curious shapes, from six to ten inches 

 long and fastened to a four foot iron 

 handle. The smell of burning flesh 

 was in the air, and horrid shrieks. Be- 

 yond was the ceaseless bellowing and 

 stamping and weaving of the herds. 



From the time I got into the wagon 

 and became a mere onlooker, my point 

 of view changed. The exhilaration of 

 action had disappeared. I was a cowboy 

 no longer. The cattle in the morning 

 had been stupid foolish creatures, dan- 

 gerous in their blind strength, which 

 must be made to do what one willed. 

 Now they were poor, dumb, persecuted 

 beasts which must be tormented, even 

 tortured (for who shall say that red hot 

 iron on tender flesh is not torture ?) and 

 eventually butchered for the swelling 

 of man's purse. I saw the riders dash 

 towards an animal who ' needed brand- 



