36 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



trot which is the cow-pony's ordinary gait ; 

 and sometimes we loped or galloped and ran. 



At last we came to the ford beyond which 

 the riders of the round-up had made their 

 camp. In the bygone days of the elk and 

 buffalo, when our branded cattle were first 

 driven thus far north, this ford had been dan- 

 gerous from quicksand ; but the cattle, ever 

 crossing and re-crossing, had trodden down 

 and settled the sand, and had found out the 

 firm places ; so that it was now easy to get 

 over. 



Close beyond the trees on the farther bank 

 stood the two round-up wagons ; near by was 

 the cook's fire, in a trench, so that it might 

 not spread ; the bedding of the riders and 

 horse-wranglers lay scattered about, each roll 

 of blankets wrapped and corded in a stout 

 canvas sheet. The cook was busy about the 

 fire ; the night-wrangler was snatching an hour 

 or two's sleep under one of the wagons. 

 Half a mile away, on the plain of sage brush 

 and long grass, the day-wrangler was guarding 

 the grazing or resting horse herd, of over a 

 hundred head. Still farther distant, at the 

 mouth of a ravine, was the day-herd of cattle, 

 two or three cowboys watching it as they lolled 

 drowsily in their saddles. The other riders 

 were off on circles to bring in cattle to the 

 round-up ; they were expected every moment. 



With the ready hospitality always shown in 

 a cow-camp we were pressed to alight and 

 take dinner, or at least a lunch ; and accord- 

 ingly we jumped off our horses and sat down. 

 Our tin plates were soon heaped with fresh 

 beef, bread, tomatoes, rice, and potatoes, all 



