The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-07-30
Tie Texas Cowboy. !

to rashness and generous 10 q faHft, I'll
you should be nreWHh arneng Them yeH
would find them ever ready te sllare
their last crslat iSsstiil 3gay yors lie down
at night with yeH on The same blanket. NJ
Why, young man. see here, Z ana the
Texas man twitclded his chair around
until he could put his feet upon j vim
dowsill. @Say that have lg5OeU cattle
which ] am about to oseHd overland from,
Texas into Montana to fatteft fef tlles
market. Those cattle will be on the
drive from the LIST Of April until the mid
die Of September. They are divided into
three herds, with dozen or sixteen men
with each herd. entrust those cattle
in the hands Of gang Of cowboys. For.
six months ! know absolutely nothing, Of
my stock. I trust their honesty to the
extent Of many thousands Of dollars
without contract, without q bond, with
no earthly hold upon them, legally OF
morally, beyond the fact that I am pay-
ing them $35 or $40 a month to protect
my interests. And these are the men
pictured in the east as outcasts Of ciyiii-.
zation. I trust absolutely to their Judge
ment in getting those cattle through q
wild and unbroken country without loss
or injury. / trust as absolutely to their
bravery and endurance in the face Of
danger" s:z: ::sS
. MUST BE BRAVE MEN.
"Danger?" 2. .5S.3 ss5s.: as s
Danger! Yes, indeed. "A man to be
q cowboy must be a brave man. For
instance, we are on a drive. These slab
sided long-horned Texas cattle are as
wild as deers naturally, and being in an
unknown country, are as nervous and
timid as sheep. The slightest noise may
startie them into stampede. We have
been on drive all day and night is com
ing on. 1t is cold and raining. We have
reached the point where we intend to.
roundup for thesnight. The men com
menee to ride around tie drove. singing,
shouting and whistling to encourage the
animals by the sounds they are familiar
with and TO drown any noise Of an unus-
ual character which might provoke a
stampede. Round and round the cattle
they ride until the whole drove is travel
ing in a circle. Slowly the cowboys
close in on them, still shouting and sing
ing, until finally the cattle become quiet,
and after time lie down and commence
chewing their cuds with apparent con-
tentment. Still the vigilance Of the
men can not be relaxed. At least half
of them must continue riding about the
resting herd at night. A stampede Of cat
tie is a terrible thing to the cowboys,
and may be brought on by the most triv-
ial cause. The slightest noise of an
unusual nature. the barking Of a coyote,
the snap of apistol, the cracking Of a
twig, will bring some wild-eyed steer to
his feet in terror. Another instant and
the whole drove are painting and below
ing in the widest fear. They are ready
to follow the lead of any animal that
makes break. Then the coolness and
self-possession of the cowboy is called
into play. They still continue their
wild gallop around the frightened drove,
endeavoring to reassure them and get
them quiet once more. Maybe they will
succeed after an hour or two, and the
animals will again be at rest. But the
chances are that they can not be quieted
so easily. A break is made in some di-
rection. Here comes the heroism Of the
cowboy. These cattle are as blind and
unreasoning in their flight as pair Of
runaway horses. They know no danger
but from behind, and if they did. could
not stop for surging sea Of maddened
animals in the rear A rocky gorge or q
deep-cut canyon may cause the loss OF
half their number. Those in the rear
can not see the danger, and the leaders
can not stop for those behind and are
pushed on to their way over which they
plunge to destruction: It matters not to
the cowboy. If the stampede is made
the captain of the drove and his men
ride until they head it, and then endeay-
or to turn the animals into a circle once
more. .,..5 s5
B. "A p HOW ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
"a hole in the ground, which catches
horses foot, stumble, and the hoofs ot
M coftla harn ,Jo,l ~, - i.