On the Cattle Ranges 75 



Latigo had left his saddled, and he started ahead 

 of me. One of the annoyances of night guarding, 

 at least in thick weather, is the occasional difficulty 

 of finding the herd after leaving camp, or in return 

 ing to carnp after the watch is over; there are few 

 things more exasperating than to be helplessly wan 

 dering about in the dark under such circumstances. 

 However, on this occasion there was no such trouble ; 

 for it was a brilliant starlight night and the herd had 

 been bedded down by a sugar-loaf butte which made 

 a good landmark. As we reached the spot we could 

 make out the loom of the cattle lying close together 

 on the level plain; and then the dim figure of a 

 horseman rose vaguely from the darkness and 

 moved by in silence; it was the other of the two 

 midnight guards, on his way back to his broken 

 slumber. 



At once we began to ride slowly round the cattle 

 in opposite directions. We were silent, for the 

 night was clear, and the herd quiet ; in wild weather, 

 when the cattle are restless, the cowboys never cease 

 calling and singing as they circle them, for the 

 sounds seem to quiet the beasts. 



For over an hour we steadily paced the endless 

 round, saying nothing, with our greatcoats buttoned, 

 for the air was chill toward morning on the north 

 ern plains, even in summer. Then faint streaks of 

 gray appeared in the east. Latigo Strap began to 

 call merrily to the cattle. A coyote came sneaking 



