ii4 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



pleasant to be out-of-doors. Still a certain amount 

 of riding about among the cattle and ponies had 

 to be done, and almost every day was spent by at 

 least one of us in the saddle. We wore the heaviest 

 kind of all-wool under-clothing, with flannels, lined 

 boots, and great fur coats, caps, and gauntlets or 

 mittens, but yet after each ride one or the other 

 of us would be almost sure to come in with a touch 

 of the frost somewhere about him. On one ride 

 I froze my nose and one cheek, and each of the 

 men froze his ears, fingers, or toes at least once 

 during the fortnight. This generally happened 

 while riding over a plain or plateau with a strong 

 wind blowing in our faces. When the wind was 

 on our backs it was not bad fun to gallop along 

 through the white weather, but when we had to face 

 it, it cut through us like a keen knife. The ponies 

 did not seem to mind the cold much, but the cattle 

 were very uncomfortable, standing humped up in 

 the bushes except for an hour or two at midday 

 when they ventured out to feed ; some of the young 

 stock which were wintering on the range for the 

 first time died from the exposure. A very weak 

 animal we would bring into the cow-shed and feed 

 with hay; but this was only done in cases of the 

 direst necessity, as such an animal has then to be 

 fed for the rest of the winter, and the quantity 

 of hay is limited. In the Bad Lands proper, cattle 

 do not wander far, the deep ravines affording them 

 a refuge from the bitter icy blasts of the winter 

 gales; but if by any accident caught out on the open 



