curious shapes, from six to ten inches 
long and fastened to a four foot iron 
handle. The smell otf 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- 
ff 
ZrzZO< 
Y_ 
“iogranozN 
