1 82 THE ART OF TRAVEL 



to take even one's own advice. Most likely 

 nobody else is going in that direction, or the 

 fellow who offers his company would make a 

 first-rate stranger. But in any case three 

 horses will travel better than one, and by 

 changing about one gets a longer march. That 

 is why one generally travels with ride, pack 

 and spare mounts. As to the pack, the load 

 at which an average animal can keep pace 

 with the mounted man is one hundred-and- 

 twenty pounds, and with such a cargo should 

 not be stopped either by swamps or rivers, bush 

 or mountains. The weight may seem exces- 

 sive for one man's supplies, but it is always 

 worth while to carry a ration or two of grain. 



An advantage of the three-horse method is 

 in the encouragement it gives them on the 

 trail. They are quick to scratch up friendship 

 among themselves, are never happy except in 

 company, and running together may take their 

 man into fellowship. 



Buying. So long as the American range 

 was really wild an unsound horse was palmed 

 off on the nearest townsman, or shot, or turned 

 loose as worthless. To-day the proposal to buy 

 a horse in any western town brings forth 

 are amazing collection of relics, cripples, colts, 

 curios, and criminals. The old timers will 



