noon
We were promised a large contingent of cattle for that day . The ranch outfit were to make three rodeos down the river the day before , where the bulk of their beeves ranged . Flood was anxious to overtake the other outfits before they reached the lower country , and as he assured me I had no further use for him , we agreed that after receiving that morning he might leave us . Giving orders at camp to graze the received beeves within a mile of the corrals by noon , and the wagon to follow , we made an early start , Flood taking his own horses with him . We met the cattle coming up the river a thousand strong . It was late when the last round-up of the day before had finished , and they had camped for the night fully five miles from the corrals . It took less than an hour to cull back and count , excuse the ranch outfit , and start this contingent for the branding-pens in charge of my boys .