The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-06-26
Cow Boys on a Drive.

A picturesque, hardy lot of fellows,
these wild Cowboys" as they sit on |
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 sandwiched in between two
great hunks of bread, rapidly disap-
peaiing before the onslaughts of appe-
tites made keen by the pure, invigorat-
ing oreezes of these high plains See
that brawny fellow with the crisp,
tight-curling yellow hair growing low
down on the napc 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
eyes looking out from under the broad
brim of his hat, his lower limbs clad in
heavy "chaps'-or leather overalls-
stained deep reddish. brown by long
use and exposure TO wind aud weather,
his revolver in his 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 sad
die, with its high pommel aud stream
ing thongs of rawhide, that has served
him as 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 bound
the active fellow is in the saddle. Paw,
pony, paw turn your eyes till the
whites show; lay your pointed ears
back squeal 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 "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 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 horsemen;
as the tlanks are turned they begin
closing in toward one another, moving
, up in little groups to common centre.
, Now and then steer or sorre young
/ bull, more headstrong or more terrified
, than his comrades, breaks away and
canters off clumsiy 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 phrase-''rounded
| up" on all sides by the swift-riding
cowboys, they are gently urged on
: ward by the drivers in the rear, until
t the whole herd is slowly moving for.
h ward, feeding as they go, in a loose
S wide column, headed toward the break
$ in the mountain that indicates the
i mouth of the canon through which il
t, is to pass.
a Gradually the prairie is crossed
C quietly and gently the nervous brute'
Il are crowded more closely together
r two or three of the men gallop OF
n ahead to the opening Of the pass, guard
| ed by two shaped mounds like re
J, doubts thrown out to protect the en-
Z trance to the fastIesses of the noun
tains, in order to head off straggler
and to turn the leaders Of the herd int
the parrow trail that runs in betwee
the high, tree-covered, rocky wa Ia o
e the canon. So! so 90 ! gontly calling
y quietly and patiently urging, the dri,
II ers bunch the horned multitude int
IS one almost compact mass. 5000! Sc
o gently! gently! push, boys, push i
d from both sides, curb your horseshoe
'r them quiet. So! so! drive slowly fror
the rear, press on slowly, yet firmly
4 until the head of the herd enters tn
III pass.
{. Patter! patter! patter ! the rushin.
- confused roars of hundreds of hooi
" ~ striking the hard road bed, queC
e, &C. sound, filling the air with a low, "
~ penetrating noise, like the falling I
'e millions of hailstones on dry leave
"a :" not the heavy and sharp ringing tram
IL IL of ironshod horses, but shutfiinI
y, ~ soft, although distinct marked mutfie
I, rolling, something like that produce
u, u, by the distant passage of heavi
~ laden freight train. Slowly, irresistib
~ onward through the wild canon-tl
"a "a frowning walls of sandstone and !
~ gantic pines towering on one side, {
~ u. the other and below, rushing and foar
" ing over its rough bed, the river-pus
y ing forward like stream Of liqu
=. lava from some vomiting crater. lol
~ drawn out in crowded, dense colun
- on the narrow, winding trail, NOV
ay the mighty herd. A thick, smoke-li
'GJ cloud of yellow dust-tnrough viii
- the sunlight breaking lights up t
aa no tangle of horns, swaying and fossil
~ in the distance like foam cresting t
~ angry billlows of some dark, stor
AZ, lashed torrent-hovers above; hea,
W. W. sweetish odor fills the air and mil
W ling with the pattering rush OF
sn hoofs and the roar of the stream con
ho I,o the occasional booming below of sol
"0 frightened steer.
n Very slowly and cautiously the he
ior moves forward sometimes there i
Tn halt in front ; those in the rear GRO
md up more closely; very gently, a
ma with soothing cries, the exper'enC
,ed cowboys urge them on again, i
al. ticklish work, for momentary pa
cd may drive scores of them down the 7
/ in cipitous sides of the mountain.
in ready this morning an unfortun
me steer, pushed in sudden, panicky n
al. of his companions over the edge of
We trail, has fallen down into the foam
ant torrent, and been dashed to death
in the jagged rocks hundred feet bell
ito Riding slowly in the rear, look ale
Re the trail and over the backs of the
vancing cattle up the canon ahe
Sometimes the road descends until
'cre stream licks the earth at its s
REF spreading in little shallow pools acl
stor it, sometimes cutting through it, al