The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-13
THE COWBOYS COSTUME.
Ii Is Made Necessary by His Peculiar
Life and Duties.

Harper's Magazine.
The cow puncher's legs must be defended
from the thorny miles of the Rio Grande,
the thousand mongrel scrubs that lace their
brlstles together stif over the country
the mesquite, the shin oak, the cats claw,
the Spanish dagger, wide spreading, from
six inches to ten feet high, every vege-
table vicious with an embroidery of teeth
and nails; a continent OF peeVlsh tnlcket
called chaparral, as we in"discriminately
call a dog with too many sorts of grand
fathers a cur. Into this sawmill dives a
wild steer, through paths and passages
known to himself, and after him the pur-
suing man must also dive at a rate that
would tear his flesh to ribbons if the blades
and points could get hold of him.
But he cases his leg against the hostile
chaparral from thigh to ankle in chaps
leather breeches, next door to armor; his
daily bread is scarcely more needful 10
him. Soon his barbaric pleasure in finery
sews tough Leather fringes along their sd
comes stamped with a heavy rose. Sagging
in a slant upon his hips leans his leather
belt of cartridges buckled with Jaunty AFRO
gance, and though he uses his pistol with
murderous skill. it is pretty, with ivory or
mother of pearl for a handle His arm
must be loose TO swing his Topped rope
animal that bounds in front of his rushing
pony. Therefore he rides in a loose 1annel
shirt that will not cramp him as he whirls
the coils; but the handkerchief knotted at
his throat, though it is there to prevent
sunburn, will IN time of prosperity be chosen
for its color and soft texture, a scarf to
draw the eye of woman.
His heavy splendid saddle is, in its shape
and luxury of straps and leather thongs,
the completest instrument for night and
day travel, and the freighting along with
you of board and lodging. that any nomad
has so far devised. With its trappings and
stamped leather, its horn and high cantle
we are well acquainted 1t must stand the
strain of eight hundred pounos of live beef
tearing at it for freedom; 1t must be the
anchor that shall not drag during the
furious RACES of such a typhoon. For the
cattle of the wilderness have often run wild
for three, four and five years. through
rocks and forests, never seeing the face OF
mar from the day when as little calves
company with the deer, and, like the deer,
they fly at the approach of the horseman.
waits from their remote untenanteI pas
lures and bring them in to be counted and
driven to sale, he must abandon himself to
the headlong pursuit.
The open easy plain. with it's harmless
footing, lies behind. the steep valley mar
rows up TO an entering wedge among the
rocks, and into these untoward regions
rush the beeves. The shale and detritus of
shelving landslides, the slippery knobs in
the beds of brooks, the uncertain edges of
the ~jumping-of place, all lie in the road of
the days necessity, and where the steer
goes goes the cow puncher too-balanciDg,
swaying. doubling upon his shrewd pony.
The moose uncoiling flies swinging through
the air and closes round the throat-or
perhaps only the hind leg-of the quarry.
In the shock of stopping short or of leaning
to circle the riders ~stlrrups must be long,
and his seat a forked plant poise on the
horses back; no grip of the knee will an
swer in these ccntortions: his leg must
have it's straight length, a lever of muscle
and sinew, to yield or close vise-like on the
pony's ribs; and when the steer feels that
he is taken and the rope tiehtens from
the saddle horn then must the gearing be
solid, else, like the fisherman f1oundering
with snaDped rod and tangled line. the cow
puncher will have misfortunes to repair
and nothing to repair them with.