The Republican journal., 1902-12-11
amusement for considerable time, and
even noW if one wishes to cause COM
pany of people to smile they have only
to speak of Mrs s sitting on the nrick-

even now if one wishes to cause COM
pany of people to smile they have only
to speak OF Mrs. S. sitting on the prick
ly pear.
After | had been here nearly week
| was sent into the ''hOrse pasture"
comprising about 700 acres after a
team" of horses. They were feeding
with band OF unbroken colts of diff
ferent ages and l was advised that there
was saddle pony in the bunch and
that | could catch him, mount, cut out
the team wanted and drive them up to
the ranch. In my ignorance of the
ways and tempers of the western horse
l took an ordinary "head-stall" and
boldly sailed forth. l discovered the
band at the extreme end of the pasture
and in gentle, persuasive accents solic-
tied the acquaintance of that Saddle
pony. He was little shy at first, but
IN few minutes paid tribute to my
flow OF horse talk, (and some oats) and
allowed himself to be captured. l at
once proceeded to invest him with his
badge of servitude, and then placing
myself astride his back attempted to
''cut OUT the desired team and drive
them ranchward. quickly saw that l
could not do this, and SO started the en-
tire bunch For time everything
worked nicely, and | was congratulate
ing myself on my success, and was
beginning to feel myself first class
ground up" rider, when one of the
''onery" brutes happened to think it
would be considerable of walk back
if he went way to the corrall and so de-
cided he would go back, and away he
started, followed by the entire band.
Now the pony | was riding was an old
ranger and knew his business, which in
this particular case was to head off
those horses, 50 he did not wait for me
to advise but started on the keen Jump
and before l could collect my wits sutfi-
GENTLY to think of getting off, he was
going so fast didn't dare to. Having
no bride or saddle on him, he was en-
tirely beyond my control, and the way
he took me over rocks, down gullies,
across bitches, and through scrub brush
was caution. | was clinging on like
a monkey in circus, part of the time
on his back and the rest in the air. |
lodged all the limbs | could and what
couldn't dodge | knocked off. | lost
my hat, and should have lost my hair
had it been Of the switch" variety, and
all the time wondered where | was to
get off. After three minute chase, lit
seemed an hour the band decided we
the pony and l. were too fast for them
and yeered around again toward the
ranch. SO, after all, | succeeded in driv-
ing up the horses, and decided with the
Immortal bard" that "All s we'll that
ends well" But when 90 after horses
now | take bride.
Speaking of horses recalls to my mind
an experience | had with this same
team that | was sent to cut out, as told
above. | was hauling alfalfa into a
sheep corral and removed the brides to
allow them to eat their dinner. After
eating went out and attempted to get
on to the load, thinking | would allow
them to eat while | was unloading. AS
| was climbing up one looked around
and saw me, and he couldn't have liked
my looks, for he at once started off,
dragging the load of hay The other one
caught the fever and began to get in
his work, and away they went | con
cluded the pace was too hot for me, so
took flying leap. ! don't know just
how | landed, but felt after the excite
ment was over as though | must have
come i'll contact with mother earth in a
number of places. But those horses
certainly did run. If Belfast had a
fire department that could get to fire
with such speed the rate of insurance
would be reduced one half. After things
had been smashed up generally, and the
runaways stopped, l looked around,
expecting little sympathy from my
two companions, but not bit did get;
SO | sat down, nursed my bruised shins,
mumbled few words under my breath,
and wished l had the necessary" to
get back to Belfast.
Yet with all the troubles and hard
work, daily experiences and incidents,
amusing and otherwise, there is some
thing fascinating in western ranch life
What that something is is a difficult
matter to explain. 1t may be that the
freedom and naturalness of our life, I'M
trammelled by the fads and exactions
of society, appeal to the noble and
higher instincts, (for one surely lives in
this kind of life, NEAR to nature'') or it
may be from different causes: but what
ever it may be it appeals to one after a
short time, and grows stronger and
more binding as the days go by.
/ had pair of skates on yesterday,
the first time | have had ON skates, that
kind for IS years. They went lovely.
CHESTER PATTERSON.
Big Timber, Montana