It had a tonic effect upon them; they were energetic, eager, and always ravenously hungry.

The cook offered testimony on that subject, unsolicited.
"I never seen a bunch of mavericks that gobbled more grub than this here outfit!" he stated on the second morning.

"Or that swilled more coffee," he added.

"Seems like all they come on this drive for is to eat!" Toward the close of the second day corrugations began to appear in the level.

Little ridges and valleys broke the monotony of travel; rocks began to dot the earth; the gray grass disappeared, the barren stretches grew larger and more frequent, and the yucca and the lancelike octilla began to appear here and there.