Seeing still some daylight I took down some few miles of it, so that it could not be defined as an enclosure, but only a drift-fence.

During the winter, however, I could not resist closing the gap again.

Next season once more appeared a Government agent, who in a rage ordered the fence down under pains and penalties which could not well be longer disregarded.

Cattle were up in price; a neighbour had long been anxious to buy me out; he was somewhat of a "smart Alick" and thought _he_ could keep the fence up; he knew all the circumstances; so I went over and saw him, made a proposition, and in a few minutes the ranch, cattle, fences and mills were his.

Poor man! in six months his fence was down and the cattle scattered all over the country.