Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-07-30

| - 'iNih' AZ Bdilg OF morally,
beyond the fact that / am paying them
80 or $40 month TO protect nv in
terests. And these are the men pict.
ured IN the East as outcasts of civil
ization. l trust absolutely to their
Judgment in getting those cattle through
avid and unbroken country without
loss or injury. | trust as absolutely TO
tnelr bravery and endurance in the face
of danger"
Danger"
Danger! Yes, indeed A man to
be a cowboy must DO brave man.
For instance, we are on drive. These
slab sided, lOng-horned Texas cattle arc
as wild as deers naturally, and being in
an unknowa country are rs pervous
and tlmid as sheep. The slightest
noise may startle them into stampede.
We have been on the drive all lay and
night is coming on. 1t is cold and rain
ing. We have reached the point where
we intend to round up for the night.
The men commence to ride around the
drove, singing, shouting and whistliug
to encourage the animals by the sounds
they are familiar with and to drown
any noise OF an unusual character
which might provoke o stampede.
| Hound and round the cattle they ride
until the whole drove is travelling in n
circle. Slowly the cowboys close in on
them still shouting and singing, until
finally the cattle become quiet, and uf-
| ter time lie down and commence
chewing their cuds with apparent con
tentment. Still the vigilance of the men
cannot be relaxed. At least half Of them
must continue riding about the resting
herd all night. A stampede of cattle is
a terrible thing TO the cowboys, and may
he brought on by the most trivial cause.
! The slightest noise Of an unusual nature,
the barking of coyote, the snap Of a
pistol, the cracking of n twig viii
bring some wild-Cyed steer TO his feet
In terror. Another instant and the
whole drove are painting and believing
in the widest fear. They are ready TO
follow the lead Of any animal that makes
break. Then the GOODNESS and self
possession of the cowboy are called in.
TO play. They still continue their wild
gallop around the frightened drove, en-
deavoring to reassure them and get
them quiet once moro. Maybe they
will succeed after an hour or two, and
the animals will again he at rest. But
the chances are that they cannot he qui-
eted so easily. A break is made in
some direction. Hore comes the hero
ism OF the cowboy. Those cattle
are as blind and unreasoning in
their fight as pair of run
away horses. They know no dan,
ger but from behind, and il they did
could not stop for tho surging sea 0i
maddened animals in the rear, Arocky
gorge or deep cut canyon may cause the
loss of half their number. Those in
! the rear cannot see the danger and the
leaders caunot stop for those behind
and are pushed on to their death. A
precipice may lie in their way, over
which they plunge to destruction. II
| matters not To the cowboy. IL the STAN
pede is made the captain Of the drove
and his men ride until they head it, and
then endeavor to turn the animals in d
circle once more.
"A hole in the ground, which catches
| n horses foot, O stumble, and the hOOfs
of 5000 cattle have trampled the sem
blance of humanity from him. He
knows this. A gulch or gorge lies II
their path. There is no escaping IT.
There is no turning to the right or the
left, and in m instant horse and rider
are at the bottom, buried under ,OOC
cattle, But what of it2 1t is only
cowboy, and they come cheap. But
history records no instance OF more I'M
questioning performance OF duty in Tho
presence of danger than these men un
dergo on every drive. Should the
stampede be stopped, there is no rest
for the drivers that night, but the ut
most viHgance is required to prevent
recurrence of the break from the fright
ened cattle. This may happen hun
dreds of times on q single drive.
81 remember one instance, which,
from the friendship in which ] held the
victim, has made o lasting impression
ON me, Two brothers were together
ON the drive. Both men had been od
ucated in an Eastern college, but FOL
some reason had drifted to the cattle
plains of Texas and had become COW
bows. The elder was the captain OF the
drive. Sitting about the campfire one
night the younger was very down heart
ed about something and finally SAID
Charlie, let's throw mp this drive.
don't want to go, feel that one or The
other Of MS will never 60 back. l an
ashamed of this, but / cannot shake !
off, His brother was impressed by M
seriousness. but could only say
! George, here are 5000 cattle in n.y.
charge. / coald not leave them II
knew that would DO killed tomorrow.
! "A stampede 7 cried one OF the men
In an instant they were all at thelr an
;mals. saddles were adjusted and away
thew went The captain gained te'
head of the drive aud had succeedea u
turning them little when ms hors'
stumbled. In another instant horse
and rider could hardly have been DIS
t;nouished from one another. Soy o'
see there rs some responsibility upoi
the men. -.
aThese wild cattle away from homes
arc "a variable rs the wind, aud whei
frightened are as irresistible as M ava
lanche. The slightest thing stampede,
chem For instance: We have rannde'
nm the drive and thu cattle are lyme
5nwn am one Of the men detailed y
MI, around them. Finding them al
ouiet get off my horse to light IN!
pine. Relieved Of my burden mn rh'
Pn r rests himself by shake. Ih'
whole drove are on their feet IN an m
slant, listening to discover from wna'
quarter the noise came NO one gu gu
forsssa which way they will make th'
hreak and only the utmost Of sell
nossession and good Judgment on tn
part OF the men on duty WIZ pr1 ,sea !
4 general stampe1~ ms u ING s'"s' '