The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-20
THE COWBOYS COSTUME.

AOuOO0 OOlniOAs
THE COWBOYS COSTUME
10 Il Intended as . Protectton 4n 010
Dangerous Work.
The cowpuncher's legs must be
Tended from the thorny miles of the
Rio Grande, the thousand mongrel
shrubs that lace their bristies together
stiff over the countryside mesquite,
the shin oak, the cats claw, the Span.
ish dagger, wide-spreading. from six
inches to ten feet high; every veg
etable vicious with an embroidery OF
teeth and nails; a continent of peevish
thiaket called chaparral, as we indis.
criminately call o dog with too many
sorts of grandfathers a cur. Into this
sawmill dives the wild steer through
paths and passages known to himself,
and after him the pursuing 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
cbaparral from thigh to ankle In
chaps-leathern brooches, next door to
armor; his daily bread Ia scarcely
more needful to him. Soon his bar
barrie pleasure in fnery sews tough
leather fringe along their sides, and
the leather flap Of the pocket
becomes stamped with . heavy rose.
Sagging in a slant upon his hips leans
his leather belt of cartridges buckled
with jaunty arrogance, and though he
uses his pistol with murderous skill it
it pretty, with ivory or mother-of-pearl
for a handle. His arm must be loose
to swing his looped rope free and drop
Its Moose over the neck of tho animal
that bounds in front of his rushing
pony. Therefore he rides in loose
flannel shirt that will not cramp him
as ne whirls tho coils: but the hand
kerchief knotted at his throat. though
it is there to prevent sunburn, will in
time of prosperity DO chosen for Its
color and soft texture. . scarf to draw
the ego of woman. His heavy splendid
saddle is, in its shape and luxury Of
straps and leather thongs, the COM
pletest instrument for night and day
travel, and tho freighting along with
you of board and lodging, that any
nomad has so far devised. With its
trappings and stamped leather, ita
horn and high cantlc, we arc we'll &C
Guainted 1t must stand tho strain Of
eight hundred sudden pounds Of live
beef tearing 1T it for freedom; it must
be the anchor that shall not drag
during the furious RACES Of such q
typhoon. For the cattle Of the wilder
ness have often run wild for
three, four and i've years,
through rocks and forestA never
seeing tho face of man from the
day when as little calves they were
branded. And some were never branded
1T oil. They have grown up in COM
pany with the deer, and like tho deer
they fy at the approach Of the horse
man. Then, If he has ridden out to
gather these waits from their remote
untenanted pastures 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, tho steep
valley narrows mp to an entering
wedge among the rocks, and into these
untoward regions rush the becves.
The shale and detritus of shelving
landslides, the slippery knobs in the
beds of brooks the uncertain edges OF
the jumpinr-of place. all lie in the
road of the days necessity. and where
the steer goes goes the cow-puncher,
too-balancing, swaymg, doubling up
on his shrewd pony. Tho moose I'M
coiling flies swinging through the air
and closes round the throat-or per
haps only the hind leg-of the quarry.
In the shock of stopping short or Of
leaning to circle, tho riders stirrups
must be long, and his seat a forked
plant poise on tho horse's back; no
grip Of the knee will answer In these
contortions, his leg must have its
straight length, . lever Of muscle and
sinew to yield or close vise-likc on the
pony's ribs; and when the steer feels
that he is taken and the rope tighSns
from the saddle-horn, then must the
gearing DO solid. else, like 6sherman
laundering with snapped rod and
tangled line. tho cow-puncher will
have misfortunes to repair and nothing
10 repair them with--Owen Wister, In
Harper's Magazine