, 1886-07-04

pushes on at full speed. Reaching tno
bunch, he gives a hoarse word to the
weary man who is so glad to see him, and
then, refining his horse to a walk, lights his
pipe. pulls his coat up around his throat
and slowly rides around the herd, meet
ing his partner, who rides in the opposite
direction, at every half circuit The re-
lieyed man hurries to camp and finds the
hre blazing over a log his partner who
came in to call the relief, has thrown upon
it. He 81 ps over to the wagon, takes a
cup of water from the bucket, gives a
sigh of relief az he vets his throat.
dry with the dust of Two hours
on the trampled bed ground. shiv-
ers as the cold water reaches his 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, singing h~oarsely as
they ride-tor a 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 Il quick spring away fronfs
the bunch, and a moment later the rider,
sees a COW who has slipped out of tue
bunch to look for her calf, which has be-
come separated from her. She is sure
that the calf is fifty miles away, and put
ting her head down she keeps her lead
well for a few rods, and then the horse is
at her side and she swerves to one side.
As she turns, his nose is almost on her
should r, but he keeps on the outside of
her to head her back to the bunch. Sud
denly she stops as if she had been shot,
and whirling round 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 you2 I'll give you
all the running you want. You hear me
croak?'
Just then another COW makes a dash
for liberty, and a moment later the whole
bunch are on their feet and in full STAN
pede. His partner spurs round to help
him head them, but they have run a mile
before the two men, riding to and fro in
their van and 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 8 o'clock one of the
last relief rides in to wake the cook. The
night w~rangler starts his cavvy for camp
when he sees the fire blaze up for break
fast, and when he is nearly there he
leaves the ponies and dashes into camp
with a shout, 'Horsesl Horsesl' Every
a is out of his bed in a
moment, squeezing his tired feet
into his stiff boots. washing his eyes open
in the creek, rolling up his bed and put
ting on his bed straps. and by about $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 ket-
ties Of tea and coffee. From a box by the
wagon each man takes a tin plate and cup.
knife, fork and spoon, and before any
man but a cowboy could have filled his
plate, breakfast is over. Then there is a
swinging Of ropes in the dusk, a crowding
and pushing 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
prairie.n