OF A RANCHMAN 31 



and disposition, and rejoice -in names as dif- 

 ferent as their looks. Hackamore, Wire 

 Fence, Steel-Trap, War Cloud, Pinto, Buck- 

 skin, Circus, and Standing Jimmie are 

 among those that, as I write, are running 

 frantically round the corral in the vain effort 

 to avoid the rope, wielded by the dexterous 

 and sinewy hand of a broad-hatted cowboy. 

 A ranchman is kept busy most of the time, 

 but his hardest work comes during the 

 spring and fall round-ups, when the calves 

 are branded or the beeves gathered for 

 market. Our round-up district includes the 

 Beaver and Little Beaver creeks (both of 

 which always contain running water, and 

 head up toward each other), and as much of 

 the river, nearly two hundred miles in ex- 

 tent, as lies between their mouths. All the 

 ranches along the line of these two creeks 

 and the river space between join in sending 

 from one to three or four men to the round- 

 up, each man taking eight ponies; and for 

 every six or seven men there will be a four- 

 horse wagon to carry the blankets and mess 



