204 RECORDS ON THE RANGE 



On enquiry I found that the trail between 

 Forts Macleod and Calgary, Alberta, one 

 hundred and eight miles, had been ridden in a 

 day b}^ most of the Mounted Police and cow- 

 boys who happened to go that way. 



Six-Day Rides. Kit Carson carried mili- 

 tar}^ despatches from Omaha to Los Angeles 

 and back (circa 1841), a lone ride through 

 hostile tribes of four thousand four hundred 

 miles. When he was resting at Los Angeles 

 he joined a party of Mexican gentlemen each 

 taking one saddle horse. The six men rode 

 along the California coast from Los Angeles to 

 San Francisco, six hundred miles in six days. 

 Only two of the party changed horses. 



Among the Robbers' Roost, and affiliated 

 gangs of Rock}^ Mountain outlaws, I found that 

 it was their custom to plant little bunches of 

 ponies here and there in pasture. When they 

 happened to be in a hurry the}" would travel 

 from pasture to pasture, and at each of these 

 take a fresh mount. Six hundred miles in six 

 days was not unusual they told me, and, from 

 what the sheriffs said who tried to catch them, 

 I think that the robbers spoke in moderation. 

 They were much the most truthful men I have 

 met on the stock range. 



Marches W^ithout Remounts. In the 



