ten o'clock
Of course I knew that all herds near about were through cattle and under herd , and the absence of any men in sight aroused my curiosity . I concluded to investigate it , and riding back found over five hundred head of the cattle we had lost the night before . ` Here 's a chance to make a record with my new boss , ' I said to myself , and circling in behind , began drifting them out of the bottoms towards the uplands . By ten o'clock I had got them to the first divide , when who should ride up but the owner , the old cowman himself -- the sure enough big auger . '' ` Well , son , ' said my boss , ` you held some of them , did n't you ? ' ` Yes , ' I replied , surly as I could , giving him a mean look , ` I 've nearly ridden this horse to death , holding this bunch all night . If I had only had a good man or two with me , we could have caught twice as many .