Hunting from the Ranch 37 



cows and calves were put in one place, the beeves in 

 another; the latter were afterward run into the 

 day-herd. 



Meanwhile from time to time some clean-limbed 

 young steer or heifer, able to run like an antelope 

 and double like a jack-rabbit, tried to break out of 

 the herd that was being worked, when the nearest 

 cowboy hurried in pursuit at top speed and brought 

 it back, after a headlong, break-neck race, in which 

 no heed was paid to brush, fallen timber, prairie-dog 

 holes, or cut banks. The dust rose in little whirling 

 clouds, and through it dashed bolting cattle and gal- 

 loping cowboys, hither and thither, while the air was 

 filled with the shouts and laughter of the men, and 

 the bellowing of the herd. 



As soon as the herd was worked it was turned 

 loose, while the cows and calves were driven over 

 to a large corral, where the branding was done. 

 A fire was speedily kindled, and in it were laid the 

 branding irons of the different outfits represented on 

 the round-up. Then two of the best ropers rode into 

 the corral and began to rope the calves, round the 

 hind legs by preference, but sometimes round the 

 head. The other men dismounted to "wrestle" and 

 brand them. Once roped, the calf, bawling and 

 struggling, was swiftly dragged near the fire, where 

 one or two of the calf-wrestlers grappled with and 

 threw the kicking, plunging little beast, and held 

 it while it was branded. If the calf was large the 



