A GENTLEMAN COWBOY. 275 



for us, and I left for camp about mid-day and reached the first 

 ranche by evening. I found that they had seen no more 

 Indians, but they had remained in most of the time. They 

 were inclined to think that the man I had seen was an 

 Indian out hunting by himself, and that I might have hit him, 

 but the distance was so great that I do not think I did. 



The cowboys led a very hard life in tliose days, their food 

 being only meat, bread, and coffee, whereas now they have 

 tinned vegetables, fruits, jams, and all kinds of luxuries. The 

 class of man, too, lias changed, as there are now many 

 gentlemen among them of good families, learning the business 

 before setting up for themselves. I remember once in Dacotah, 

 when out after deer, meeting a rough-looking cowboy, to 

 whom I spoke a few words, and then, as we were both going 

 in the same direction, we rode side by side for some time 

 without speaking. It was a very hot day, and he suddenly 

 said, " Would not some iced champagne-cup be nice now ? " 

 and on my looking hard at him, he said, " You seem to think 

 that I have never tasted it, but, indeed, I have very often. I 

 lived in South Kensington once, and went about in a stove- 

 pipe hat and a frock coat." Yet here he was looking as rough 

 as any of his companions. 



I left the ranche early and was in camp by nightfall, where 

 I found my horse ; he had strayed off and wound up his rope in 

 a thicket, where the men had discovered him. The next day 

 we moved to Buffalo Creek, and had a great deal of trouble 

 in getting there on account of streams with high banks 

 having to be crossed. We found this place the best we were 

 ever in for deer and turkeys. F and I in less than two 

 hours shot nineteen turkeys, and the cook actually shot one 



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