about nine o'clock
With the exception of Deweese , who was nearly twenty-five years old , the remainder of the boys on the ranch were young fellows , several of whom besides myself had not yet attained their majority . On ranch work , in the absence of our employer , June was recognized as the _ segundo _ of Los Palomas , owing to his age and his long employment on the ranch . He was a trustworthy man , and we younger lads entertained no envy towards him . It was about nine o'clock when we mounted our horses and started . We jollied along in a party , or separated into pairs in cross-country riding , covering about seven miles an hour . `` I remember , '' said Uncle Lance , as we were riding in a group , `` the first time I was ever at Shepherd 's Ferry . We had been down the river on a cow hunt for about three weeks and had run out of bacon .