Everyone was welcome, or at least got free board and lodging and horse feed.

There being a paid cook made things different.
But it was hot down here in summer-time, hot and dry and hardly attractive.

The lower part of the range was much of it sandy country.
With the temperature at 110 deg.

in the shade the sand would get so hot as to be almost painful to walk on, certainly disagreeable to sit on.

And when one wanted to rest the only shade you could find would be in the shadow of your horse, which at noon meant your sitting right under him; and your saddle, on remounting, would be so hot as to be really very uncomfortable.