34 THE ITINERANT HORSE PHYSICIAN 



interesting. The constant traveling about, from 

 one town to another and from the towns to the 

 various ranches and ranges, was exactly to my 

 liking. Besides, there was plenty of chance for 

 excitement; in some spots the territory which I 

 had in charge was quite "wild and woolly." 

 Almost every day there was need for consider- 

 able "backbone," and now and then for more 

 than considerable. A few of my experiences will 

 suffice to give the reader an idea of what the vet- 

 erinary inspector does in the quarantine division 

 for a hundred dollars per month. (Today he 

 gets $116.67 per month.) 



A request came to the office one day for 

 inspection of some two thousand head of steers 

 out of the modified quarantine area. I was 

 detailed to proceed to the point given and make 

 the inspection without delay. I left my station 

 in the evening, rode on the train all night and 

 arrived at the place, Marathon, early the next 

 morning. 



The regulations affecting the modified quaran- 

 tine area stipulated that the cattle must be 

 inspected on the ranch or range; they must not 

 be trailed until the government inspector had 

 certified them. The inspection was chiefly for 

 Texas fever ticks, but other infectious diseases, 

 like scab for example, must not be ignored. 



When I arrived at Marathon the owner of the 

 cattle met me at the depot. He stated that the 

 cattle were within a few miles of the town, hav- 

 ing been driven from the ranch in Pecos County. 

 Here was a calamity. Pecos County, where the 

 ranch was located, was in quarantine. Mara- 



