Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-12-22
ROUNDS UP CATTLE.
A TRAINED ASSISTANT OF
RANCH COWBOYS.

fakes Fart In Exscutions-El Roy Holds
the Captive with Looked Horas Tllj
the cleaning knife Lots the Lifs
Blood Squirt v
The greatest cowboy steer" in the
world has his home on the San Marcos
ranch, near Santa Barbara, says the
San Francisco Call. BY some people
he Is simply called trained steer; by
others ''cavresto." But, as he does
the hardest kind of cowboy work and a
good deal of a nature the cowboys
cannot do. it would seem as If the
Texas name, cowboy steer" is the
most appropriate. On every well-regu-
lated cattle ranch in the west there is
at least one steer trained to help the
cowboys in their work. But there Is
none as proficient in his business as
the one on the San Marcos ranch. The
cowboys have named this fellow Ell
Rey (the king) and he is certainly de-
serving of the title. He holds his title
and his throne by the power of brain
and muscle. The many manifestations
of extraordinary intellect exhibited by
dogs and trained horses are surprising
enough in themselves, but they dwindle
into commonplace when one considers
the peculiar accomplishments of the
cavresto Ell Rey. The f1erceness of
wild cattle is simply appalling. The
credit for the conquering and educa-
ton of Ell Rey is due entirely to the
pluck and patience of vaquero named
Louis Ruiz. And when his labors were
finished wonderful work had been &C
complished. From the widest and
most vicious of them all Ell Rey had
become as docile and obedient as a
dog. AS we know, the ordinary cav
resto Is trained, when the RATA has
captured one of the believing, plung-
Ing, maddened animals, to range HIM
self alongside the captive and permit
the vaquero to secure him firmly to
the horns of the captive by means Of
the RATA. When the rodeo takes place
these trained animals are sent into
the dense underground and forests to
rout out the hiding and terrified cattle.
Even the cowboys, strong and skilled
as they are, would never be able to
drive them into open country. But
with the best of the cavrestos great
deal Of prodding, pushing and swear
ing is considered necessary to make
them perform their duties. With Ell
Rey all is different. At the word of
command he is off through the thick
cts, driving from their hiding places
the stubborn cattle. He waits for no
RATA. Locking his own big, strong
and crooked horns into the horns of
his indignant brother, he hauls and
tugs and pulls until victory is his.
Many and fierce are his fights. Wild
is his rage when, after terrific strug-
gle, with victory almost in reach. the
captive succeeds in slipping from the
terrible crook of Ell Rey's horns and
dashes off once more to the shapparral
and freedom. But the wild steers
liberty is short-lived. Ell Rey never
falters in his pursuit and never returns
except in company with his struggling
prisoner. Having brought in his cap
tive, Ell Rey resolutely stands by and
holds him with his horns till he is iden-
titled, branded, marked, killed or what
ever the cattlemen elect to do with the
animal. All the while the captive is
held steadily and stoutly till the cat
tlemen have finished and Ell Rey is
ordered to "let co." Perhaps the most
thing is the GOODNESS with
which Ell Rey stands quietly holding
down the head of the captured animal,
while the vaquero deity touches a
knife to the captive's throat. The
sight of blood does not seem to affect
him in the least. When one of the re-.
fractory cattle is brought in by a cav
resto he is Immediately thrown to the,
ground and his hind legs are securely
led together by the strong riata.. His;
head is held down by the trained steer
and it is then the executioner oper-
ates. The ordinary cavresto does not |
ike the operation of holding another
steer to be killed. He would willingly
yet away if he could, but he is usually |
100 tightly bound and must play his
part to the end. But El Rey needs no.
RATA to compel him to do his duty.
With his terrible horns locked of his;
own accord into the horns of his cap,
i've he stands a sturdy and Interested
participant until the cleaning knife Of
the vaquero let's the LIKELIHOOD squirt |
forth. With his master, the Vaquero
Ruiz, Ell Rey is as gentle as favorite.
horse could be. To the home vaquerosr
he is calmly Indifferent, but: with
strangers all his native fierceness and
viciousness come into life again. King
If his kind is Ell Rey and gold cannot
buy him.