noon
Lovell insisted on staying with the lead herd , and pressing him in as horse-wrangler , I sent him in the lead with the remuda and wagon , while Levering fell into the swing with the trailing cattle . A breakfast halt was made fully seven miles from the bed-ground , a change of mounts , and then up divide , across mesa , and down slope at the foot of which ran the Platte . Meanwhile several wayfaring men were met , but in order to avoid our dust , they took the right or unbranded side of our herd on meeting , and passed on their way without inquiry . Near noon a party of six men , driving a number of loose mounts and a pack-horse , were met , who also took the windward side . Our dragmen learned that they were on their way to Dodge to receive a herd of range horses . But when about halfway down the slope towards the river , two mounted men were seen to halt the remuda and wagon for a minute , and then continue on southward . Billy Tupps was on the left point , myself next in the swing ; and as the two horsemen turned out on the branded side , their identity was suspected .