The blazing heat was such
that men and horses and steers all suffered terribly.
At the end of the second day he ordered a full dozen of the less hardy
of his beasts cut out from the herd and turned into a neighboring
range; it was questionable if they would have been able to drag on the
two remaining days and even had they done so they would have brought no
top price from the buyer.
The drive was made on schedule time. Circumstances not only permitted
but insisted. There were no places for loitering, there were only the
major water-holes upon which Steve had counted, the distances between
them regulating each day's progress. And so the stock was in San Juan
a full two days before the time for Doan's coming.
For Steve the two days dragged heavily. He camped with his herd on the
edge of the settlement, allowing the boys to disport themselves as they
saw fit a large part of the time, himself having little desire for the
bad whiskey and crooked gaming of La Casa Blanca.
Tuesday morning Doan was to arrive. Steve met the stage and one glance
showed him that Doan was not on it. He asked the driver if he knew
anything of Doan and the man shook his head. Steve supposed that he
was coming up from the railroad by auto and so idled about the town all
forenoon, waiting.
By midday, when Doan still failed to put in an appearance, Steve had
grown impatient.
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