Tom cut out the two less likely ones to be real cowboys and told them to watch and guard the place while everyone was gone. They rode at a trot for the Perkins place. When they reached the broad valley, Hampt met them. “We’ve got most of the T B cows and calves gathered. There’s two or three old Texas moss horns got away, but I rode back through the north country yesterday and only saw one run off. The boys should bring in the rest today. The Herefords up here and them won’t hardly stay together with the longhorns, so they weren’t as bad as we expected.” “How many big stuff have you gathered?” Chet asked. “Two-fifty cows, not counting calves. There were plenty up here.” “They probably were pushed this direction by their men,” Tom said. “We’d noticed an increase but couldn’t catch them doing it.” “Tomorrow we can start driving them?” “I’d say so,” Hampt said. “Good, we better tell Hoot.” The two men agreed. “Put them in one herd then, tomorrow at the ranch?”
