The deal was closed without further ado, some money put up, and next day I started for England, leaving to the foreman the duty and responsibility of delivering the steers at the date specified.

These men, like most other operators, were dealing with borrowed money got from commission houses in Kansas City.

I learnt afterwards that their Kansas City friends, on hearing of the trade, refused to supply the funds till they had sent a man out specially to see the two-year-old steers that could possibly be worth so much money.

He came out, saw them, and reported them to be well worth the price; and they were acknowledged to be the finest small bunch of steers ever shipped out of the south-west country.

This was very gratifying indeed.
Another revolution in ranch practice was the keeping up of my bulls in winter-time and not putting them out with the cows till the middle of July.