,一边过着美好悠哉的种田小日子,活的有滋有味的。惹来小毛球艳羡:“你这样过的太幸福了!为毛我不是你呢?”