17

As the rebellious kid of old times filled a handkerchief of (always a handkerchief, I believe) with his all, and followed the trail of his idol, Columbus, and became a sailor bold, the more ambitious and adventourous youngster of later days freezes on to a double-barreled pistol, and steers for the bald prairie to seek fortune and experience. If he don't get his system full, it's only because the young man weakens, takes a back seat, or fails to become a Texas cow-boy. If his Sunday-school ma'am has not impressed him thoroughly with the chapter about our friend Job, he may at first be astonished: but he'll soon learn the patiene of the old hero, and think he pegged out a little too soon to take it all in. As there are generally openings, likely young fellows can enter, and not feel to be put through. If he is a stayer, youth and size will be no disadvantage for his start in, as certain lines of the business are peculiarly adapted to the light young horsemen, and such are highly exteemed when they become thoroughbreds, and fully possessed of "cow sense."

Now "cow sense" in Texas implies a thorough knowledge of the business, and a natural instinct to divise every thought, trick, intention, want, habit or desire of his drove, under any and all circumstances. A man might be brought upon the States swinging to a cow's tail, yet, taken to Texas would be as useless as a last year's bird's neset with the bottom punched out. The boys grow old soon, and the old cattlemen seem to grow young: thus is is that the name is applied to all who follow the trade. The boys are divided into rangeworkers and branders, road-drivers and herders, trail-guides and bosses.

As the railroads have now put an end to the old-time trips, I will have to go back a few years to give a proper estimate of the duties and daugers, delights and joys, trials and troubles, when off the ranch. The ranch itself and the cattle trade in the State still flourish in their old-time glory, but are being slowly encroached upon by the modern improvements that will in course of time, wipe out the necessity of his day, the typical subject of my sketch. Before being counted in and fully endorsed, the candidate has had to become an expert horseman, and test the many eccentricities of the stubborn mustang; enjoy the beauties, learn to catch, throw, fondle--oh! yes, gently fondly (but not from behind)--and ride the "doeile" little Spanish-American plug, an amusing experience in itself, in which you are taught all the mysteries of rear and tear, stop and drop, lay and roll, kick and bite, on and off, under and over, heads and tails, hand springs, triple somersaults, standing on your head, driving, flip-flops, getting left (horse leaving you fifteen miles from camp--Indians in the neighborhood, etc.) and all the funny business included in the familiar term of "bucking;" then learn to handle a rope, catch a calf, stop a crazy cow, throw a beef steer, play with a wild bull, lasso an untrained mustang, and daily endure the dangers of a spanish matador, with a little Indian seraje thrown in, and if there is anything left of you they'll christen it a first-class cow boy. Now his troubles begin (I have been worn to a frizzled end many a time before I began); but after this he will learn to enjoy them--after they are over.

As the general trade on the range has often been described, I'll simply refer to a few incidents of a trip over the plains to the cattle markets of the North, through the wild and unsettled postion of the Territories, varying in distance from fifteen hundred to two thousand miles--time, three to six months--exceding through the Indian Territory and Kansas to Nebraska, Colorado, Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, and sometimes as fas as California. Immense herds, as high as thirty thousand or more in number, are moved by single owners, but are driven in bands of one to three thousand, which, when under way, are designated "herds." Each of these have from ten to fifteen men, with a wagon driver and cook, and the "king" [of one outat, three?] boss, with a supply of two or three ponies to a man, an ox team, and blankets; she jecked beef and corn meal--the staple food. They are also furnished with mavericks or "doubtless-owned" yearlings for the fresh meat supply. After getting fully under way, and the cattle broke in.