Hunting from the Ranch, . 25 



edge he suddenly raced it into the open. The beast 

 would then start at full speed and try to double back 

 among its fellows ; while the trained cow-pony followed 

 like a shadow, heading it off at every turn. The riders 

 round that part of the herd opened out and the chosen 

 animal was speedily hurried off to some spot a few hundred 

 yards distant, where it was left under charge of another 

 cowboy. The latter at first had his hands full in prevent- 

 ing his charge from rejoining the herd ; for cattle dread 

 nothing so much as being separated from their comrades. 

 However, as soon as two or three others were driven out, 

 enough to form a little bunch, it became a much easier 

 matter to hold the " cut" as it is called. The cows and 

 calves were put in one place, the beeves in another ; the 

 latter were afterwards run into the day-herd. 



Meanwhile from time to time some clean-limbed young 

 steer or heifer, able to run like an antelope and double 

 like a jack-rabbit, tried to break out of the herd that was 

 being worked, when the nearest cowboy hurried in pur- 

 suit at top speed and brought it back, after a headlong, 

 break-neck race, in which no heed was paid to brush, fal- 

 len timber, prairie-dog holes, or cut banks. The dust rose 

 in little whirling clouds, and through it dashed bolting 

 cattle and galloping cowboys, hither and thither, while 

 the air was filled with the shouts and laughter of the men, 

 and the bellowing of the herd. 



As soon as the herd was worked it was turned loose, 

 while the cows and calves were driven over to a large cor- 

 ral, where the branding was done. A fire was speedily 

 kindled, and in it were laid the branding irons of the dif- 



