New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-14

/ run away and cannot be held even by the strong
est bit; others can hardly be bridled or saddled
until they have been thrown: two or three have
a tendency to fall over backward; and half oil
them buck more or less, some so hard that only
an expert can sit them; several l never ride
myself, save from dire necessity Yet these are
the kind OF horses upon whose backs the cowboy
spends full two-thirds Of his time
Mr.. Roosevelt gives spirited descriptions Of the
roundup which has been thoroughly systematlzed
since the organization of the ranchmen. The
various duties and difficulties OF the cowboy arc
also described in considerable detail. When stock
are moving from place to place or being driven TO
market they are guarded night and day by relays
of men. The beasts are liable to panic during
heavy storms at night, and often they will take
fright at trivial causes, such the yclping Of n
coyote or the approach of some wandering COW
or steer from another herd. Then follows u STAN
pede which taxes the skill and endurance of the
cowboy to the utmost and furnishes him with
more excitement than he probably wants es-
pecalv If the night happens to be pitch-dark
and raining hard When the cattle are quiet
the night guards have to ride round and round
the herd to keep them in their place In the
day, long hours spent on horseback following
strayed animals. Winter on the range is often a
open, that is, does not afford shelter from the
storms severe season may destroy half or two
thirds of the stock
Mr. Roosevelt has an interesting chapter on
frontier types In which he tells his readers some
good stories about border rufllanism, bad men,
and cowboy recrcaticns. He defends the cow
punchcr" against the charges OF recslessness and
bomicidal tendency preferred by earlier writers.
but he makes not few damaging admissions.
g cowboy he observes, will not submit
tamely to an insult. and Is ever ready to avenge
his own wrongs; has he an Overwrought
fear of shedding blood. He possesses, in TACT,
few of the emasculated millIand-water vcnalitles
admired by the pseudo philanthropsts but he does
possess to very high degree, the stern, manly
qualities that are invaluable TO a nation In
fact he is a pretty rough character, but the crea-
ton of his environments and so picturesque that
his perhaps rather oyerwrought' quckness on the
trigger is apt to he regarded indulgently-the moro
particularly since in the case OF large proportion
of frontier h0micidcs the man killed has deserved
oath. Mr.. Roosevelt appears TO have had
personal experience of rather an exciting character
with bad man one occasion, nut his
modesty prevents its narration which IS pity, Tor
no doubt the story is interesting lie mas not
lSillei his man. however. end can only intro
duoe his readers to such have established their
private cemeteres-as the Western fancy ilowlngiy
phrases II. lie tells all Oiu VIM
are RAPIDLY vanishing as a class, driven out by
the extinction of large game. He has something
TO say concerning the Indians, so recently thorn
in the ranehman's side, but now at ieast as
regards the Little Missouri Valley, reduced to
poaccfulncsS Finally he has two or three delightful
charters on his hunting experiences, and these are
full of information about the habits of game, es-
pccially the mountain sheep white. goat, and
bacS-tail deer There is not dull line between the
covers Of this spleudidly nted and made vol,
of sprit and life. and would he altogether adj
mirable were It not for ono thing, lie seems to
- had mon and such collection Of trucuent
faces as he consequently presents needs all Mr.
Roosevclts assurances in the text to convince the
startled reader that the boys are really not so
dangerous as they look. But 1t is capital book
in all respects.