A GOVERNMENT CONTRACT. 363 



tinually lost men, picked off by Indians ambushed behind 

 the rocks and in the thickets. Under these circumstances, 

 our enterprising patron thought he saw a chance to 

 "surround a few dollars," and offered to take the entire 

 charge of the drove at a price per head per month, repre- 

 senting how much better it would be for them to feed on 

 the abundance of first quality grass in his valley, how much 

 safer they would be, and that the arrangement would not 

 only liberate the cavalry from an arduous service, and con- 

 sidering the object of their being in the country useless 

 duty, but save valuable lives from being literally thrown 

 away. At the same time he did not neglect to ask the 

 biggest consideration he thought it possible to obtain as an 

 equivalent for so many advantages. An officer had gone 

 down from the district head-quarters to view the rancho, 

 and ascertain how its owner proposed to take care of the 

 cattle, and his report being favourable, there they were. 



It had been stipulated my friend should keep sufficient 

 force on his premises to render an attack on the corral 

 hopeless, that the cattle should be corralled every night, 

 and adequate provision made for their safety during day- 

 time. In fulfilment of which last obligation he had 

 arranged that every morning at daybreak two reliable 

 herders should ride out into the valley, take positions on 

 elevated ground and see it was clear of Indians, that the 

 herd should then be turned out and driven to the feeding- 

 ground by six more herders, two of whom would leave it 

 on arrival there, and, joining the two men who had preceded 

 them, take post right and left in couples on commanding 

 eminences as vedettes, and that the herd should not be 



