Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-05-29
WATCHING TEXAS CATTLE.

lant. On tneH horses lney uOuge hDOut,
dash here and there at full speed till in few
days their horses need rest Then the tired
animals are turned loose to recuper,lto, and
others ARE taken for the work. Herders with
their cattle have busy time and great re-
sponsibility. They must keep the cattle
where there is grass and water. If tho feed
gives out in one place they must seek Rnoth-
err locality. They must see that the cattle
do not wander of to be lost, or picked up by
other persons
AT night when Aho cattle are tired or full
of food, they camp like the Arabs. The cat
tie rest by lying down. Horses are pickoted
or tied with II rope att ached to long spike
which is driven or forced into the ground
The men, after supper, sleep on the ground
close to their horses, with or without a
blanket over them rs the weather suggests.
Soon all will be rs quiet as graveyard ut
night. The cattle sleep and puff. Horses
lie down by the side of their riders, care be-
ing taken that all saddles are removed and
everything that could bo made to rattle is
put away in such place or manner MS not to
he touched.
When all is quiet, and the cattle, or some
OF them, are asleep, should horse on which
had been left saddle shake himself, the
noise would starlle the cattle and they would
he apt to stampede Care must be taken to
prevent this. At times the howl of wolf or
the hooting of an owl will startle the cattle
from slunber, and away they run in all di-
rections, to be brought together again only
after much hard riding, work, bother.tion.
and profanity
Should u herdcr have occasion to rise in
the night for any cause, he must move with
great caution. He will crawl out from I'M
der his blanket 1t may be that some of the
cattle are awakened. They open their eyes,
liz their heads and listen for the next dis
turbing sound II horsa should jump or II
herder spring from the ground suddenly. the
scare would be compete--the startled ami
mails would jump to their feet and run per-
haps for miles.
When II herder raises an alarm he raises
slowly, the while talking low, us il to his
horse or some cattle. Gradually rising his
voice in n natural way. he speaks soothingy
coaxingly, yet distinct. The cattle heal
his voice. are treasured. and very soon all is
quiet
In this quiet way the herder can move
around among the cattle with impunity. But
let there come some quick jump-let some
fool oi COW have the nightmare and spring
to her feet with snort, and the very dick
ems is to pay.
| Sometimes AN entire drove of cattle viii
take fright and follow in the direction tlkel
by their leader. They run like deer an,
none hut good horses can keep up with them
At such times the herder or COW boy hastcn
to his saddle, il he be not already therein
At the top of his horses speed pursuit j,
given.
The drove is of like II long comet. all il
line. Then CONES what is called milling.
The horses are crowded forward to the heaC
of the flying column of scared cattle. Al
the herders ride to the right or left of thu
column, MS the case may be, till close along
side with the first of the stampeders. I,
ride in front and try to stop them woul,
be DEATH for long horns, sharp hoofs, AN
reckless plunging, would soon finish hors
and rider.
Then the horsemnn presses close upon tn
right or left of the head of the column. Ill
the leaders are forced out of straight lin
and then gradually into II curve. Soon tn
cattle are ''milled," and are running ut tn
rate Of fifteen miles an hour in II circle
Around and around they go, forming ring
ms 1t were When the herders succeed 4
steering che steers so they will make tn
mill their work is done for the moment
The cattle run in this way till exhausted
and till the head of the column is lost i
the tail of it. In II little while all is quit
again, and the drove or herd Is ready to NOV
on.
At times some of the cattle break out an
run. some IN one direction, others in ~
other. At such times the herder and h
horse have work to do. II may he II rae
for miles. till the pursuer and pursued al
far away from and out of sight OF the maj
herd.
II the cow boy has but one animal TO chas
the work is quickly done. The lasso is use
ard the upset animal has the kink So tax,
out of him that he is content to travel
company. In thousands of cases the rope
not used, but the animal is thrown withO
its aid.
, The mode Of operation is this: Putting h
, horse to full speed, the herder rides clio
alongside the animal. reaches down, NJ
catches it by the tail. Going ut II great
rate of speed the man on the horse lifts Il
animal partly from its feet, or lifts and pull
sideways, when the steps of the steer u
thrown out of mesh, rs mnchinists say, M
heels over head It rolls upon the ground.
one tumble is not enough, ms soon as II g
:. under Roadway the game is repeated, NJ
down it goes again. After two or three ia
the ugliest steer generally gives in and
tlactnble. Cows are moro stubborn, but fl
or six dumps and followers are general
sufficient to toach them better than to W
against the inevitable.
In these exercises an animal may have
= leg broken or become disabled. The 10
sheath knife of the horder finishes the wor
!, the throat is cut, the skin ripped open a
: started about the neck. Tho rope is tn
= made f,st, one end to the skin, the other
the horn OF the saddle. The horse moves q
and the skin is peeled from the carcass ,ls
man would turn the leg of his pants insl
!, out. The skin is then rolled up, put upon
. pack horse and taken 10 camp to no salte
/" preserved, and sent to market,
" At times some of the cattle are mired
I, the wet places where they 90 for drink. II
" are powerless to get out. Then the COW b
bitches the rope to the horns of the amin
which is pulled out head first, IL one hol
cannot do the work, another COW boy vi
! horse and rope comes to the rescue, and
:, animal is snaked out of its mud bath, to re
" recover, and travel on. Here is coun
!, miles upon miles in extent, without FEM
n or anything to prevent stock being raised
no other cost than for cattle and care.