38 THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. 



mal was picked out the cowboy began to drive 

 it slowly towards the outside of the herd, and 

 when it was near the edge he suddenly raced 

 it into the open. The beast would then start 

 at full speed and try to double back among 

 its fellows ; while the trained cow-pony fol- 

 lowed like a shadow, heading it off at every 

 turn. The riders round that part of the herd 

 opened out and the chosen animal was speed- 

 ily hurried off to some spot a few hundred 

 yards distant, where it was left under charge 

 of another cowboy. The latter at first had his 

 hands full in preventing his charge from re- 

 joining the herd; for cattle dread nothing so 

 much as being separated from their comrades. 

 However, as soon as two or three others were 

 driven out, enough to form a little bunch, it 

 became a much easier matter to hold the 

 " cut " as it is called. The cows and calves 

 were put in one place, the beeves in another ; 

 the latter were afterwards run into the day- 

 herd. 



Meanwhile from time to time some clean- 

 limbed young steer or heifer, able to run like 

 an antelope and double like a jack-rabbit, 

 tried to break out of the herd that was being 

 worked, when the nearest cowboy hurried in 

 pursuit at top speed and brought it back, after 

 a headlong, break-neck race, in which no heed 

 was paid to brush, fallen timber, prairie-dog 

 holes, or cut banks. The dust rose in little 

 whirling clouds, and through it dashed bolting 

 cattle and galloping cowboys, hither and 

 thither, while the air was filled with the shouts 

 and laughter of the men, and the bellowing of 

 the herd. 



