Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-12
COWBOYS ON A DRIVE.

the ground by the fire, each man with
his can of coffee, his fragrant slice of
fried bacon on the point Of his knife
blade, or sandwichcd in between two
great hunks of bread. rapidly disap-
bearing before the onslaughts of appe-
titcs made keen by the pure, invigorat.
ing breezes of these high plains. SEQ
that brawny fellow with the crisp, tight
curling yellow hair growing low down
on the nape of his massive neck rising
straight and supple from the low collar
of his loose flannel shirt, his sun
Drowned face with the piercing gray
ewes looking out from under the broad
brim of his hat, his lower limbs clad in
the heavy chaps or leather overalls
stained deep rcddish-brown by long
use and exposure to wind and weather,
his revolver in its holster swinging
from the cartridge-filled belt, and his
great spurs tinkling at every stride, as,
having drained the last drop of coffee,
he puts down the can, and turns from
the fire toward the horses, picking up
as he goes the huge heavy leather
saddle, with its high pommel and
streaming thongs of rawhide, that has
served him as a pillow during the night.
Quickly his "cayuse' is saddled. the
great broad hair-rope girths tightly
''sinched.' the huge bit slipped into
the unwilling mouth, and with Il bound
he active fellow is III the saddle. Paw,
yony, paw; turn your eyes till the
whites show; lay your pointed cars
back; squcal and kick to your hearts
content. Oh, buck away! you have
found your master; for the struggle
does not last long. The practiced hand,
the heavy spurs, and singing whip soon
repeat the almost daily lesson, and with
one last wicked shake of the head the
wiry "cayusen breaks into his easy lOpc.
and away 90 horse and rider to their
appointed station on the flank of the
great drove.
The others soon follow, camp is
broken. the wagon securely packed
ready for the road, and the work of the
day commences. The cattle seem to
know what is coming. On the edges
of their scattered masses the steers lift
their heads and gaze, half stupidity
half frightened, at the flying horsemeu;
as the tianks are turned they begin
closing in toward one another, moving
up III lNLIt - OuiS " Il toLilboh ''hbi''
Now and then steer or some young
bull, more headstrong or more terrified
than his comrades, breaks away and
canters of .clumsily over the prairie.
In moment he is pursued, headed off,
turned, and driven in toward the herd
again. As they CLOSE in mass to
use an apt military phrasc-'roundcd
up on all sides by the swift-ridlng
cowboys, they are gently urged on
ward by the drivers i'll the rear, until
the whole herd is slowly moving for
ward. feeding as they 90, i'll a loose
wide column, headed toward the break
in the mountains that indicates the
mouth OF the canon through which it is
to pass.
Gradually the prairie is crossed;
quietly and gently the nervous brutcS
are crowded more closely together; two
or three of the men ga!lop on ahead to
the opening Of the pass, guarded by
two cone-shaped mounds like redoubts
thrown out to protect the entrance to
the Businesses Of the mountains, in or
der to head off stragglers and to turn
the leaders OF the herd into the narrow
trail that runs in between the high,
rcc-coYcrcd, rocky walls of the canon.
SO. 5000! gently calling, quietly and
patiently urging, the drivers bunch the
horned multitude together into one al
most compact mass. SO-O-O. SO! gen
fly! gently! push, boys, push in from
both sides, curb your horses, keep them
quiet. So, so! drive slowly from the
rear, press on slowly, yet firmly, until
the head of the herd enters the pass.
Patter! patter! patter! the rushing,
confused roar of hundreds of hoofs
striking the hard roadbed, a queer
sound, filling the air with a low yet
penetrating noise, like the falling Of
millions OF hailstones on dry leaves,
not the heavy and sharp ringing tramp
Of iron-shod horses, but shutting, soft
although distinctly marked mutlled
rolling, something like that produced
by the distant passage Of heavily
laden freight-train. Slowly, irresstibly
onward through the wild canon-the
frowning walls of sandstone and gigan-
tic pines towering on one side, on the
other and below, rushing and foaming
over its rough bed, the river-pushing
forward like stream of liquid lava
from some vomiting crater, long drawn
out in crowded, dense column on the
narrow, winding trail, moves the
mighty herd. A thick, smoke-ike
cloud Of yellow dust-through which
the sunlight breaking lights up the
tangle Of horns, swaying and tossing
in the distance like foam cresting the
angry pillows OF some dark storm
lashed tOrrent-hoyers above; a heavy,
h ly..- ni,
Cling with the pattering rush of the
hoots and the roar Of the stream comes
the occasional booming below Of some
frightened steer.
Very slowly and cautiously the herd
moves forward; sometimes there is a
halt IN front; those iu the rear crowd
up more closely; very gently, and with
soothing cries, the experienced COW.
boys urge them ON again. 1t is ticklish
work, Tor momentary panic may
drive scores of them down the precipi
tous sides Of the mountain. Already
this morning an unfortunate steer
pushed in sudden, panicky rush d
his companions over the edge of the
trail, has fallen down into the foaminl
torrent, and been dashed to death OF
the Jagged rocks hundred feet below
Riding slowly in the rear, look alonI
the trail and over the backs of the ad
yancing cattle upon the canon ahead
Sometimes the road descends until tn
stream licks the earth at its side, spread
ing in little shallow pools across it, a
it curves abruptly around some poin
of rocks, only to recross it again fur
ther on.
And now the cafon widens, and, sue
oeeding the high rock walls and grea
trees, its sides gradually merge int
nnntlX rising rrass-caNered slones: th