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.