The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-11-19
TEXAN SHEEP-HERDERS.
The Free and Easy Life Led by the She
herds of Texas ana Mexico.

Tie Free and Easy Life Led by the Shep-
herds of Texas amt Mexico.
In riding about the range it was very
pleasant to find. as one constantly did,
by the side of some ''motte" (Texan for
q considerable cluster of scrub orowth),
or beneath the shade of great live
oak, or on the barren face of a divide.
the little canvas A-tents of the herders,
nestled costly to circular pens for the
sheep, and generally surrounded by
brush to prevent the intrusion of inquis-
tive cattle. Within the tent sheep
skin or so. stretched on the ground or
on lattice of branches, for his bed,
and without. a padlocked chest, with
coffee mill screwed TO the top, in which
he keeps his rat ons, a skillet and few
other utensils hanging from the branches
OF nelghbOring tree. 4 Whitened buff
falO's skull for q metate, q smoulderinU
tire-this little spot, with It's surround
ing fence shutting out the solitude. is
the herders palace, schloss. villa, town
and country house. SECURE" saws
Juan. as he lights brown cigarette
and quenchGs the Yellow fuse in an
empty cartridge she'll man wants but
little here below" They were Il genial
and hoSpitable set. the herder<, and if
one arrived about mid day they would
regale him with scraps, of jerked beef. a
cake OF unleavened bread cooked in the |
skillet and coffee which. considering
what it was made of. was a very in /
Cl1IrInO drink In
the pastor PatEco. q very pretty fellow, !
with curly black hair ard eyes. a fine /
nose with patrioian lift to the nOstrils. 7
a little black mustache, briSlling like a .
cats. on smiling lip, = red handker-
chief about his neck; he was very vOlu-
BILE of soft words, and made the waste
blossom with his distinguished manner
dozen of these camps we're to be dis
covered about the range, and the brush.
fences and unused cOrals of many more
which had been used and would be used
again as the sheep were moved from
grazing ground to grazing ground and
portions of the range temporarily ex-1
hausted.
From his-camp the, hertser goes forth
1t daybreatt with his flock of fourteen
hundred ewes and lambs or two thou
sand wethers. grazing slowly toward
the creek or neighboring water-hole,
where at noon he lies up in the shade:
and to it he slowly RETURNS in the sOol
of the afternoon the flock moving in
loose order among the mosquitoes. TAX
ing nap here. a nip there. but ever
hanging together and dependent the
most sregarious of animals. In,their
mn of ~, tlaniY- tor a
and solidarity. the tiIaid sheep age ca Z
pable Of nOmentsry suggestion of
awe. About weaning-time a ccaple of
large hOcks got Temporarily together.
and one could see driven BY the.
herder a compact aass of four thou
sand advancing oyer the pra;ris with a:
quick step "a snit in aggregate. a
simple in composite" their impassihle
coantenances gazing 6xedly forward,
resembling. it seemed to me. d brigade
going ins0. action. For Most of she
wear IT IS Thought by no means adyisa-
he the fold the sheep in tie corral at
night so they sleep at large neaa- it.
on moonlight nights thew are
apt to &c uneasy and move from their
Background short distances, when the
herder quits his tent. and, rolling =
cigarette, follows his fanciful flock
about the blancked and wistfr2 prairie
till they snbside; then, throwing his
cloak over his shoulder with me swing
of an bidalgo, he falls asleep beside
them
The herder's incidents are the fort.
nightly arrival of his rations and the
weekly or possibly more frequent visit
Of the superintendent to count and ex-
anime his flock and inquire after the
general condition of things. The Mex
lean herder invariably denies all knowl-
edge of English and compels one to
meet him on his own ground, which, it
is needless 30 say, is a far cry from Cas-
tile: and in encounters between Juan
and the superintendent the fine feathers
of syntax are apt to fly in a way shall
not attempt to reproduce.-LipeinostPs
Magazine.