the passing of the frontier-第7节

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hirl　of　dust；　he　would　spy　a　little　curly　calf　running；　dodging；　and　twisting；　always　at　the　heels　of　its　mother；　and　he　would　dart　in　after；　following　the　two　through　the　thick　of　surging　and　plunging　beasts。　The　sharp…eyed　pony　would　see　almost　as　soon　as　his　rider　which　cow　was　wanted　and　he　needed　small　guidance　from　that　time　on。　He　would　follow　hard　at　her　heels；　edging　her　constantly　toward　the　flank　of　the　herd；　at　times　nipping　her　hide　as　a　reminder　of　his　own　superiority。　In　spite　of　herself　the　cow　would　gradually　turn　out　toward　the　edge；　and　at　last　would　be　swept　clear　of　the　crush；　the　calf　following　close　behind　her。　There　was　a　whirl　of　the　rope　and　the　calf　was　laid　by　the　heels　and　dragged　to　the　fire　where　the　branding　irons　were　heated　and　ready。

Meanwhile　other　cow…punchers　are　rushing　calves　to　the　branding。　The　hubbub　and　turmoil　increase。　Taut　ropes　cross　the　ground　in　many　directions。　The　cutting　ponies　pant　and　sweat；　rear　and　plunge。　The　garb　of　the　cowboy　is　now　one　of　white　alkali　which　hangs　gray　in　his　eyebrows　and　moustache。　Steers　bellow　as　they　surge　to　and　fro。　Cows　charge　on　their　persecutors。　Fleet　yearlings　break　and　run　for　the　open；　pursued　by　men　who　care　not　how　or　where　they　ride。

We　have　spoken　in　terms　of　the　past。　There　is　no　calf　round…up　of　the　open　range　today。　The　last　of　the　roundups　was　held　in　Routt　County；　Colorado；　several　years　ago；　so　far　as　the　writer　knows；　and　it　had　only　to　do　with　shifting　cattle　from　the　summer　to　the　winter　range。

After　the　calf　round…up　came　the　beef　round…up；　the　cowman's　final　harvest。　This　began　in　July　or　August。　Only　the　mature　or　fatted　animals　were　cut　out　from　the　herd。　This　〃beef　cut〃　was　held　apart　and　driven　on　ahead　from　place　to　place　as　the　round…up　progressed。　It　was　then　driven　in　by　easy　stages　to　the　shipping　point　on　the　railroad；　whence　the　long　trainloads　of　cattle　went　to　the　great　markets。

In　the　heyday　of　the　cowboy　it　was　natural　that　his　chief　amusements　should　be　those　of　the　outdoor　air　and　those　more　or　less　in　line　with　his　employment。　He　was　accustomed　to　the　sight　of　big　game；　and　so　had　the　edge　of　his　appetite　for　its　pursuit　worn　off。　Yet　he　was　a　hunter；　just　as　every　Western　man　was　a　hunter　in　the　times　of　the　Western　game。　His　weapons　were　the　rifle；　revolver；　and　rope；　the　latter　two　were　always　with　him。　With　the　rope　at　times　he　captured　the　coyote；　and　under　special　conditions　he　has　taken　deer　and　even　antelope　in　this　way；　though　this　was　of　course　most　unusual　and　only　possible　under　chance　conditions　of　ground　and　cover。　Elk　have　been　roped　by　cowboys　many　times；　and　it　is　known　that　even　the　mountain　sheep　has　been　so　taken；　almost　incredible　as　that　may　seem。　The　young　buffalo　were　easy　prey　for　the　cowboy　and　these　he　often　roped　and　made　captive。　In　fact　the　beginnings　of　all　the　herds　of　buffalo　now　in　captivity　in　this　country　were　the　calves　roped　and　secured　by　cowboys；　and　these　few　scattered　individuals　of　a　grand　race　of　animals　remain　as　melancholy　reminders　alike　of　a　national　shiftlessness　and　an　individual　skill　and　daring。

The　grizzly　was　at　times　seen　by　the　cowboys　on　the　range；　and　if　it　chanced　that　several　cowboys　were　together　it　was　not　unusual　to　give　him　chase。　They　did　not　always　rope　him；　for　it　was　rarely　that　the　nature　of　the　country　made　this　possible。　Sometimes　they　roped　him　and　wished　they　could　let　him　go；　for　a　grizzly　bear　is　uncommonly　active　and　straightforward　in　his　habits　at　close　quarters。　The　extreme　difficulty　of　such　a　combat；　however；　gave　it　its　chief　fascination　for　the　cowboy。　Of　course；　no　one　horse　could　hold　the　bear　after　it　was　roped；　but；　as　one　after　another　came　up；　the　bear　was　caught　by　neck　and　foot　and　body；　until　at　last　he　was　tangled　and　tripped　and　hauled　about　till　he　was　helpless；　strangled；　and　nearly　dead。　It　is　said　that　cowboys　have　so　brought　into　camp　a　grizzly　bear；　forcing　him　to　half　walk　and　half　slide　at　the　end　of　the　ropes。　No　feat　better　than　this　could　show　the　courage　of　the　plainsman　and　of　the　horse　which　he　so　perfectly　controlled。

Of　such　wild　and　dangerous　exploits　were　the　cowboy's　amusements　on　the　range。　It　may　be　imagined　what　were　his　amusements　when　he　visited　the　〃settlements。〃　The　cow…punchers；　reared　in　the　free　life　of　the　open　air；　under　circumstances　of　the　utmost　freedom　of　individual　action；　perhaps　came　off　the　drive　or　round…up　after　weeks　or　months　of　unusual　restraint　or　hardship；　and　felt　that　the　time　had　arrived　for　them　to　〃celebrate。〃　Merely　great　rude　children；　as　wild　and　untamed　and　untaught　as　the　herds　they　led；　they　regarded　their　first　look　at　the　〃settlements〃　of　the　railroads　as　a　glimpse　of　a　wider　world。　They　pursued　to　the　uttermost　such　avenues　of　new　experience　as　lay　before　them；　almost　without　exception　avenues　of　vice。　It　is　strange　that　the　records　of　those　days　should　be　chosen　by　the　public　to　be　held　as　the　measure　of　the　American　cowboy。　Those　days　were　brief；　and　they　are　long　since　gone。　The　American　cowboy　atoned　for　them　by　a　quarter　of　a　century　of　faithful　labor。

The　amusements　of　the　cowboy　were　like　the　features　of　his　daily　surroundings　and　occupationthey　were　intense；　large；　Homeric。　Yet；　judged　at　his　work；　no　higher　type　of　employee　ever　existed；　nor　one　more　dependable。　He　was　the　soul　of　honor　in　all　the　ways　of　his　calling。　The　very　blue　of　the　sky；　bending　evenly　over　all　men　alike；　seemed　to　symbolize　his　instinct　for　justice。　Faithfulness　and　manliness　were　his　chief　traits；　his　standardto　be　a　〃square　man。〃

Not　all　the　open　range　will　ever　be　farmed；　but　very　much　that　was　long　thought　to　be　irreclaimable　has　gone　under　irrigation　or　is　being　more　or　less　successfully　〃dryfarmed。〃　The　man　who　brought　water　upon　the　arid　lands　of　the　West　changed　the　entire　complexion　of　a　vast　country　and　with　it　the　industries　of　that　country。　Acres　redeemed　from　the　desert　and　added　to　the　realm　of　the　American　farmer　were　taken　from　the　realm　of　the　American　cowboy。

The　West　has　changed。　The　curtain　has　dropped　between　us　and　its　wild　and　stirring　scenes。　The　old　days　are　gone。　The　house　dog　sits　on　the　hill　where　yesterday　the　coyote　sang。　There　are　fenced　fields　and　in　them　stand　sleek　round　beasts；　deep　in　crops　such　as　their　ancestors　never　saw。　In　a　little　town　nearby　is　the　hurry　and　bustle　of　modern　life。　This　town　is　far　out　upon　what　was　called　the　frontier；　long　after　the　frontier　has　really　gone。　Guarding　its　ghost　here　stood　a　little　army　post；　once　one　of　the　pillars；　now　one　of　the　monuments　of　the　West。

Out　from　the　tiny　settlement　in　the　dusk　of　evening；　always　facing　toward　where　the　sun　is　sinking；　might　be　seen　riding；　not　so　long　ago；　a　figure　we　should　know。　He　would　thread　the　little　lane　among　the　fences；　following　the　guidance　of　hands　other　than　his　own；　a　thing　he　would　once　have　scorned　to　do。　He　would　ride　as　lightly　and　as　easily　as　ever；　sitting　erect　and　jaunty　in　the　saddle；　his　reins　held　high　and　loose　in　the　hand　whose　fingers　turn　up　gracefully；　his　whole　body　free　yet　firm　in　the　saddle　with　the　seat　of　the　perfect　horseman。　At　the　boom　of　the　cannon；　when　the　flag　dropped　fluttering　down　to　sleep；　he　would　rise　in　his　stirrups　and　wave　his　hat　to　the　flag。　Then；　toward　the　edge；　out　into　the　evening；　he　would　ride　on。　The　dust　of　his　riding　would　mingle　with　the　dusk　of　night。　We　could　not　see　which　was　the　one　or　the　other。　We　could　only　hear　the　hoofbeats　passing；　boldly　and　steadily　still；　but　growing　fainter；　fainter；　and　more　faint。*

*　For　permission　to　use　in　this　chapter　material　from　the　author's　〃The　Story　of　the　Cowboy；〃　acknowledgment　is　made　to　D。　Appleton　&　Co。



Chapter　V。　The　Mines

If　the　influence　of　the　cattle　industry　was　paramount　in　the　development　of　the　frontier　region　found　by　the　first　railways；　it　should　not　be　concluded　that　this　upthrust　of　the　southern　cattle　constituted　the　only　contribution　to　the　West　of　that　day。　There　were　indeed　earlier　influences；　the　chief　of　which　was　the　advent　of　the　wild　population　of　the　placer　mines。　The　riches　of　the　gold…fields　hastened　the　building　of　the　first　transcontinental　railroads　and　the　men　of　the　mines　set　their　mark　also　indelibly　upon　the　range。

It　is　no　part　of　our　business　here　to　follow　the　great　discoveries　of　1849　in　California。*　Neither　shall　we　chronicle　the　once…famous　rushes　from　California　north　into　the　Fraser　River　Valley　of　British　Columbia；　neither　is　it　necessary　to　mention　in　much　detail　the　great　camps　of　Nevada；　nor　yet　the　short…lived　stampede　of　1859　to　the　Pike's　Peak　country　in　Colorado。　The　rich　placer　fields　of　Idaho　and　Montana；　from　which　enormous　amounts　were　taken；　offer　typical　examples　of　the　mining　communities　of　the　Rockies。

*　See　Stewart　Edward　White：　〃The　Forty…Niners〃　（〃Chronicles　of　America〃）。


We　may　never　know　how　much　history　remains　forever　unwritten。　Of　the　beginnings　of　the　Idaho　camps　there　have　trickled　back　into　record　only　brief；　inconsequent；　and　partial　stories。　The　miners　who　surged　this　way　and　that　all　through　the　Sierras；　the　upper　Cascades；　north　into　the　Selkirks；　and　thence　back　again　into　the　Rockies　were　a　turbulent　mob。　Having　overrun　all　our　mountain　range