A general round-up took a long time and was no sooner over than another was begun at the far south border (the Mexico line) and the thing repeated.

Our own cattle had got into the habit of drifting south whenever winter set in.

It took us all summer to get them back again, and no sooner back than a cold sleet or rain would start them south.

In fact, in winter few of our own cattle were at home, the cattle on our range being then mostly those drifted from the northern part of the territory.

Such were the conditions in a "free range" country, and these conditions broke nearly all these big outfits, or at least compelled them to market their stuff for whatever it would bring.