The Round-Up.—Difficulties.—Some Incidents, Etc.

Every Spring and Fall occurred the general round-up, which consisted of all the cattlemen in the country, who assembled all the cattle found on the ranges in which they were interested. They rounded them up, or bunched them at a common center in different districts, each ranch being represented at each place. All the increase was branded and marked by the owner, the ownership being decided by the brand borne by the mother cow. The beef-cattle were cut out and shipped. Here occurred at times a combination of forces. Ranchers two or more in number lumped their herds together, and drove them to market, each one bearing his proportion of the expense, and receiving his proceeds in accordance with the number of cattle in his part of the drove.

Between round-ups it was surprising how the cattle would drift. Even though the cowboys took all precautions, when the round-up came there was always a great mix-up in the brands, some of the stock having wandered as far as two hundred miles from its own ranch. These, when found, were separated and thrown back on their own range. During the summer while the cattle were grazing, the rancher usually put up hay for the season when the grass would be covered with snow. As soon as the Fall round-up was completed, sheds were erected and windbreaks made to protect the stock from the inclemency of the “Northers” as the storms were at that time called.

A few buffalo that had escaped the hunters still remained on the range, and frequently furnished diversion for the cowboy during the dull season. It was his sport and, at the same time, a test of his skill, to rope a buffalo calf and bring it to the ranch to be mothered by an old cow that already was devoting her time and energy to raising a young one of her own. Then was displayed the motherly instinct for the protection of one’s own. As soon as the young buffalo was introduced to his foster-mother there ensued a vigorous protest against the additional burden imposed upon her by the scheming of others. Strenuosity was displayed at all angles, particularly fore and aft, in her efforts to rid herself of the new-found charge. She kicked and hooked and kicked again till kicking was a failure. The more she objected, the more the self-adopted buffalo persisted in devoting his time and attention to her. Once he had a taste of that cow’s milk he hung to her with all the persistency and tenacity of an Oklahoma office-seeker, and she finally submitted with more or less bad grace to the inevitable, and consented to act as mother to the mascot of the ranch.