The Washington herald., 1913-06-29

us escaped night guard and were not
called until 4 next morning. Nobody ever
gets enough sleep on . roundup.
The above was the longest time for
consecutive hours ever had to be in the
saddle. But, as have said. changed
horses I'VE times. and II IL a great tighten
ing of labor for a rider to have . fresh
horse. Once when with syivane Ferris
spent about sixteen hours on one horse,
riding seventy or eighty miles. The
roundup had reached q place called the
ox-bow Of the Little Missouri. and we had
to ride there. do some work around the
cattle. and ride back.
A MOONLIGHT Canter.
Another time was twenty-four hours
on horseback in company with Merri-
field without changing horses. On this
occasion we did not travel fast. We had
been coming back with the wagon from
hunting trip in the Big Horn Noun
tains. The team was tagged out. and
we were tired OF walking at a snairs
pace beside II. When We reached coun-
try that the driver thoroughly knew, we
thought 1t safe to leave him. and We
Hoped in one night across distance
which It took the wagon the three fol-
lowing days to cover.
1t was beautiful moonlight night.
and the ride was delightful. All day long
we had plodded at a walk. weary and
hot. At supper time we had rested two
or three hours, and the tough, little rid
ing horses seemed as fresh as ever. 1t
was in September. As We rode out Of the
circle of the freight the air was cool
in our faces Under the bright moon
light. and then under the starlight, we
Hoped and cantered mile after mile over
the high prairie. We passed bands Of
antelope and herds of long-horn Texas
cattle, and at last. Just as the first red
beams of the sun famed over the BLUFFS
in front of us. we rode down into the
valley Of the Little Missouri, where our
ranch house stood.
Good Horses and Rad.
I never became q good roper. nor more
than an average rider. according to
ranch standards. OF course a man on
ranch has to ride a good many bad
horses. and is bound to encounter a GER
tain number of accidents, and Of these
had my share, at one time cracking a
rib, and on another occasion the point
Of my shoulder. We were hundreds of
miles from a doctor. and each time, as
was on the roundup. I had to get
through my work for the next few weeks
40 pcst Couiu. unth inc injury nedltQ
of itself
When had the opportunity I broke
my own horses, doing II gently and
gradually and spending much time over
IL. and choosing the horses that seemed
gentle to begin with. With these horses
never had any difficulty But fire.
quently there was neither time nor op-
portunity to handle our mounts so elabo-
rately. We might get a band of horses.
each having been bridled and saddied
two or three times. but none of them
having been broken beyond the extent
implied in this bridling and saddiing
Then each Of us in succession would
choose a horse 0or his string), ] as
owner Of the ranch being given the first
choice on each round. 30 to speak The
first time / was ever on a roundup Syl-
vane Ferris. Merrifeld. Myer. and each
chose his string In this fashion. Three
or four Of the animals I got were not
easy to ride. The effort both to ride
them and to look IS II I enjoyed doing
so. on some cool morning when my
grinning cowboy friends had gathered
round ito see whether the high-headed
bay could buck the boss on" doubtless
was of benefit to me, but lacked much
Of being enjoyable.
The time I smashed my rib I was buck
ed of on a stone. The time / hurt the
point OF my shoulder ! was riding a big.
sulky horse named Ben Butler. which