24 The Wilderness Hunter. 



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 varying 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-rough- 

 ened 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 improvised rope- 

 corral. The men roped fresh horses, fitted for the cutting- 

 work round the herd, with its attendant furious galloping 

 and flash-like turning and twisting. In a few minutes all 

 were in the saddle again and riding towards the cattle. 



Then began that scene of excitement and turmoil, and 

 seeming confusion, but real method and orderliness, so 

 familiar to all who have engaged in stock-growing on the 

 great plains. The riders gathered in a wide ring round 

 the herd of uneasy cattle, and a couple of men rode into 

 their midst to cut out the beef steers and the cows that 

 were followed by unbranded calves. As soon as the ani- 

 mal was picked out the cowboy began to drive it slowly 

 towards the outside of the herd, and when it was near the 



