6 RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTING-TRAIL 



when they reach the main creek into which the coulees lead. Our own 

 range cattle are not so wild, but nevertheless are easy to drive ; while 

 Eastern-raised beasts have little fear of a horseman, and merely stare 

 stupidly at him until he rides directly towards them. Every little bunch 

 of stock is thus collected, and all are driven along together. At the place 

 where some large fork joins the main creek another band may be met, 

 driven by some of the men who have left earlier in the day to take one of 

 the shorter circles ; and thus, before coming down to the bottom where 

 the wagons are camped and where the actual " round-up " itself is to take 

 place, this one herd may include a couple of thousand head ; or, on the 

 other hand, the longest ride may not result in the finding of a dozen 

 animals. As soon as the riders are in, they disperse to their respective 

 wagons to get dinner and change horses, leaving the cattle to be held by 

 one or two of their number. If only a small number of cattle have been 

 gathered, they will all be run into one herd ; if there are many of them, 

 however, the different herds will be held separate. 



A plain where a round-up is taking place offers a picturesque sight. 

 I well remember one such. It was on a level bottom in a bend of the 

 river, which here made an almost semicircular sweep. The bottom was 

 in shape a long oval, hemmed in by an unbroken line of steep bluffs so 

 that it looked like an amphitheater. Across the faces of the dazzling 

 white cliffs there were sharp bands of black and red, drawn by the coal 

 seams and the layers of burned clay : the leaves of the trees and the 

 grass had the vivid green of spring-time. The wagons were camped 

 among the cottonwood trees fringing the river, a thin column of smoke 

 rising up from beside each. The horses were grazing round the out- 

 skirts, those of each wagon by themselves and kept from going too near 

 the others by their watchful guard. In the great circular corral, towards 

 one end, the men were already branding calves, while the whole middle 

 of the bottom was covered with lowing herds of cattle and shouting, gal- 

 loping cowboys. Apparently there was nothing but dust, noise, and con- 

 fusion ; but in reality the work was proceeding all the while with the 

 utmost rapidity and certainty. 



As soon as, or even before, the last circle riders have come in and 

 have snatched a few hasty mouthfuls to serve as their midday meal, we 

 begin to work the herd or herds, if the one herd would be of too 

 unwieldy size. The animals are held in a compact bunch, most of the 

 riders forming a ring outside, while a couple from each ranch successively 

 look the herds through and cut out those marked with their own brand. 

 It is difficult, in such a mass of moving beasts, for they do not stay still, 



