ON A CATTLE-RANGE 289 



and two or three of the hands had managed to drive a 

 wild young two-year-old heifer into the corral, leaving 

 the calf, her first one, bawling outside the eight-foot 

 log-fence which formed the enclosure. We all strolled 

 down to watch Charley rope and throw the heifer 

 preparatory to taking her milk. It was obvious from 

 the first that the heifer in question strongly objected 

 to the whole proceedings. She had probably never 

 been inside a fence or been man-handled since the 

 calf-brand of eighteen months before ; her budding 

 instincts of maternity were now about to be grievously 

 outraged, and under these circumstances a wild two- 

 year-old heifer can be more aggressive and dangerous 

 than the most masterful bull on the range. Charley 

 Smith climbed over the corral fence and walked 

 slowly towards the heifer, impatiently pacing, with 

 lowered head, round the enclosure. The gallery 

 sitting on the fence began to chaff. Chico leant 

 carelessly against the outside of the corral, but it 

 might have been noticed that his raw-hide lariat lay, 

 ready coiled, in his hand. 



4 Guess she's on the fight, Charley. Mind you don't 

 spill the milk,' remarked the crowd. 



Charley's rope trailed in an open loop on the 

 ground behind him, and with a dexterous twitch of 

 the wrist it was sent flying through the air. At 

 that moment the heifer turned and charged quick 

 as thought straight at him, and the flying loop just 

 grazed, but did not catch, her horn. The man quickly 

 turned and ran, gathering his rope as he did so. The 

 gallery sat spell-bound. The active, savage, half-bred 

 Texas cow in a moment was at his heels, and escape 

 from her sharp - pointed horns seemed impossible, 

 when, from beyond the far end of the corral, the 



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