I could have turned into
the company my two ranches at fifty cents an acre, could have sold my
brand outright at a fancy figure, taking stock in lieu for the same,
but I preferred to keep them private property. I have since known
other cowmen who put their lands and cattle into companies, and
after a few years' manipulation all they owned was some handsome
certificates, possibly having drawn a dividend or two and held an
honorary office. I did not then have even the experience of others to
guide my feet, but some silent monitor warned me to stick to my trade,
cows.
Leaving the family at the Edwards ranch, I returned to Fort Worth
in ample time for the appointed meeting. My active partner and our
segundo had become as thick as thieves, the two being inseparable at
idle times, and on their arrival we got down to business at once. The
remudas were the first consideration. Besides my personal holdings
of saddle stock, we had sent the fall before one thousand horses
belonging to the firm back to the Clear Fork to winter. Thus equipped
with eighteen remudas for the trail, we were fairly independent in
that line. Among the five herds driven the year before to our beef
ranch in the Outlet, the books showed not over ten thousand coming
four years old that spring, leaving a deficiency of northern wintered
beeves to be purchased. It was decided to restock the range with
straight threes, and we again divided the buying into departments,
each taking the same division as the year before.
Pages:
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261