But it is risky business, this cattle stealing, and many a man who has been caught at it has been left on the prairies as food for the coyotes, or has ornamented the nearest cottonwood tree until the magpies and butcher birds have polished his bones.
Branding is a decidedly cruel proceeding, and would doubtless come under the bane of Mr. Bergh's displeasure were he here to witness it. Yet it seems a necessary evil, there being no other known means of marking cattle so effectually and indelibly.
Parties of ladies frequently go out from the towns or cities to see the roundup, not knowing or thinking of the painful features of it. They enjoy the ride across the prairies and through the valleys. The beautiful scenery, the grotesque "Bad Lands," the red, scoria-capped hills, the beautiful green meadows, and the fringes of green trees that mark the meanderings of the streams, all delight and interest them; they enjoy the displays of horsemanship given by the valorous cowboys as they wheel and cavort hither and thither in pursuit of scurrying bands of cattle; they enjoy the stampeding and wild flight, the "knotting" and "holding" of the large herds, all so skillfully and cleverly performed; they enjoy the sight of the thousand and more loose horses, grazing and scampering over the plains; they enjoy the fresh, pure air, the wholesome noon repast in the shade of the great cottonwood trees, and many other pleasant phases of the affair. But when the fire is lit and the murderous irons inserted in it; when the captive creatures are dragged forth lowing, murmuring, and bellowing; when the red-hot iron is pressed into their quivering, smoking sides until the air is laden with the odor of burning hair and roasting flesh, and the poor creature writhes and struggles in its agony, the roundup is robbed of its romance, and the ladies are ready to start for home at once.
Transcriber's Notes:
Minor punctuation errors changed without note.
Words with multiple and archaic spellings left as in original.
Spelling changes:
Table of Contents Chapter 1. "Enchance" changed to "Enhance".
p. 63 "barrrier" changed to "barrier".
p. 67 "ordinarly" changed to "ordinarily".
p. 123 "fuanace" changed to "furnace".
p. 167 "playad" changed to "played".
p. 171 "catchng" changed to "catching".
p. 201 "conspicious" changed to "conspicuous".
p. 204 "intstead" changed to "instead".
p. 237 "similiar" changed to "similar".
p. 294 "firmanent" changed to "firmament"