The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-17
A COWBOYS LIFE.
Tho stampede That b tho Constant Drend
OF the Cattle Herder on the Plains.

OF the Cattle Herder on the Plains.
The man put in charge CT herd consists
OF o foreman, a trusted cowboy, who in
turn selects half dozen men to help him.
Six men to handle the cattle, horse rust
Ter to take charge Of the Remutha, man
to drive the chuck wagon and do the cook.
ing, and about thirty or forty horses. It
was this sort of organization which was
used in getting the herds out of the Indian
Territory. The cattle always move mile
or SO from the bed in the morning before
beginning to Craze.
The herder's work is to shape them and
to Craze them SO that all will move in the
same direction-to hold the head cattle
back and push up the hind-most. Gentle
ness is the watchword. Every quick, hur-
rying movement is mistake. About ten
o'clock the cattle all lie down and rest
about an hour. They are then worked on
to watering place so as to reach It about
noon and then the watches change. The
men who have done their half days work
are relieved and the other watch goes on
duty.n
And how about the horses ?n
They are changed, too. As soon as the
riders get to camp the horses are turned
loose, the horse rustler brings up fresh ami
mails and each man ropes out horse for
himself. Dinner is served and the chuck
wagon sent on ahead to where the nights
camp is to be made. A rising ground is
always taken to bed the herd. The men
who herded during the morning finish the
day by taking supper and then going out
and rounding up the herd to bed. As soon
as the cattle are down the night guard be-
gins its rounds and everything is silent and
still.n
Not very much work in that, Mr.. Null
hall, as it would strike tonderfoot."
Yes. 1t looks easy, but that quiet herd
8 sleeping volcano. Any moment might
change the scene into rushing, believing
pandemonium, leaving death and destruc-
ton in its wake. Unless there is some
alarm, however, the herd is quiet, except
about midnight the cattle rise, stand for o
few moments and then lie down again on
the other side. But just let q few drops Of
rnin patter down and you will see change.
Every cowboy will jump to his saddle and
get in his place, and get there quick, too.
The cattle como to their feet and are very
uneasy. Let heavy storm brenl, and by
the flashes of lightning you will SEQ tho
cowboys range themselves in front of the
herd with their backs to it, calling out and
ioothing tho cattle. The boys have very
peculiar song which assures the paniclsy
cattle, and locates each cowboy. But if the
storm keeps ON, there will come ct last
binding flash OF lightning and crash that
sounds like as If tho whole Indian Territory
has been pulled up by the roots
Almost before you could tell Il, the
whole herd charges forward, blindly fright
cned, and running for all they aro worth.
The cowboys keep junt ahead of the pro-
eession until they have taken in The situa-
ton, and then, little by little, they bend
the foremost part of The herd around so that
the stampede is doubled up on itself and
/ sne cattle forced 10 run f5rfisi
and round until they come to standstill.
You may imagine how it feels to be racinp
away in front of two or three thousand
panic-stricken cattle ACROSS aa utterly un.
known country in night 30 dark TINT YOU
can only see your horses head when the
lightning blazes out and then you will
have some iden of the kind of work a COW.
boy Inns to do. Sometimes big herd will
split and go to pieces, and then the boys
have got to get after, or rather get before,
each section and hang them up When a
herd does go to pieces, sometimes itscatters
al, over a country side. After working all
night the boys start out as soon as there is light
enough to follow trail, and have never
known stampede so bad but that the cattle
wero got together by noon"
g There must be even more danger than
there is hard work in q stampede ?"
"Thoro is. II a mans horse goes down
the man goes up. He is tramped out Of
shape. The injury done the cattle, aside
from the killed, crippled and lost, is always
great. The loss Of sleep is the greatest
hardship on the men, and you would pity
the poor fellows to see them tumble of
their ponies, roll up in blanket and be of
to sleep before you could count ten. They
can't have moro than few hours, though,
for guard must BIO kept up, and tho men
out there ore just rs tired and sleepy as the
men whose turn has come"
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