The cattle we decided to leave alone to take their chances of getting home, thinking the rustlers would not have the "gall", in face of our near presence, to again try to get off with them; but they did! These cattle never reached the ranch.

Had they been left alone their wonderful homing instinct would certainly have got them there just as quick as they could travel.

However, we did not realize the fact of the second raid till on our return no sign of these cattle could be found.

So we continued south, passing through the roughest country I ever set eyes on, the vegetation in some places being of the most extraordinary nature, cacti of all kinds forming so thick a jungle that one could hardly dismount.

Such enormous and freakish-looking growths of this class of plant few can have ever looked on before.