Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-20

| stumble and fall. In a flash the run
| ming herd passed over pony and rider.
Next morning both would be found lit
orally ground into the earth. a shall
low. unmarked grave would be the last
resting place of the unfortunate cow
puncher.
Every c~owpuncher realized the peril
of trying to head a stampede, but /
can say with truth that l never knew
one to falter or shirk. 1t was often
impossible to head off a herd that had
started running, and daylight might
find the cattle and their guards 10 or
20 miles away from camp. Then the
tired punchers would have to wait till
their relief came, sometimes for many
hours. OF all the herds that came up
the trail in the Is years of its exist
ence. / never knew of a herd being
turned loose or lost. Nothing but
death excused a cowpunher for leaving
his herd till his relief came.
Long, SIeepless Days and Nights
1.-The first break of day was break
fast time. Then a short time was al
lowed for letting the herd Craze before
they were thrown into the trail. At
noon if water was reached, half of the
boys would ride into camp and eat and
change horses. hurrying out again to
relieve their comrades. The herd was
kept on the trail till the sun began to
get low, when it was grazed onto the
background. The first guard would
hold till 10 o'clock; the second till MD
night; the third till 2 o'clock and tn.
last guard held till daybreak. On bad
nights half the men stood guard III
midnight or later. and if the hero was
acting badly and half the punchers
could not hold them, the whole outfif
would ride all night. Then they would
throw the herd onto the trail and ride
all day. Catch up your sleep next
winter the trail boss would say: inns
herds got to move if the earth stops
spinning
Zone time on Plum creek. near the
Platte river. ! remember. we a mao
two bad nights and nobody had got
a wink of sleep for nearly 90 hours.
Ny partner rode up to me and SAID:
Teddy. old boy, I'm going north clear
to Greenland. where the nights is SIX
months long. I'm going to bed early
and not get up until 10 o'clock the
next day
Loss of sleep was the worst thing
Oh TIE LTbI. I've many a. 'lhS A"1"
tobacco in my eyes to keep them open.
But some a when you rode into
finally and got a cup of hot COT
fee you'd forget it and even be ready
for another guard without resting.
THE trail boss had TO do more rid
ing than any of the rest Of the outfit.
for he had to know where water was
a day ahead Of reaching it. AS we
always going into new country.
it kept him guessing, as all drives were
made according to where water was.
Some would be long and others short.
would have dry drives 40 miles
long. After he had watered on a long
drive like that. the boss would push
his herd along the trail away into the
night. The next morning if the wind
in the north we were all right.
for the herd couldn't smell the water
behind we had our work cut out. for
they would try to break back to water
again. If the herd got away and back
water. we felt that we had lost our
regulations. Cattle. when the wind
is right. can smell water 80 miles away,
old cowpunchers believe. I remember
in 'S2 a herd of Harry Landers was
into Green river, and when five
miles away the wind blew from another
quarter and they ran 30 miles before
they reached the water they smelled. I
have seen another herd, going n on
moi two niles away, satch a wind
from one side. turn like one 10Y and
10 miles to another stream or
axe.
Then there was another chance for
in watering a herd. The trail
BOSS had to hit a big river just Mt the
right time of day. If the sun reflected
their eyes and there was enough
oreeze to make waves the l%onghorns
wouldn't take the water. In 'S3 a well
known trail boss, Johnny Lea. was four
Jays crossing the Yellowstone river
With a herd because Of a scare they
got.
Old. Time Trail Herd Made Colorful
1T was a pretty sight to see u big
nerd strung out on the trail in the
morning, the sur glistening on their !