Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-21


found your master for the struggle
does not last long. The practiced hand,
the heavy spurs, and singing whip soon
reper. the almost daily lesson, and with
one last wicked shake Of the head the
wiry "cayuse breaks into his easy
lope, and away go horse and rider to
their appointed station on the flank of
the great drove.
The others soon follow, camp is
broken. the wagons securely packed
ready for the road, and the work of the
day commences. The cattle seem ID
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 horsemen.
As the TANKS are turned they begin
closing in toward one another, NOV
ing up in little groups to a COM
mon centre. Now and then a steer
or some young bull. more headstrong
or more terrified than his comrades,
breaks away ard 'canters of clumslly
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 mill
tary phrase" rounded up" on all
sides by the swift-riding cowboys, they
are gently urged onward by the drivers
in the rear until the whole herd is slow
ly moving forward, feeding as they 90,
in loose wide column, headed toward
the break in the mountains that indi-
Gates the mouth Of the canyon through
which it is to pass.
Gradually the prairie is crossed
quietly and gently the nervous brutes
are crowded more closely together
two or three Of the men gallOp on
ahead to the opening Of the pass guard
ed by two cone-shaped mounds like re-
doubts thrown out to protect the en-
trance to the Businesses of the noun
tainS. in order to head off stragglerS and
to turn the leaders Of the herd into the
narrow trail that runs in between the
high, tree-cOvered, rocky walls Of the
canon. So. so 90! gently calling.
quietly and patiently urging, the drivers
bunch the horned multitude together
into one almost compact mass. 5000 :,
So gently. 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 rush
ing, confused roar Of hundreds Of hoOfS
striking the hard road-bed, a queer
sound, filing 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 a shutting,
soft, although distinctly marked muiiied
rolling, something like that produced
by the distant passage of heavily
laden freight train. Slowly, irresistibly
onward through the wild cahon-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-push-
Ing forward like a stream Of liquid lava
from some vomiting crater, long drawn
out in a crowded. dense column on the
narrow, winding trail, moves the mighty
herd. A thick, smoKe-like cloud Of
yellow dust-through which the sun
light breaking lights up the tangle Of
horns, swaying and tossing in the dis
lance like foam cresting the angry bill.
lows OF some dark, storm-lashed tor
rent-hovers above; a heavy, sweetish
odor fills the air; and mingling with
the pattering rush of the hoofs 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
halt in front those in the rear crowd
up more closely; very gently, and with
soothing cries, the experienced cow
boys urge them on again. 1t is ticklish
work, for mOmentary panic may drive
scores of them down the PERCEPTIONS
sides of the mountain. Already this
morning an unfortunate steer, pushed
in sudden panicky rush of his com
panions over the edge of the trail, has
fallen down into the foaming torrent, and
been dashed to death on the Jagged
rocks hundred feet below. Riding
slowly in the rear, look along the trail
and over the backs Of the advancing
cattle up the canyon ahead. Some
times the road descends until the
stream ticks the earth at its side,
spreading in little shallow pools across
1t, sometimes cutting through it, as it
curves abruptly around some point Of
rocks. only to recross it again further
on.
And now the canyon widens, and,
succeeding the high rock walls and
great trees, its sides gradually merge
into gently-rising. grass-covered slopes.
The river, too, is broader, its surface
shining like polished silver, and betray-
ing its onward movement only by an
occasional soft ripple and low lap
lap of the water against its over
hanging banks, from which, breathing
out the sweet fragrance of thousands
of newly.opened buds, the wild rose
bushes hang down their slender
branches. Away up the slopes, dane
ing and nodding their pretty heads in
the soft breeze, the gayly-colored wild
fiowers-yellow sunfowers, daisies,
blue hairbells-mingle their bright
hues, melting into one another on the
distant round hill-tops, covering them
as with a carpet Of the softest velvet.
Let the herd move more easily now,
drifting slowly along, and opening its
ranks little. so as TO enable the hum
gry brutes to crop at the fresh juicy
grass as they go; you have leisure to
n