The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-06-17

Most of the cowboys lack the culture
which enables an educated man to see
the romance of the riders life, but
think all of them feel the exhilaration
of swift chase after Texan steer, or
long circle over the prairie after O
hard-r ding leader. And there is
picturesque side to the hardest part of
the life, too, for roundup on clear
spring night lends a peculiar charm to
the landscape. The heavy wagon
stands two or three rods from the
stream, and between it and the hank
are scattered the sleeping men, each
bed wrapped in white tarpaulin.
Saddled horses are picketed near the
wagon, and when they hear the bell
horse move with the grazing remoda
they straighten the long ropes that lie
snakelike among the buffalo grass and
cactus, and neigh to their partners in
the distant cavvy, for almost every
horse has partner, usually In the
same string he works in. At IL o'clock
a rider comes into camp on keen run,
rolls stiffiy from his horse, pulls the
tarpaulins from over two of the sleep
ing men and arouses each with the
words, third relief" Each man as he
is called springs from his bed as if he
had been wide awake, pulls on his
boots and coat, buckles on his spurs,
takes his bride ont of his bed-for a
cowboys bed is his harness-room and
catches up his hat. fiips
his tarpaulin back over his bed, and
stumbles off over the prairie to where
his night horse is staked. Three move
nf 10 ha
bridled and freed from the rope.
The rider lurches up into the saddle,
rouses the sleepy broncho with touch
of the steel, and, followed by his part
ner on guard, disappears in the soft,
dusky night. He listens for the low
ing of the restless cattle, and when he
has located the sound pushes on at full
speed. Reaching the bunch he gives a
hoarse word to the weary man who is so
glad to see him, and then, refining his
horse to walk, lights his pipe, pulls
his coat up about his throat, and slow
ly rides around the herd, meeting his
partner, who rides in the opposite di-
rection, at every half-circuit. The re-
lieved man hurries to camp and finds
the fire blazing over log his partner
who came in to call the relief has
thrown upon it. He slips over to the
wagon, takes q cup of water from the
bucket, gives sigh of relief as he vets
his throat, dry with the dust of two
hours on the trampled bed ground,
stomach, turns to warm himself at the
fire, then decides that he is too sleepy,
and rolls himself in his heavy blankets.
Meantime the two men on guard are
riding their monotonous circuit, sing
ing hoarsely as they ride-for man
has to sing to the cows at night or his
sudden approach will startle some
nervous yearling, who will perhaps
stampede the herd. Suddenly his horse
makes quick spring away from the
bunch, and a moment later the rider
sees COW who has slipped out of the
bunch to look for her calf, which has
become separated from her. She is
sure that the calf is fifty miles away,
and, putting her head down, she keeps
her lead well for few rods, and then
the horse is at her side, aud she swerves
to one side. AS she turns, his nose is
almost on her shoulder, but he keeps
on the outside Of her to head her back
to the bunch. Suddenly she stops as if
she had been shot, and whirling around
makes off in another direction. The
rider hazes her back, and as she trots
into the bunch he calls out: @You
will run out, will you? I'll give you
all the running you want.
Just then another COW makes a dash
for liberty and a moment later the
whole bunch are on their feet and in
full stampede. His partner spurs
round to help him head them, but they
have run mile before the two men,
riding to and fro in their van shouting
to them, can hold them up, and by the
time they are quietly lying down again
it is 2 o'clock. and one of the men goes
into camp to call the last relief. At 3
o'clock one of the last relief rides in to
wake the cook. The night wrangler
starts his cavvy for camp when he sees
the fire blaze up for breakfast, and
when he is nearly there he leaves the
ponies and dashes into camp with
shout: Horses horses" Every man
ing his tired feet into his stiff boots,
washing his eyes open in the creek,
rolling up his bed and putting on his
bed straps, and by $3.50 o'clock the
cook calls out, "Grub pile" or
Chuck" By the fire stands one bake
oven full of spluttering bacon, another
of potatoes fried in lard and great tin
kettles of coffee and tea. From a box
by the wagon each man takes a tin
plate and cup, knife, fork, and spoon,
and walks to the fire, and before any
man but a cowboy could have filed
his plate breakfast is over. Then there
is a swinging of ropes in the dusk, a
crowding and pushing among the
horses, every one of them sure that he
is going to be worked that morning.
Before daylight the riders are mounted,
and by sunrise the wagon is off, with
four stout mules rafting it over the