It, therefore, lacked considerable of night when the final halt was made, and the cattle were allowed to crop the grass until they became sated and chose to lie down.
The men in charge of the other herd were equally thoughtful, for they came to a pause about the same time, with nearly a mile separating the camps. It was hardly dark, indeed, when a horseman was seen approaching from the southward, on an easy gallop, and there was no doubt that he belonged to the other party.
"It's my old friend Sclevinger," said Captain Shirril, recognizing the visitor, as he saluted, and, checking his steed beside that of the old Texan, extended his hand, with the heartiest of salutations.
"I suspected it was you," said the new arrival, whose pleasant countenance was covered by as shaggy a growth as that of the captain, "and I concluded I would run over and shake hands."
"That's right, pard. I'm mighty glad to see you; you must take supper with us."
"Thank you, I guess I will," replied Sclevinger, dismounting and accepting the invitation as readily as it was given; "I tried to run in my herd ahead of you this afternoon," he added, with a twinkle of his fine eyes, "but I couldn't quite make it."
"We saw what you were up to, and we had to bestir ourselves to head you off. How many have you, colonel?"
"Only about twelve hundred--that is, I _had_ twelve hundred, when I started from the ranch two days ago, but we lost nearly a hundred yesterday."
"How was that?" asked the captain, as they reached the provision wagon, and paused while the cook made their meal ready.
"A confounded lot of Comanches cut out some of our cattle, and, despite all we could do, got off with them."
"They have been hanging round us, but didn't do anything. Seems to me, colonel, you shouldn't have allowed that."
"That's what makes me so mad," was the bluff response of the guest. "It was just after crossing the creek to the southwest, which doesn't lie in your way. A lot of the beasts took fright at something, and away they went on a bee line for Arizona. I thought a couple of the boys would be able to bring them back, and I sent them off, while the other four looked after the main herd. Thank you," said the colonel, as he took the hot coffee from the hand of his host.