Mile after mile they traveled. By ten-thirty they reached the spot they were to begin circling from--a small knoll at the extreme edge of the Manley range. On their way they had passed many herds of cattle, some numbering no more than fifty, some containing two hundred head. All these had to be gathered together and driven into the base corral. At a signal from Mr. Manley, the men separated, forming themselves in a long skirmish line. This line was converged at each end, to make a semicircle. So widely apart were the riders that they stretched over nearly two miles of territory. Teddy was on one end, Roy on the other, and their father was the center man. Slowly they started, each man keeping his distance, none getting ahead of the others. Everything that ran on four legs was to be driven in by the advancing line. CHAPTER XVIII TEDDY GETS HIS ORDERS As the men rode forward, a small herd, some seventy-five or a hundred head, which was grazing quietly in a shallow valley, looked up inquisitively. The horsemen did not quicken their pace, but proceeded calmly toward the cows. “Mostly yearlings,” Roy called to Nick, who was next to him in line. “Yearling” is the term used by the cowboy to denote an animal two or three years old, and intended for food rather than for breeding. Now the advancing line came to the cows. A few men let out their “yip-yip-yip-eee!” and the herd, aroused, quitted their grazing ground and trotted forward, in the same direction, of course, as the men were headed. These were the first of the round-up, and formed the base of what was later to become a huge parade of animals. These ranges were all fenced in, and hence the round-up was not so difficult as it would have been if the cattle had to be driven in from open prairie. Yet the fenced territory was so large that for many purposes it was still unprotected range. Perhaps there was fifty or seventy-five miles of fence surrounding the Manley lands. Necessarily there were many breaks in this long stretch, through which animals from other ranges might stray, as well as antelopes and deer. These mixed with the stock and had to be weeded out, and a round-up was the weeding machine. The riders walked their horses onward, keeping a constant pace, and the cattle finally adjusted themselves to this speed and went forward resignedly. On the far end of the line, where Teddy rode, another herd was picked up. These, seeing their brethren in the distance, went to meet them, and the two herds were merged into one, near the center of the line. Now Mr. Manley left his place, motioning to those on each side of him to close up and fill the gap. He circled around until he came out in front of the walking cattle. From now on the riders were to take their pace from him.