In purchasing animals much caution is required in that part of the country, as even men who pose as gentlemen will try to take advantage of the situation.

One such individual not only raised his prices, but delivered unbroken animals.

Much loss of time and endless annoyance were caused, first in the camp and later on the road, by unruly mules, that persistently threw off their packs and had to be subdued and reloaded.
Gradually, I had succeeded in finding the necessary men; This was another hard task to accomplish.

There are always plenty of fellows, ready for adventures, greedy to earn money, and eager to join such an expedition.

But to select the right ones among the cow-boys and miners of the border lands is most difficult.
By what appears, furthermore, to be the compensating justice of Nature, the treasures of the earth are always hidden in the most unattractive, dismal, and dreary spots.