There were the other familiar odors as well that told the colt where he was. The smells of cattle, diesel fuel and the mules were just a few of the scents that appeared to be hanging on the afternoon breeze. But unlike the last time he was at this place, the odors didn’t seem quite as overbearing to him now, and his brain had a much easier time managing and sorting them. The colt also noticed the look of the place seemed to be different as well. Before, everything was gigantic. The fences seemed to reach the sky and the out buildings appeared so tall they blocked out the sun. But now, everything was much more normal in stature and not near as colossal as they once felt to him.

The colt had quietly followed the human holding the lead rope that was attached to the halter around his head, just as Jessie and Henry had taught him. The man led him past the big catch pen and put the colt in a pen that was different than the one he had stayed in originally, the one next to the old gelding who had died during the night. This pen was smaller, closer to the barn and near another larger pen, which held four geldings.

The colt stayed there throughout the night, munching on the pile of hay that had been left for him and taking the occasional nap until morning. It was then Tug came and haltered him, took him to a hitch rail near a large tack room near the barn, groomed and saddled him and put him back in the trailer along with the four geldings from the nearby pen, who were also saddled. The horses were hauled several miles down the highway before the rig turned onto a dirt road and then traveled several more uphill miles before finally stopping in a large flat open area near a wooden catch pen darkened by age and weather. All the horses were unloaded, saddle bags and canteens were tied to the saddles, cinches were tightened, bridles were placed on their heads, lariats placed over saddle horns and a rider climbed into each one of the saddles, with Tug climbing aboard the colt.

Without any fanfare, men and horses started up a nearby hill and began what would turn out to be the first day of the two-week-long fall round up, where thousands of cattle were gathered out of the high country and brought down to the lower pastures where they would stay for the winter. The colt’s first day on the job was relatively easy, and he enjoyed being out in the open country again, but he was more than a bit confused with the way he was ridden by Tug.

Unlike either Henry or Jessie, Tug sent him no pictures whatsoever and while Tug wasn’t mean or overly harsh with the colt, he was stiff and hard in the way he communicated with him. If Tug wanted the colt to stop, he would pull back on the reins much harder than he needed to, which caused the normally soft and supple colt to lock the muscles in his neck as a way to protect himself from the contact. Tug would do the same thing when he turned or backed the colt up, always pulling much harder than was necessary. If he wanted the colt to go, he would often take him by surprise by jabbing him in the sides with his spurs. After the first few times of Tug doing this, the colt started to become jumpy anytime he heard the sound of Tug’s spur rowels jingle. Tug noticed the effect his spurs were having on the colt and by the end of the first day had taken them off and put them in his saddlebags.