332 CRUISINGS IN THE CASCADES 



less bring abundant store of good things. Behind 

 this, two riders are driving ten head of loose horses. 

 And these small detachments continue to come in 

 from every point of the compass all the forenoon, 

 until, when all the ranches in this roundup district 

 have furnished their levies, the force numbers one 

 hundred and thirty -five men and about twelve hun- 

 dred horses. Each rider has his ' ' string ' ' of horses, 

 numbering from five to seven, and changes two or 

 three times a day, rising one horse twenty to forty 

 miles, and sixty to seventy -five miles a day is con- 

 sidered a fair day's work for a man. The reserve 

 herd is placed in charge of a herder or " wrangler," 

 who is required to keep them under perfect control, 

 and to be able to produce such of them as are 

 wanted on short notice, the riata being frequently 

 used in taking them out of the herd. The foreman 

 has arrived and takes charge of the entire outfit, 

 placing it on a thoroughly effective and working 

 basis for the morrow. 



* At 3.30 o'clock in the morning the men are called. 

 They are out of their blankets and dressed in less 

 time than it takes an Eastern man to rub his eyes 

 and yawn ; each catches and saddles his horse ; 

 breakfast is hastily eaten, and at the first dawn of 

 day, they ride out in twos or fours in every direction. 

 These men present a decidedly picturesque, not to 

 say brigandish, appearance as they dash out across 

 the prairie; their red, blue, and gray flannel shirts, 

 canvas pants, leather chaparejos, broad sombreros, 

 colored silk handkerchiefs knotted around their 

 necks; well -filled cartridge-belts, from which hang 

 their six-shooters ; their high-top cowhide boots. 



