arizona nights-第15节

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was　to　sit　my　saddle；　and　apply　just　that　final　touch　of　judgment

denied　even　the　wisest　of　the　lower　animals。　　Time　and　again　the

turn　was　so　quick　that　the　stirrup　swept　the　ground。　　At　last　the

cow；　convinced　of　the　uselessness　of　further　effort　to　return；

broke　away　on　a　long　lumbering　run　to　the　open　plain。　　She　was

stopped　and　held　by　the　men　detailed；　and　so　formed　the　nucleus

of　the　new　cut…herd。　　Immediately　Little　G；　his　ears　working　in

conscious　virtue；　jog…trotted　back　into　the　herd；　ready　for

another。



After　a　dozen　cows　had　been　sent　across　to　the　　cut…herd；　the

work　simplified。　　Once　a　cow　caught　sight　of　this　new　band；　she

generally　made　directly　for　it；　head　and　tail　up。　　After　the

first　short　struggle　to　force　her　from　the　herd；　all　I　had　to　do

was　to　start　her　in　the　proper　direction　and　keep　her　at　it　until

her　decision　was　fixed。　　If　she　was　too　soon　left　to　her　own

devices；　however；　she　was　likely　to　return。　　An　old　cowman　knows

to　a　second　just　the　proper　moment　to　abandon　her。



Sometimes；　in　spite　of　our　best　efforts　a　cow　succeeded　in

circling　us　and　plunging　into　the　main　herd。　　The　temptation　was

then　strong　to　plunge　in　also；　and　to　drive　her　out　by　main

force；　but　the　temptation　had　to　be　resisted。　　A　dash　into　the

thick　of　it　might　break　the　whole　band。　　At　once；　of　his　own

accord；　Little　G　dropped　to　his　fast；　shuffling　walk；　and　again

we　addressed　ourselves　to　the　task　of　pushing　her　gently　to　the

edge。

　　　　

This　was　all　comparatively　simplealmost　any　pony　is　fast　enough

for　the　calf　cutbut　now　Homer　gave　orders　for　the　steer　cut　to

begin；　and　steers　are　rapid　and　resourceful　and　full　of　natural

cussedness。　　Little　G　and　I　were　relieved　by　Windy　Bill；　and

betook　ourselves　to　the　outside　of　the　herd。

　　　　

Here　we　had　leisure　to　observe　the　effects　that　up　to　this　moment

we　had　ourselves　been　producing。　　The　herd；　restless　by　reason　of

the　horsemen　threading　it；　shifted；　gave　ground；　expanded；　and

contracted；　so　that　its　shape　and　size　were　always　changing　in

the　constant　area　guarded　by　the　sentinel　cowboys。　　Dust　arose

from　these　movements；　clouds　of　it；　to　eddy　and　swirl；　thicken

and　dissipate　in　the　currents　of　air。　　Now　it　concealed　all　but

the　nearest　dimly…outlined　animals；　again　it　parted　in　rifts

through　which　mistily　we　discerned　the　riders　moving　in　and　out

of　the　fog；　again　it　lifted　high　and　thin；　so　that　we　saw　in

clarity　the　whole　herd　and　the　outriders　and　the　mesas　far　away。　

As　the　afternoon　waned；　long　shafts　of　sun　slanted　through　this

dust。　　It　played　on　men　and　beasts　magically；　expanding　them　to

the　dimensions　of　strange　genii；　appearing　and　effacing

themselves　in　the　billows　of　vapour　from　some　enchanted　bottle。

　　　　　

We　on　the　outside　found　our　sinecure　of　hot　noon…tide　filched

from　us　by　the　cooler　hours。　　The　cattle；　wearied　of　standing；

and　perhaps　somewhat　hungry　and　thirsty；　grew　more　and　more

impatient。　　We　rode　continually　back　and　forth；　turning　the　slow

movement　in　on　itself。　　Occasionally　some　particularly

enterprising　cow　would　conclude　that　one　or　another　of　the

cut…herds　would　suit　her　better　than　this　mill　of　turmoil。　　She

would　start　confidently　out；　head　and　tail　up；　find　herself

chased　back；　get　stubborn　on　the　question；　and　lead　her　pursuer　a

long；　hard　run　before　she　would　return　to　her　companions。　　Once

in　a　while　one　would　even　have　to　be　roped　and　dragged　back。　　For

know；　before　something　happens　to　you；　that　you　can　chase　a　cow

safely　only　until　she　gets　hot　and

winded。　　Then　she　stands　her　ground　and　gets　emphatically　〃on　the

peck。〃



I　remember　very　well　when　I　first　discovered　this。　It　was　after　I

had　had　considerable　cow　work；　too。　　I　thought　of　cows　as　I　had

always　seen　themafraid　of　a　horseman；　easy　to　turn　with　the

pony；　and　willing　to　be　chased　as　far　as　necessary　to　the　work。　

Nobody　told　me　anything　different。　　One　day　we　were　making　a

drive　in　an　exceedingly　broken　country。　　I　was　bringing　in　a

small　bunch　I　had　discovered　in　a　pocket　of　the　hills；　but　was

excessively　annoyed　by　one　old　cow　that　insisted　on　breaking

back。　　In　the　wisdom　of　further　experience；　I　now　conclude　that

she　probably　had　a　calf　in　the　brush。　　Finally　she　got　away

entirely。　　After　starting　the　bunch　well　ahead；　I　went　after　her。

　　　　

Well；　the　cow　and　I　ran　nearly　side　by　side　for　as　much　as　half　a

mile　at　top　speed。　　She　declined　to　be　headed。　　Finally　she　fell

down　and　was　so　entirely　winded　that　she　could　not　get　up。

　　　

〃Now；　old　girl；　I've　got　you！〃　said　I；　and　set　myself　to　urging

her　to　her　feet。

　　　　

The　pony　acted　somewhat　astonished；　and　suspicious　of　the　job。　

Therein　he　knew　a　lot　more　than　I　did。　　But　I　insisted；　and；　like

a　good　pony；　he　obeyed。　　I　yelled　at　the　cow；　and　slapped　my　bat；

and　used　my　quirt。　　When　she　had　quite　recovered　her　wind；　she

got　slowly　to　her　feetand　charged　me　in　a　most　determined

manner。

　　　　

Now；　a　bull；　or　a　steer；　is　not　difficult　to　dodge。　　He　lowers

his　head；　shuts　his　eyes；　and　comes　in　on　one　straight　rush。　　But

a　cow　looks　to　see　what　she　is　doing；　her　eyes　are　open　every

minute；　and　it　overjoys　her　to　take　a　side　hook　at　you　even　when

you　succeed　in　eluding　her　direct　charge。

　　　　

The　pony　I　was　riding　did　his　best；　but　even　then　could　not　avoid

a　sharp　prod　that　would　have　ripped　him　up　had　not　my　leather

bastos　intervened。　　Then　we　retired　to　a　distance　in　order　to

plan　further；　but　we　did　not　succeed　in　inducing　that　cow　to

revise　her　ideas；　so　at　last　we　left　her。　　When；　in　some　chagrin；

I　mentioned　to　the　round…up　captain　the　fact　that　I　had　skipped

one　animal；　he　merely　laughed。

　　　　

〃Why；　kid；〃　said　he；　〃you　can't　do　nothin'　with　a　cow　that　gets

on　the　prod　that　away　'thout　you　ropes　her；　and　what　could　you　do

with　her　out　there　if　you　DID　rope　her？〃



So　I　learned　one　thing　more　about　cows。

　　　　

After　the　steer　cut　had　been　finished；　the　men　representing　the

neighbouring　ranges　looked　through　the　herd　for　strays　of　their

brands。　　These　were　thrown　into　the　stray…herd；　which　had　been

brought　up　from　the　bottom　lands　to　receive　the　new　accessions。　

Work　was　pushed　rapidly；　as　the　afternoon　was　nearly　gone。

　　　　

In　fact；　so　absorbed　were　we　that　until　it　was　almost　upon　us　we

did　not　notice　a　heavy　thunder…shower　that　arose　in　the　region　of

the　Dragoon　Mountains；　and　swept　rapidly　across　the　zenith。　

Before　we　knew　it　the　rain　had　begun。　　In　ten　seconds　it　had

increased　to　a　deluge；　and　in　twenty　we　were　all　to　leeward　of

the　herd　striving　desperately　to　stop　the　drift　of　the　cattle

down　wind。

　　　　

We　did　everything　in　our　power　to　stop　them；　but　in　vain。

Slickers　waved；　quirts　slapped　against　leather；　six…shooters

flashed；　but　still　the　cattle；　heads　lowered；　advanced　with　slow

and　sullen　persistence　that　would　not　be　stemmed。　　If　we　held　our

ground；　they　divided　around　us。　　Step　by　step　we　were　forced　to

give　waythe　thin　line　of　nervously　plunging　horses　sprayed

before　the　dense　mass　of　the　cattle。



〃No；　they　won't　stampede；〃　shouted　Charley　to　my　question。　

〃There's　cows　and　calves　in　them。　If　they　was　just　steers　or

grown　critters；　they　might。〃

　　　

The　sensations　of　those　few　moments　were　very　vividthe　blinding

beat　of　the　storm　in　my　face；　the　unbroken　front　of　horned　heads

bearing　down　on　me；　resistless　as　fate；　the　long　slant　of　rain

with　the　sun　shining　in　the　distance　beyond　it。

　　　

Abruptly　the　downpour　ceased。　　We　shook　our　hats　free　of　water；

and　drove　the　herd　back　to　the　cutting　grounds　again。

　　　

But　now　the　surface　of　the　ground　was　slippery；　and　the　rapid

manoeuvring　of　horses　had　become　a　matter　precarious　in　the

extreme。　　Time　and　again　the　ponies　fairly　sat　on　their　haunches

and　slid　when　negotiating　a　sudden　stop；　while　quick　turns　meant

the　rapid　scramblings　that　only　a　cow…horse　could　accomplish。　

Nevertheless　the　work　went　forward　unchecked。　　The　men　of　the

other　outfits　cut　their　cattle　into　the　stray…herd。　　The　latter

was　by　now　of　considerable　size；　for　this　was　the　third　week　of

the　round…up。

　　　　

Finally　everyone　expressed　himself　as　satisfied。　　The　largely

diminished　main　herd　was　now　started　forward　by　means　of　shrill

cowboy　cries　and　beating　of　quirts。　　The　cattle　were　only　too

eager　to　go。　　From　my　position　on　a　little　rise　above　the

stray…herd　I　could　see　the　leaders　breaking　into　a　run；　their

heads　thrown　forward　as　they　snuffed　their　freedom。　　On　the　mesa

side　the　sentinel　riders　quietly　withdrew。　　From　the　rear　and

flanks　the　horsemen　closed　in。　　The　cattle　poured　out　in　a　steady

stream　through　the　opening　thus　left　on　the　mesa　side。　　The

fringe　of　cowboys　followed；　urging　them　on。　　Abruptly　the

cavalcade　turned　and　came　loping　back。　The　cattle　continued　ahead

on　a　trot；　gradually　spreading　abroad　over　the　landscape；　losing

their　integrity　as　a　herd。　　Some　of　the　slower　or　hungrier

dropped　o