GIRLS ON A ROUND UP 



495 



branded "Bar II" and those with two dew- 

 laps, we rode at them with such a rush that 

 they scattered in every direction; so the 

 Owner calmed us down and gave us a few 

 points. Thereafter we kept discreetly in his 

 wake, and by noon had a bunch of cattle to 

 herd along the river bottom to a flat, with 

 a curve of the river 

 on three sides and 

 cut banks on the 

 fourth. Though the 

 girls' share was 

 mostly looking on, 

 once or twice we ex- 

 perienced a feeling 

 of victory at return- 

 ing a steer to the 

 herd after chasing 

 it through creeks 

 and cottonwood 

 growths, up crum- 

 bly banks and down 

 abrupt hills, and we 

 began to realize the 

 danger of such a 

 chase on the spring 

 or fall round-ups 

 when the ground is 

 wet and slippery. 



The bunch we 

 brought in was bel- 

 lowing and stamp- 

 ing on the flat, 

 making much dust 

 and noise. A cloud 

 of dust in a cut of 

 the banks and ap- 

 proaching lowing 

 heralded the arrival 

 of another lot, and 

 then another ; down 

 the trail they came 



— cattle running, cowboys yelling, quirts 

 snapping, ponies jumping — an exhibition of 

 local color and action that fulfilled our 

 liveliest imaginings. From the whole bunch, 

 when all the cowboys were in, were to be 

 cut out those not coming up to the Buyer's 

 standard in age, size or condition. We under- 

 stood then that to separate a single beast and 

 drive it out of that heaving sea of backs, 

 was almost literally to cut it out. This was 

 an exciting process, the daring of the "cut 



miss lucille mulhall, the celebrated 

 "cowgirl" 



ing us witli a keen delight, but after awhile 

 it grew fearfully hot and dusty; the Jiuyer 

 seemed unnecessarily particular, and the 

 animals that were cut out and driven clear 

 of the herd insisted on trying to get back. 

 Poor things, they did not realize theirs was 

 the lucky minority. At about two o'clock we 



returned to camp, 

 mgrr * tired, hot, dusty and 



very thirsty ; but all 

 our troubles van- 

 ished at sight of a 

 f large new tin dish- 



pan full of iced 

 lemonade. With 

 blessings for our 

 hostess we sat our- 

 selves down in the 

 shade of the tent 

 and in a short time 

 we were cooled and 

 comforted and the 

 lemonade was no 

 more. 



That afternoon 

 we were perfectly 

 willing to trust the 

 cattle to the crew 

 while we improvised 

 bathing suits and 

 had a joyful time 

 by and in the river. 

 As Cook was pre- 

 paring supper he 

 said to us: "You'll 

 see a pretty sight 

 toward night ; they'll 

 drive the herd up 

 the hill pasture." So 

 we were on the 

 watch. It was in- 

 deed a pretty sight, 

 as they came over the rise of ground from 

 the west with the orange light of the sunset 

 back of them, the herd a dark, shifting mass 

 against the sky, and the single figures on 

 horseback making lively silhouettes. Im- 

 pressed by the beauty of the picture and by 

 the fact that such scenes will soon be rare, 

 even in Montana, we stood silent and ap- 

 preciative. Suddenly a wild yell startled us. 

 One of the cowboys had run a calf out of 

 the herd and was driving it right into camp ; 



ter"and the intelligence of his cow-pony fill- he didn't rope it until it was almost in our 



