Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-18

range ever nnsesaeea bunch1'tass
hills and raesaz. at fed on the
grasses tat grow Ia valleys high
Up between the lnoas rugged and
pietnresaae peaks Ia The eountry,
and ne viii Ind cowboy life Il . sort
not n ~ foand else y here Soznewhst
difterent frs11a tie life on the Texas Or
Kansas plates. writes John D. sTsAr<
In Frank I.esliels Weekly, i thss II
the mountain cowboy. vita its euiting
OF bay In summfr for nso during the
5lizzards. and ia digging aud caring
for irrigatinx-diteises: but LEI no one
doubt that IL y fall Of interest. 80
p>eiaily when tie examination of IL al
comes after tho spring rSund-up--for
the enlnination h act In the round-
mp itself. but In shs drive 60 mzrkef-'
Under the present system Of feeding
the cattle CONS through the winter In
rugged health The snow goes almost
In = day and waving grass has taken
its place while yet the spectator IL
wondering where IL went An equal
wonder is the growth Of the cattle On
the new feed. June or july finds them
rolling fat. Rounding up the enai-e
herd the owner selects the latest Of
the steers. aud with them the drive to
the nearest railroad station l. made.
And then Il tho time for the tendsrfoot
% appear in his search for the pietur-
esque life of = cowboy.
With Que OF two cowboys 20 lead and
tole the cattle along. the herd
stretches out s.,ross the valley. Here
and there beside the line rides a cow
boy to keep them in order. Last Ut all
comes the chuck" wagon with the
cook. Out Of the valley and UP into
the canyon they 60, winding along till
the crest OF the pass Il reached. and
then down they wind again through
another canyon TO q valley beyond.
To the tendcrfoot il may seem . most
peaceful. pastoral scene. but the quick
movements Of the cowboys. their anx-
ious glances 10 and fro along the line.
show that no army of raw militia In
an Indian country was ever moro
nervous or more easily excited than
this line OF drowsy-looking cattle. Be
cause a bear, or even deer or a SPUR
rel may be reused suddenly 10 motion
beside tho trail--somctimes without
apparent cause, panic seizes n single
steer. perhaps a Thousand feet above
the valley. and with snort aud bel
low he leaves the line and planges
down the mountain side. In an in
stabt dozen, score OF a hundred
dash madly after him, and then IL is
that the cowboy shows the metal he is
made OF. Turning his pony's head
with q jerk. he waves his right hand
before It's eyes. leans down over its
neck and sends IL in mad gallop
straight at the head of the panic
stricken herd. The mountain may be
so steep that only on an elk path can
any beast find footing; chasm Of un-
known depth may yawn across the
path: though a misstep Of the pony or
of the steer would send rider and all
crashing down the mountain side. 10
matters not. With soothing cries, IL
they will serve. or with a roaring re-
yolver 10 divert or kill the leader, as
the occasion demands. on they 90 till
the wild rush has been stopped and the
frightened animals are ready to re-
turn 10 their place in line.
What does cowboy think about
when plungipg down the mountain
side In such fashion, was asked of
one in Jaclsson's Hole, Wyo.
-Thisk about? He don't think; he
jest gifts there" was the reply.
That's what he does He'd funk II
he thought of the danger. IL there is
anyone who doubts the manly bravery
of the cowboy, or IL there Il one who
fails TO find all the excitement he
wants at the races To be seen In tho
cast. let him go to the wilds of TIE
I Rockies.