The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
SHEEP HERDING IN MONTANA.
HARDSHIPS OF THE LONELY LIFE
OUT on THE RANGE.

Tho Rsttlers, the Insect Pests end
tho Isoiatien--Enects or . Perpetual
Chorus q Baas on ths Nerves.
REYNOLDS, N. D., Oct. The gentle
shepherd boy is painted by artists and
praised by poets This 10 art. In real
life he Ii scorned by all and condemned
as utterly unworthy by many.
In nine cases out OF ten he 10 himself
ashamed OF his employment and will vigor-
o,lsly deny his vocation. Tho historians
OF Western life have frequently stated that
to call COW puncher q sheep herder IL
signal for activity on the firing line. and
coroners juries are apt TO justify tina deed
when the provooation u proved.
Because education does not count much
in the range country, provided man can do
the work he cuts out for himself, Princeton
graduate who had heen AN honor man in
his day and could reel on Cioero's orations
In tho original until his audience passed
from mystihcation to tolerance and thence
TO silent departure, remained . sheep
herder to the end Of his days. And this 10
equivalent to saying that hs was Stunned
by all save his own kind. It is no myth.
this grad OF old Nassau: he existed and
was a sort OF local celebrity In sheep circles
in Montana until he died In = drunken
delirium at the end Of q fortnight's de-
bauch.
The path to the sheep herder's job b
direct There are no Intermediary stages
with successive promotions, as there are
in cattle riding.
In the latter vocation the tenderfoot
begins as night wrangler. which means
that he guards the horses while the mon
sleep The broncos are turned into tho
rope corral, tired from a days hard riding.
and the green wrangler has opportunity
for making acquaintance with them gradu-
ally. Promotion to day wrangler involves
roping the horses for the riders, and later
comes his graduation into the puncher
class.
Not 80 the sheep herder. One day he
is penniless, hungry and respondent, with
the nervousness of man who has tried to
demonstrate for month the theory that
alcohol is food. Two days later he Is out
in the hills with band Of 5000 sheep, a dog
and his regrets.
To see pet lamb frisking on a well kept
lawn, and running to It's child master or
mistress with plaintive bsa-a-a-a is
pastoral, refreshing and restful. To be out
on the range. twenty miles or more from
camp, with 5000 is misery, torture and
maddening.
The baa-a-a-l is there, but instead Of
one it is 5000 strong. and the chorus is
continual. Always that same one-note
cry, neither OF anger nor pleasure, but a
sort OF mild protest against appetite for
mutton and desire for woolen apparel
on the part of civilized humans,
Once upon a time, and this is no fairy
story. a man who possessed fair educa-
| ton and had commanded decent wage
at employment that was respected was
| touted to the wrong horse. He recalled
! the joke about the owner, who when chaffed
about his entry when it ran in the ruck,
replied tina, he wasn't certa ain whet her his
horse was last in the third race or first in
the fourth Then he tore up the ticket, left
! his trunk with the landlord, and hit the
trail
This was in Butte An overcoat. saved
from the wreck was deposited in the GUS
tomary place, and he departed for little
town called Chinook, near which place
friend lived who might be good for $50
or might not, He was not, and the TOUGHER
went hungry for a day, met man who was
friendly, had one drink, two drinks. more
drinks, and in the morning awoke at ranch
huus. thrtv-fve miles north.
Now, he was not shanghaied, for he re-
membered the ride but he thought IT was
up the river toward Claremont. and he
recalled singing -In the Good Old Summer
time, " but had no recollection of an agree
ment that for sa5 a month and board he
YVES TO watch lamb develop into mutton.
That part was recalled to him by the
rancher, who was transformed over night
from host to boss.
He received an outfit in gunny sack.
dog, was told about sheep habits, and finally
directed over the hills to the range. Be-
tween the man and the rising sun were
3.4OO sheep, who were glad to be out OF the
pen ard gambolled along in frolicsome
fashion that made it tiresome to keep up
the pace. Not even parting drink to cheer
the shepherd boy and his pipe Of Pan was
the six receptacles for cartridges on a
revolver.
The gun was for coyotes or other prowlers
In the gunny sack was water bottle, not
usual. but put in at his request bacon
coffee, baking powder, -four a coffee pot
and pan that could be used for frying
bacon or baking biscuits.
When the sheep got over the first range
of hills they began TO feed, They did not
move with undue haste, and King, the
CONE, kept the1n Wfl NihIi nooA.An' ~
venting strays from wandering TOO far
away.
The herder lay down in the short grass
and reflected. He half leaned on his elbow
and idly began throwing stones into the
grass. -
moment later there was sharp, success
sion of clicks, resembling five or six quick
contacts OF the familiar bones OF the end
man of olden minstrelsy. But 1t wasn't
grinning black face that rose above the
grass. That swaying, fiat. wicked counte-
nance was the owner Of the rattles, and he
was angry at the disturbance Of his siesta
in the sun.
That was the beginning OF three months.
torture, three months that will be regarded
AZ training for eternal punishment OF Of
tenders against the Scriptural injunctions.
Mathematics? The country was ruii OF
them
Not only was the herder absol utely alone,
but there was no prospect Of seeing q human
being until the grub wagon, a month later
The instructions were to 60 east by north
until a certain small river was reached.
thence west for perhaps fifteen miles, and
gradually work into the camp IN the TALL
at shipping time,
The usual antidote for snakebites was
not in the g,nny sack. That possibility was
investigated and exploded at the first halt.
There is no need OF diary OF the three
months II il not pleasant reading. me
country in succession OF hills, ana the
soil is mostly alkali, sun baked until il is
crust in places Where there is grass
it is short and spars', and the shesp moved
J rapidly. ..
! The temperature was uncomfortable.