Hunting from the Ranch 35 



further distant, at the mouth of a ravine, was the 

 day-herd of cattle, two or three cowboys watching it 

 as they lolled drowsily in their saddles. The other 

 riders were off on circles to bring in cattle to the 

 round-up; they were expected every moment. 



With the ready hospitality always shown in a cow- 

 camp we were pressed to alight and take dinner, or 

 at least a lunch; and accordingly we jumped off our 

 horses and sat down. Our tin plates were soon 

 heaped with fresh beef, bread, tomatoes, rice, and 

 potatoes, all very good ; for the tall, bearded, scrawny 

 cook knew his work, and the OX outfit always fed 

 its men well, and saw that they worked well too. 



Before noon the circle riders began to appear on 

 the plain, coming out of the ravines, and scrambling 

 down the steep hills, singly or in twos and threes. 

 They herded before them bunches of cattle, of vary- 

 ing size; these were driven together and left in 

 charge of a couple of cow-punchers. The other men 

 rode to the wagon to get a hasty dinner lithe, 

 sinewy fellows, with weather-roughened faces and 

 fearless eyes; their broad felt hats flapped as they 

 galloped, and their spurs and bridle chains jingled. 

 They rode well, with long stirrups, sitting straight 

 in the deep stock saddles, and their wiry ponies 

 showed no signs of fatigue from the long morning's 

 ride. 



The horse-wrangler soon drove the saddle band 

 to the wagons, where it was caught in a quickly im- 



