The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-06-28

driven in bar4s Of from one to three
thousand, which, when under way,
are designed herds. Each of theeo
have from ten 10 fifteon men, With q
wagon driver and, cook, aud tho
'kingpin Of the outfit tho boss, with
q supply Of two or tbreo ponies to n
man, an OK toam, aud blankets al
so jerked beef aud corn meal-thc
staple food. They are also furnish-
ed with mavericks or 'donbtless-
owned yearlipgs for the fresh meat
supply. After getting fully under
way, aud the cattle broke in, from
ten to fifteen miles a day is the av-
erage, aud everything is plain sails
ing in fair weather. AS night comes
on, tho cattle are rounded up 10 q
small compass, and held until they
lie down, when two men arc left on
watch, riding round and round them
in opposite directions, singing or
whistling oil the time, for two hours,
that being tho leugth Of each watch.
Tho singing is absolutely necessary,
as it seems to sootho the fears of
the cattle, scares away the wolves or
other varmints that may be prowl,
ing around, aud prevents them from
hearing any other accidental sound,
or dreaming OF their old homes, and
if stopped would in oil probability
bo tho signal for general STAN
pedo. Music hath charms to soothe
the savage breast, if q cowboy .
compulsory bawling out lines of his
own composition,
Lay nicely now, cattle, don't heed any
rattle,
But quietly rest until morn;
For If you skedattle, we'll jump ia the
saddle,
And head you as sure's you're born,
can be consider such.
Some poet may yet make hit
On the odds and ends of COW boys wit.
But on nights when Old Prob
goes on spree, leaves the bung out
OF his water-barrel above, prowls
around with his fish box, raising q
freeze whispering in tones Of thun.
der,and the COW boys voice,is drown
ed out, steer clear, and prepare for
action. If them quadrupeds don't
so insane, turn tail to tho storm,
end e'rita aT.,sos ,;ai;!,- 30. Jsl; az src
liberty then don't know what strike
out means. Ordinarily so clumsy
and stupid-looking, thousand beef
steers can iise like flock of quail
on the reef of an exploding powder
mill scud away like tumble weed
before q high wind with q noise like
receding earthquake. Then comes
fun and frolic for tho boys
Talk of 'Sheridan's ride twenty
miles away ! That was in the day
time but this is the cowboys ride
with Texas five hundred miles away
and them steers steering straight
for home night time darker than
tho word means, hog wallows prarle
dog, wolf aud badger holes, ravines
and precipices ahead and if you do
your duty three thousand stamped
ing steers behind. II your horse
don't swap ends and you hang to
them until daylight you can bless
your lucky stars. Many have pass
ed in their checks at this game. Th Q
remembrance of the few that were
foot loose ON the Bowery a TOW
years ago will give an approximate
idea of the three thousand raving
bovines on the war path. As
they tear through the storm at one
fash OF lightning they look all tails
and at the next fash all horns. II
Napoleon had herd at Sedan head
ed in the right direction he would
have driven old Billy across the
Rhine.
The next great trouble is in CROSS
ing streams which are invariably
high in the driving season. When
cattle strike swimming water they
generally try to turn back which
eventuates in their milling that is
swimming in a circle, and if allowed
to continue, would result in the
drowning Of many.
There the daring herder must leave
his pony, doff his togs, scramble over
their backs and horns toscatter them
and with whoops and yells, splashing,
dashing, and didoes in the water, scare
them to the opposite bank. This il
not always done in u moment, for q
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