Evening star., 1925-08-02

six months them cattle ranged in there
sure made 'em hard to recognize. both
in looks and action. They hadn't seen
a human in all that time. and when
say they was wild just puts 1t kind Of
mild to what they really was.
When time come to round 'em up
that Fall us boys was glad to find that
there'd be very few drags in them. If
any, and there wasn't. We'd ride the
top of the ridges, let out a war whoop,
fire a few shots from our six-shooters,
and them steers wasn't slow getting
down into the draws. You could near
hear their tails a-popping as they'd
slide off the side of a pinnacle, and
all you could tell of their whereabouts
was the dust cloud they'd stir up.
There maybe was no rider to within
a mile of 'em, but once they'd get
kettled and stampede away they never
knowed when to stop.
RUT the average of them cattle was
- mighty nice to handle. There was
no slow poky riding when they was
around, and If you knowed their ways
everything was hunkydory; IL you
didn't, you'd most likely find yourself
doing lot of wild riding without re-
suits, only maybe wear your horse
out. Some of the punches we'd round
up would be so wild that even while
holding the herd on the cutting
grounds they'd keep on milling around
and keep UP high lope.
No man would ride inside of that
herd unless he wanted 'em to just fly
away like bunch of quail. The cut
ting out was done from the outside of
the herd, and when a steer was
wanted out the rider would just clip in
on him. separating him from the rest
of the herd before he knowed II.
He'd come out Of the edge like a
cannon ball. and the cowboy closest to
him would sure have to do some tall
riding to keep that steer from hitting
for the hills instead Of for the "cut"
where he was wanted. There was
times when the steer would get
even If you'd fan him acrost the face
with your rope. Sometimes that fan
ming would get him on the prod"
lighting mad), and then them long
horns of his would get mighty dan
gerous to both man and horse. But
the cowboy never let's a critter get
away. He'll take his rope down, shake
out a loop and dab 1t on around that
six.foot spread of horns as the steer
rushes in on him, misses (sometimes),
and on past.
Inc steer turnS ana makes anOtner
grand rush, and the cowboy will stay
ahead out of his reach, letting the
slack of his rope drag on the ground.
And when that same steer steps over
the whale-line dragging along under
him is when something happens which
sure upsets his plans of attack and
everything in general.
The cow-horse'l pick up speed, the
ropell tighten up, and of a sudden
that ornery critter will find his head
brought up right alongside his hind
quarters lifted up In the air a few
feet. only to be jerked down again,
and not at all gently. The wind is
knocked out of him sudden and he's
tied down with the 'piggin string"
before he can get it back.
The cowboy might leave him lay
there to cool off for spell and ride
back to the herd, coiling up his rope
on the way. When that steer Is let
up again he's most generally dubious
about starting another fight, and will
most likely lope back to the cut kind
Of peaceable.
In starting a cut with them kind of
cattle the first few that are cut from