THE CAMP TENDER 403 



to have his sheep back to the camp and bedding ground by night- 

 fall, so when they have gone such a distance out that it will require 

 the remainder of the day to return, he turns them about and allows 

 them to take a leisurely pace characteristic of contented grazing. 

 A good herder never rushes his sheep to camp and beds them down 

 early for he knows that they will do better if given their time to 

 come in, and also that they will not move out so early in the 

 morning. During manorial days in England, it was a common 

 saving that lame men were the best shepherds. So, too, the quiet, 

 patient type of herder on the western ranges outclasses the nervous 

 irascible type. 



Although caring for the sheep is the chief duty of the herder, 

 lie also has part responsibility in the preparation of food for him- 

 self and the camp-tender. Many herders are adept in the cooking 

 and baking of the plainer, forms of food, such as bread, meat, 

 potatoes, beans, and dried fruit. 



The camp-tender's duties consist in keeping the camp provided 

 with food and other necessities for himself and the herder, feed 

 for the horses or burros, and salt for the sheep. He also attends 

 to moving camp, assists in the cooking, and counts the sheep. As 

 camp-mover he assumes considerable responsibility, as he must first 

 select a camp site, which should be located where the feed* is 

 good. His count of the sheep is more nearly like an estimate 

 than an actual count. It is mad'e by counting the black or partially 

 black sheep, of which there are a few in every band, and since 

 each sheep maintains about the same position in the band day after 

 day, the camp-tender merely ascertains whether all of the black- 

 sheep are present and whether their position in the band seems 

 normal. 



Of the two, herder and camp-tender, the latter has the more 

 responsibility, and usually he receives more pay. When the sheep 

 go to the mountains for the summer, the camp-tender is often 

 given the privilege of drawing checks on the owner's account to 

 pay for whatever is needed. 



Should the owner have several bands of sheep on an extensive, 

 undivided range, one camp-tender may be sufficient for as many 

 as three hands. Under such conditions, a comparatively large store 

 of provisions is kept at ranch headquarters, hence the distance of 

 hauling is not very great. Usually, too, these conditions exist on 



