All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Cowboys are generally regarded as riff-raff. It's not hard to understand why. There has to be something wrong with anyone who will work that hard for less than minimum wage, who is subject to come up missing without notice and is more than likely drinking on the job.
Cowboys drift from ranch to ranch, building up a stake and then pressing on.
During the season, someone with the necessary skills can sign on pretty much anywhere, toss his gear in the bunkhouse and go to work. It's a rough way to make a living, but it is flexible. As an English-speaking Anglo knowledgeable in the ways of a working ranch and willing to work like a rented slave, I was considered a catch. The last season I cowboyed, I was on with Grey Ranch, Inc., an enormous Central Texas spread. That's not to mention the horses, pecan orchards, and the rest of it.