A RANCHMAN'S RECOLLECTIONS 



King Ranch, and had been shipped from Abilene, 

 Kans., which was then the great objective of Texas 

 trail herds, and the first great shipping point in the 

 west. It was late in the fall of 1870. The herd was 

 of mixed cows and steers. The steers in the main 

 were disposed of by December and the cows win- 

 tered. Their pasture had been my playground. 

 The "Ole Swimming Hole" was there; it was also 

 my wild duck preserve, in fall and spring, as well 

 as my fish pond. Black walnuts lined the stream 

 and hazelnuts abounded on the rolling ground; they, 

 too, were my treasures. My winter rabbit trapping 

 and quail shooting were there. I used the scrub oak 

 thickets for a screen from which to shoot prairie 

 chickens as they came over in the fall on their way 

 southward. 



The longhorns seemed an intrusion. They had a 

 wild-eyed way of keeping one covered. I was in- 

 clined to resent their advent, but my mother said 

 that they would not bother me if I attended to my 

 own business and let them alone. Perhaps that was 

 intended as much for a life admonition as to remove 

 my misgivings. It worked out all right, and I was 

 soon persona grata to go and come. I have often 

 thought of her admonition, with its practical demon- 

 stration ; it has helped me over some hard spots since. 



In the following spring the Texas cows began to 

 bring calves. The town butchers wanted them, ancj 

 the cattle-owners wanted the cows dry and grass- 



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