48 RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTING-TRAIL 



an expert cowman, thoroughly acquainted with the country ; and he must 

 also be able to command and to keep control of the wild rough-riders 

 he has under him a feat needing both tact and firmness. 



At the appointed day all meet at the place from which the round-up is 

 to start. Each ranch, of course, has most work to be done in its own 

 round-up district, but it is also necessary to have representatives in all 

 those surrounding it. A large outfit may employ a dozen cowboys, or 

 over, in the home district, and yet have nearly as many more represent- 

 ing its interest in the various ones adjoining. Smaller outfits generally 

 club together to run a wagon and send outside representatives, or else go 

 along with their stronger neighbors, they paying part of the expenses. 

 A large outfit, with a herd of twenty thousand cattle or more, can, if 

 necessary, run a round-up entirely by itself, and is able to act independ- 

 ently of outside help ; it is therefore at a great advantage compared with 

 those that can take no step effectively without their neighbors' consent 

 and assistance. 



If the starting-point is some distance off, it may be necessary to leave 

 home three or four days in advance. Before this we have got everything 

 in readiness ; have overhauled the wagons, shod any horse whose fore- 

 feet are tender, as a rule, all our ponies go barefooted, and left things 

 in order at the ranch. Our outfit may be taken as a sample of every one 

 else's. We have a stout four-horse wagon to carry the bedding and the 

 food; in its rear a mess-chest is rigged to hold the knives, forks, cans, 

 etc. All our four team-horses are strong, willing animals, though of no 

 great size, being originally just "broncos," or unbroken native horses, 

 like the others. The teamster is also cook : a man who is a really first- 

 rate hand at both driving and cooking and our present teamster is 

 both can always command his price. Besides our own men, some cow- 

 boys from neighboring ranches and two or three representatives from 

 other round-up districts are always along, and we generally have at least 

 a dozen "riders," as they are termed, that is, cowboys, or "cow- 

 punchers," who do the actual cattle-work, with the wagon. Each of 

 these has a string of eight or ten ponies ; and to take charge of the 

 saddle-band, thus consisting of a hundred odd head, there are two 

 herders, always known as "horse-wranglers" one for the day and one 

 for the night. Occasionally there will be two wagons, one to carry the 

 bedding and one the food, known, respectively, as the bed and the mess 

 wagon ; but this is not usual. 



While traveling to the meeting-point the pace is always slow, as it is 

 an object to bring the horses on the ground as fresh as possible. Accord- 



