THE ROUND-UP 63 



Sometimes an animal usually a cow or steer, but, strangely enough, 

 very rarely a bull will get fighting mad, and turn on the men. If on 

 the drive, such a beast usually is simply dropped out ; but if they have 

 time, nothing delights the cowboys more than an encounter of this sort, 

 and the charging brute is roped and tied down in short order. Often 

 such an one will make a very vicious fight, and is most dangerous. Once 

 a fighting cow kept several of us busy for nearly an hour ; she gored two 

 ponies, one of them, which was, luckily, hurt but slightly, being my own 

 pet cutting horse. If a steer is hauled out of a mud-hole, its first act is 

 usually to charge the rescuer. 



As soon as all the brands of cattle are worked, and the animals that 

 are to be driven along have been put in the day herd, attention is turned 

 to the cows and calves, which are already gathered in different bands, con- 

 sisting each of all the cows of a certain brand and all the calves that are 

 following them. If there is 

 a corral, each band is in turn 

 driven into it ; if there is 

 none, a ring of riders does 

 duty in its place. A fire is 



BRANDING A CALF. 



built, the irons heated, and a dozen men dismount to, as it is called, 

 "wrestle" the calves. The best two ropers go in on their horses to catch 

 the latter; one man keeps tally, a couple put on the brands, and the others 

 seize, throw, and hold the little unfortunates. A first-class roper invari- 

 ably catches the calf by both hind feet, and then, having taken a twist with 

 his lariat round the horn of the saddle, drags the bawling little creature, 

 extended at full-length, up to the fire, where it is held before it can make 



