The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-05
TEXAN SHEEP-HERDERS.
The Free and Easy Life Led by the shep
herds of Texas ana Mexico.

The Free and Easy Life Led by the shep.
herds of Texas ana Mexico.
In riding about the range it was very
pleasant to find, as one constantly did,
by the side of some ''motte" (Texan fol
a considerable cluster of scrub growth)
or beneath the shade Of great live
oak, or on the barren face of a divide,
the little canvas A-tents of the herders,
nestled costly to circular pens for the
sheep. and generally surrounded by
brush to prevent the intrusion of inquis.
tive cattle. Within the tent sheep.
skin or so, stretched on the ground or
on lattice of branches. for his bed,
and without, padlocked chest, with a
coffee mill screwed to the top, in which
he keeps his rations, skillet and few
other utensils hanging from the branches
of neighboring tree, whitened buff
falo's skull for metate, a smouldering
fire-this little spot, with its surround
ing fence shutting out the solitude. is
the herder's palace, schloss. villa, town
and country house. SECURE" says
Juan, as he lights a brown cigarette
and quenches the yellow fuse in an
empty cartridge shell. "man wants but
little here below" They were genial
and hospitable set. the herders, and if
one arrived about midday they would
regale him with scraps of jerked beef. a
cake of unleavened bread cooked in the
skillet. and coffee which, considering
what it was made of, was very in
spring drink. In particular l recall
the pastor Patrico. very pretty fellow,
with curly black hair and eyes, a fine
nose with patrician lift to the nostrils,
a little black mustache, bristling like a
cats. on smiling lip, red handker-
chief about his neck; he was very volu-
BILE 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 nterdependence
and solidarity, the mid sheep are ca
pable of a momentary suggestion OF
awe. About weaving time couple of
large f1ocks got temporarily together,
and one could see driven by the
herder compact mass of four thou
sand advancing over the prairie with
quick step. "a unit in aggregate. a
simple in composite" their impossible
countenances gazing fixedly forward,
resembling, it seemed to me. brigade
going into action. For most of the
year it is thought by no means advisa-
BILE 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
background short distances. when the
herder quits his tent, and, rolling a
cigarette, follows his fanciful flock
about the blanched 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
lean 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 way shall
not attempt to reproduce. -Lippincotfs
Magazine