Morning journal and courier., 1891-12-11
THE NIGHT HERD.

etter From a New Haven Boy who
 is Engaged in the Far West in the
 Interest of a Large Cattle Company. |
 Wake up there! Heighl Wake up there!
 and feel a strong hand on my shoulder, and rough voice repeats the words, and wake to find myself not in the cosy home three thousand miles away, but under
 warm blankets in the outfits tents where l
 threw myself so tired the night before.
 lay minute to collect my thoughts, and
 stretch my limbs, and then jump up and
 pull on my ''chaps," draw on the heavy
 boots and spurs, put on my big hat and
 put on fur overcoat, and after filling my
 pipe go out. Oh! how cold and dark;
 seem to half freeze in the cold night air.
 Nothing can be-heard but the crackle of
 the camp fire, to which I speedily make my way. There I find my "partner"
 warming himself, and lighting his pipe at
 the blaze, with his horse standing back of him, patiently waiting his masters wishes.
 After exchanging few sentences with
 him, and pufing at our pipes for two or
 three minutes we mount our sturdy little Indian horses, and set out for the herd.
 Now begin to feel better with every leap
 of my horse as we go bounding over
 the bleak prairie aiming for 8 timber
 'sbutte" that we can just see looming up
 like an etching against the sky. At last
 we gain it, and now we slow mp to trot
 peculiar to western horses. Now we are
 among the timber, and keep my eyes
 "peeled" for the trail which is almost
 hidden in places by the fallen timber and underbrush. But we soon reach the sum- of sfhutfaJ ond n1aar 0f the timber, and now my horse sets up neigh as he scents the horses of the herders that we are going to relieve. Now we are al most there, and one of the relieved men goes rushing by with yell of recognition to us and probably with visions of the warm blankets he 80 soon will be among. Here we are at last, and all see is the dusky forms of about four hundred fat steers, most of which are lying down. But where is the other relieved herder? We strain our eyes to catch sight of him, when all of a sudden he emerges in sight, coming around the right of the herd and after rounding in few restless steers who have
 wandered too far away from their captive l comrades he comes up and greets us with,
 "Hello, boys!" It's wonder you wouldn't ! let a fellow know when you get here. Look out for those fellows on the west there, for they're on the travel tonight, , l and digging his spurs into his horses Hanks he leaves us as abruptly as he came. After looking to see where the camp | fire is, we take few turns around the | herd and my companion leaves me to watch them while he goes to warm up. I station myself facing the unruly northwest corner, and after delivering 8 | few warnings under my breath to an old l bull who seems to want to make trouble, give myself up to my,pipe and meditation, | all the while keeping weather eye open l for "travelers." Now that my horse is
 standing still the cold grows more acute, l which causes me to quit thinking about
 home and to pull my collar up over my
 ears and take few more turns around the
 cattle. By this time it is my turn te
 warm, and my partner and I change
 places. An! the fire feels good, and after l tightening the "cinches" on my saddle ! throw some wood on the fire and lie dowI
 beside the blaze to enjoy comfortable
 half hour. But oh, how fast that hall | hour goes! and with much reluctance
 mount, and after relieving my partner l pass through about the same rigmarol'
 that have already related to you. Blu
 soon the eastern skies begin to grow { lighter gray, and then almost white, as the
 dawn approaches, and now I can dis
 tinguish the sombre trees and hills in th'
 distance and the big herd, with my part
 ner sitting like statue on his horse. Ant
 away off in the distance somewhere hea
 the bark of coyote, and then chorus o
 them join in concert with howl tha
 sounds like the cries of human beings
 Now the sky takes ruddy tint, whicl
 deepens into beautiful red as the dawl
 approaches and colors the clouds with
 hundred beautiful hues. And I think as
 watch it, while waiting for the relief tror
 camp, that it is the most beautiful an
 welcome sight that I ever saw. A
 last the relief comes loping uI their horses snorting and prancing in th
 cold bracing air of morning. As we rid back to camp I hardly realize that th ; bright grass sparkling with the dew, an i; the whole country warming into life wit ] the returning sunshine, is the same dar
 trail that we grouped through only fou hours ago. We find the men up and wasl ing, the cook stove doing it's work, and W hardly get our coats off when we hear th , cooks welcome cry of: "Well, fly at
 } boys!" LOUIS A. PARSONS