, 1885-07-02
~ a MONTANA cow-cAMP.
Exciting Features of the Aanud found.
Iu~-knife and branding Iron.

Exciting Features of the Aanud Hound
tp~-knife and branding Iron.
lfua-t tity Cor thicago Tint..'
The cowboys pitch their camps in tho
meadows and valleys, generally select
ing places where grass and water are
plenty The roundup camps are moved
every morning, the wagons and camp
g uipagr going a few miles forward
while most of the boys are searching for
stock through the district on each side.
Toward oon the lowing herbs may be
seen moving toward the new branding
place. where the calves and the other
unbranded stock become acquainted
with their owners marks through the
medium of hot b~randing-irons. The
knife also comes into play in cutting
notches, slots. and other marks upon tho
ears and dew-laps, but the scorching,
heart harrowin brand is never for.
gotten.
It's noon We are at the camp. One
hundred and fifty stock growers and
cowboys of the Powder river roundup
are in sight. Five thousand head OF
cattle are scattered over the broad green
sloping river side. Since . or 4 o'clock
in the morning all hands have been
busy, but the excitement keeps up No
one seems to tire. and the larger the
roundup party the better do the boys
seem TO enjoy the work.
In the camp each outfit selects a spot
for its mess wagon, 100 yards or more
from any other, so that each lot Of
horses can have good feed. a drove Of
about 100 horses, often more, seldom
less, accompanies each outfit. Each
bunch Of horses is in charge Of its
"wrangler thorderl. From these
punches the boys cut out t~seiect) fresh
horses twice a day or %oftener, and about
ten horses can DO found 10 each pariiei-
pant in the roundup.
Ten or twelve outfits, with their wag-
ons and tents, oscupy one to two miles
along the stream. The large herd that
has been driven in from the hills and
valleys IS held by twenty or twenty-i five
cowboys, who ride around the cattle,
ever on the lookout for n stampede.
Cowboys from each outfit cut out their
employers cattle, which are taken one
lot after another, generally, to the
branding place, where each calf receives
the mark that is borne by the mother it
follows. Thence the punches tsmall
lots Of cattle are driven o I to one side
aud held until the boys are ready to
start them to their respective places on
the range.
Near the fires, where the branding
irons are being heated, n below
ing of distress is heard, and
throughout the camp n lowing, a
murmuring, an unceasing din goes up
while the cowboys whoop and yell,
ky-yi, and whistle at the animals as
they ride among them, suiting their
signal or command to the necessity NJ
the moment. Lariats glisten in the sun
light as they fly through the air TO the
horns or feet of the animals that are be-
ing roped AMI thrown and the boys
neat tho fire work quick as glass-blow-
ors, even forgetting their meals until
others are on hand to take their places
No less forgetful of their work are the
ma GRITTY of the roundup party
spacn does not permit the complete
pi Turing here of this very interesting
SC NJ. The morning call, the falling
tents the "%wrangling' of !, 800 COW
horses, the camp fires, the cooks, even
the peculiar cognomens Of the cowboys
AMI their horses, are each sufficient for
entertaining sketches,