20 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



effort to avoid the rope, wielded by the dexterous 

 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 extent, 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 

 of seven men there will be a four-horse wagon to 

 carry the blankets and mess kit. The whole, includ- 

 ing 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 

 neighboring 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 of that 

 brand are cut from the rest of the herd, which is 



