Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03

wooden handles. In addition to the
six-gun, many carried rifles in holsters
under the saddle cinches, on the left
side, with the stock forward. The best
Of buckskin gauntlets were worn on
the hands. These, with the Quirt,
completed the usual equipment.
The best stock saddles, full-skirted
and double-cinched, were owned by
the men. Leather lassos were more
popular than rope" but one or the
other was fastened in coils to the
right front skirt of the saddle. Across
the back saddle skirt and fastened to
1t would be the blanket rolled in a
slicker. The cowboys working ma
terials, bed and protection from the
weather went with him in trim and
compact shape.
Many times the cattle outfits would
camp near the ranch. On such &C.
casion Yves Johnny on the spot" as
soon as the cook brought the wagon to
a stop and started his operations.
zach OUTFIT was in the charge Of a
H foreman who might be the boss
or a deputy trail boss" The number
of men, including wrangler and cook
was from 5 to 10. All of the cowboys
drove during the day, and took turns
on night-herd duty. One and all could
ride, rope brand, scout and wait on the
cook.
| To walt on the cook meant that as
soon as they made camp at noon or
water and wood for his use. AS soon
as camp was made, one might see a
cloud of dust arise somewhere within a
half mile. When this dust cleared
enough. cowboy would be disclosed
riding his pony and dragging log or
, bundle Of wood at the end Of his rope,
the other end of which was fastened to
his saddle -horn. He generally came as
| fast as the pony, hampered by the drag,
could travel. If the camp was not near
water, another cowboy would ride into
the nearest stream or pond on his pony.
dip up a bucketful of water, and race
at fun speed back to the cook with it.
According to custom, the cook must be
supplied with grub, wood and water;
then it was up to him."
To serve the outfit properly, the cook
must have breakfast ready before the
sun rose each morning. and rouse the
sleeperS to eat it. AS the herds got
under way, he would clean up, pack the
wagon, drive until IL o'clock or SO, and
Here he had to cook and serve, repack
and drive on to the camp site for that
night. When that was reached, he must
again unpack and prepare the meal to
be served at shutdown. After the clean
up for the evening, he had nothing to
do until morning.
Three times day was the same fare
served with little variation, and yet
there Is no record of any man falling
to respond to the call, Come an git It'll
Come an git It'll Chuck-a-way!"
At the height of the driving season.
when the trails were filled with cattle.
all other trailers were compel ID to
work their way along at one side O. the
main trail. Aside from cowboys, the
most numerous body of men were deSig-
mated freighters. Freighters were di-
videi into two Observation-Disclosures
and muleskinners.
Eullwhackers we're mostly odd
timers" In the West and in class
by themselves. The days saw them
trudging along by the side of their ami
mails and equipment. They were the
only men in the cattle country who
walked every mile they traversed, fol-
| lowing their vocation.
Impression of them in bulk is of a
crowd Of stocky, powerful men, The
the Short-Stocked, heavy, leather bodied.
! long-lashed whip, called 'blacksnake :"
| These were often 10 feet in length and
were used with deadly skill Many of
! these men could hit any mark within
! their reach every time. In the hands of
such experts, the whip was terrible
weapon, for the lash could take piece
out of the ear or cut the toughest hide.
| The sound of the lash was that of a.
| loud, clear pistol shot. Every man had
| a gun in his equipment, but 1t was
only sheathed rife, placed on the
load
y X x
| THE teams that drew the loads were
of six or eight bulls each. These
were yoked to chain running back
to the lead wagon" tongue. No feed
was carried for the animals. They
must subsist on the country, by grazing
when they were unyoked. This re-
| stricted the freighting to the grass
| season.
MulesISinners might well have been
| called the express freighters" of the
trails. They we're recruited from the
ranks of ex-stage drivers, stove-up cow
pllnchers, ex-frontiersmen or Kansas
| farmers. These last mentioned worked
on the trails in the off season for
! farming.
| A mule team was composed of six
or even eight animals, and the. train
| was made up of any number of ouch
units up to 10. Each team drew one
or two canvas-covered wagons. The
men drove from the seat of the lead
wagon, or from the baNk OF one Of the
| lead mules. A lonE-handled, light