44 RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTING-TRAIL 



they are on the point of charging, but rarely actually doing so. Still, they 

 are occasionally really dangerous, and it is never entirely safe for a man to 

 be on foot when there is a chance of meeting the droves of long-horned 

 steers. But they will always bluster rather than fight, whether with men 

 or beasts, or with one another. The bulls and some of the steers are for- 

 ever traveling and challenging each other, never ceasing their hoarse 

 rumbling and moaning and their long-drawn, savage bellowing, tearing 

 up the banks with their horns and sending little spurts of dust above 

 their shoulders with their fore hoofs ; yet they do not seem especially 

 fond of real fighting, although, of course, they do occasionally have most 

 desperate and obstinate set-tos with one another. A large bear will make 

 short work of a bull : a few months ago one of the former killed a very 

 big bull near a ranch house a score of miles or so distant, and during one 

 night tore up and devoured a large part of his victim. The ranchman 

 poisoned the carcass and killed the bear. 



OLD-STYLE TEXAN COWMAN- 



