ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN CATTLE LAND. 121 



be lassoed without doing his best to dodge the 

 descending noose. Each of the ' boys ' owns abun- 

 dant bedding, and a white waterproof tarpaulin or 

 waggon-cover-sheet, which are carried in the bed- 

 waggon. Notwithstanding the admirable climate, 

 rheumatism is exceedingly common in the West. 



Sometimes 'the boys,' if unable to get back to 

 camp by nightfall, have nothing better to cover them 

 than the saddle-blanket, while i Broncho Bill ' is fond 

 of relating how he and ' Boney ' were once found 

 sleeping under a barn-door. 



Next day, with a waggon and team and several 

 spare horses, I started to meet a friend at a station 

 on the Union Pacific Eailway, after which we both 

 proceeded northwards on a hunting expedition, as 

 well as on business connected with stock-raising. 



Although ' Broncho Bill,' whom M had engaged 



as i hunter/ had not yet turned up, we amassed con- 

 siderable information relative to the cattle business, 



and arrived at Creek after several days' travel, 



on our way to join the round-up from there. 



The moment dinner at the ranche was concluded 

 we pressed on once more to renew the search after 

 our round-up, which we were well aware was camped 

 somewhere to the north-east and within fifteen miles. 

 The waggon and spare hunting horses had been sent 

 on to wait for us at Point of Eocks, a well-known 

 local landmark. So we harnessed the waggon-horses 

 once more, which had been picketed to graze, and 

 1 pulled out ' without delay. 



