Ranching in the Bad Lands. 15 



avoid the rope, wielded by the dextrous and sinewy hand 

 of a broad-hatted cowboy. 



A ranchman is kept busy most of the time, but 

 his hardest work comes during the spring and fall 

 round-ups, when the calves are branded or the beeves 

 gathered for market. Our round-up district includes the 

 Beaver and Little Beaver creeks (both of which always 

 contain running water, and head up toward each other), 

 and as much of the river, nearly two hundred miles in ex- 

 tent, as lies between their mouths. All the ranches along 

 the line of these two creeks and the river space between 

 join in sending from one to three or four men to the round- 

 up, each man taking eight ponies ; and for every six or seven 

 men there will be a four-horse wagon to carry the blankets 

 and mess kit. The whole, including perhaps forty or fifty 

 cowboys, is under the head of one first-class foreman, 

 styled the captain of the round-up. Beginning at one end 

 of the line the round-up works along clear to the other. 

 Starting at the head of one creek, the wagons and the 

 herd of spare ponies go down it ten or twelve miles, while 

 the cowboys, divided into small parties, scour the neigh- 

 boring country, covering a great extent of territory, and 

 in the evening come into the appointed place with all 

 the cattle they have seen. This big herd, together with 

 the pony herd, is guarded and watched all night, and 

 driven during the day. At each home-ranch (where 

 -there is always a large corral fitted for the purpose) all 

 the cattle pf that brand are cut out from the rest of the 

 herd, which is to continue its journey, and the cows and 

 calves are driven into the corral, where the latter are 



