The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-21
TEXAN SHEEP.HERpERs.
The Free and Easy Life Led by the Shep-
herds of Texas ana Mexico.

herds of Texas ana Mexico.
In riding about the range it was very
PLEASANT to find, as one constantly did,
blythe side of some ''motte" (Texan for
considerable cluster of scrub growth),
or beneath the shade of great live
oak, OF on the barren face of a divide,
the little canvas A-tents Of the herders,
nestled cosby to circular pens for the
sheep, ana generally surrounded by
brush to preent the intrusion of inquis-
tive cattle. Within the tent a sheep
skin or so, Stretched on the ground or
on lattice 6 branches, for his bed
and without, tpadlocked chest, with a
coffee-mill screwed to the top, in which
he keeps his raions, a skillet and a few
other utensils raging from the branches
OF neghborins tree, whitened buff
falo's skull for ametate, a smoulderino
tire-this little slot, with its surround
ing fence shuttingout the solitude, is
the herder's palae, schloss, villa, town
and country houe. SECURE" says
Juan, as he lights a brown cigarette
and quenches the yellow fuse in an
empty cartridgeshdl, "man wants but
little here below" They were a genial
and hospitable set, he herders, and if
one arrived about midday they would
regale him with SCRAPS of ierked beef, a
cake of unleavened bread cooked in the
skillet, and coffee which, considering
what it was made O, was a very in
spring drink. In particular | recall
the pastor Patrico, avery pretty fellow,
with curly black hair and eyes, a fine
nose with a patrician lift to the nostrils,
little black mustache, bristling like
eats, on smiling lip, Il red handker-
chief about his neck he was very volu-
bic of soft words, and made the waste
blossom with his distinguished manner.
A dozen of these camps were 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-
hauSted.
From his camp the herder goes forth
at daybreak 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 cool
of the afternoon. the flock moving in
loose order among the mosquitoes, tax
ing nip here, nip there, but ever
hanging together and dependent, the
most gregarious of animals. In their
unity of action, in their interdependence
and solidarity, the tmid sheep are ca
pable Of a mOmentary suggestion of
awe About weaning-time a couple of
large hocks got temporarily together,
and one could see driven by the
herder a compact mass of four thou
sand advancing over the prairie with q
quick step, "a unit in aggregate, a
simple in composite" their impossible
countenances gazing fxedly forward,
resembling, it seemed to me, brigade
going into action. For most of the
year it is thought by no means advisa-
bic the fold the sheep in the corral at
night, so they sleep at large near it.
Especially on moonlight nights they are
apt to be uneasy and move from their
bed ground short distances, when the
herder quits ms tent, and, rolling a
cigarette, follows his fanciful flock
about the blanchcd and wistful prairie
till they subside; then, throwing his
cloak over his shoulder with the swing
of an hidalgo, 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
ican herder invariably denies all knowl-
edge of English and compels one to
meet him on his own ground, which, it
is needless to say, is 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 l shall
notHttempt to reproduce. LtPpincoWS
Magazine.