328 CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES 



tion, is held in the latter part of April or early part 

 of May in Wyoming and Montana, and earlier or 

 later in other States and Territories, according to 

 the nature of the climate, weather, etc. A roundup 

 district is usually limited to the valley of some large 

 stream, or its boundaries are designated by other 

 prominent and well-known landmarks. 



From five to fifteen miles, or even more, each way 

 from the ranch, are claimed by each owner or com- 

 pany as a range, though no effort is made usually 

 to keep the stock within these boundaries. They 

 are allowed the freedom of the hills and table-lands, 

 in every direction, the foreman merely" being 

 required to know about where to find them when 

 wanted, and to prevent them from going, for instance, 

 west of the Tongue and north of the Yellowstone 

 rivers or south into Wyoming. 



As a typical spring roundup, let us observe the 

 one recently conducted on the Powder river in 

 Montana, for it furnished, perhaps, as many interest- 

 ing episodes and incidents as are usually seen at one 

 of these entertainments. This stream rises in the 

 Big Horn Mountains in Northern Wyoming and 

 flows northeast through Southern Montana to the 

 Yellowstone, into which it empties its wealth of 

 crystal fluid just east of Miles City. Up to a few 

 years ago its valley and adjacent table-lands were 

 peopled only by roving bands of Sioux, Cheyenne, 

 Pegan, or Crow Indians, while vast herds of buffa- 

 loes and antelopes grazed upon its nutritious grasses. 

 The lordly elk and 'the timid, .agile deer roamed at 

 will through the groves of cotton wood and box-elder 

 that fringe its banks, and the howl Df the coyote 



