arizona nights-第19节

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ascertain　the　result　of　the　manoeuvre；　the　horse　turned　and　began

methodically；　without　undue　haste；　to　walk　toward　the　branding

fire。　　Homer　wrapped　the　rope　twice　or　thrice　about　the　horn；　and

sat　over　in　one　stirrup　to　avoid　the　tightened　line　and　to

preserve　the　balance。　　Nobody　paid　any　attention　to　the　calf。

The　critter　had　been　caught　by　the　two　hind　legs。　　As　the　rope

tightened；　he　was　suddenly　upset；　and　before　he　could　realise

that　something　disagreeable　was　happening；　he　was　sliding

majestically　along　on　his　belly。　　Behind　him　followed　his　anxious

mother；　her　head　swinging　from　side　to　side。



Near　the　fire　the　horse　stopped。　　The　two　〃bull…doggers〃

immediately　pounced　upon　the　victim。　　It　was　promptly　flopped

over　on　its　right　side。　　One　knelt　on　its　head　and　twisted　back

its　foreleg　in　a　sort　of　hammer…lock；　the　other　seized　one　hind

foot；　pressed　his　boot　heel　against　the　other　hind　leg　close　to

the　body；　and　sat　down　behind　the　animal。　　Thus　　the　calf　was

unable　to　struggle。　　When　once　you　have　had　the　wind　knocked　out

of　you；　or　a　rib　or　two　broken；　you　cease　to　think　this

unnecessarily　rough。　　Then　one　or　the　other　threw　off　the　rope。　

Homer　rode　away；　coiling　the　rope　as　he　went。

　　　　　

〃Hot　iron！〃　yelled　one　of　the　bull…doggers。

　　　　　

〃Marker！〃　yelled　the　other。

　　　

Immediately　two　men　ran　forward。　　The　brander　pressed　the　iron

smoothly　against　the　flank。　　A　smoke　and　the　smell　of　scorching

hair　arose。　　Perhaps　the　calf　blatted　a　little　as　the　heat

scorched。　　In　a　brief　moment　it　was　over。　　The　brand　showed

cherry；　which　is　the　proper　colour　to　indicate　due　peeling　and　a

successful　mark。

　　　

In　the　meantime　the　marker　was　engaged　in　his　work。　　First；　with

a　sharp　knife　he　cut　off　slanting　the　upper　quarter　of　one　ear。　

Then　he　nicked　out　a　swallow…tail　in　the　other。　　The　pieces　he

thrust　into　his　pocket　in　order　that　at　the　completion　of　the

work　he　could　thus　check　the　Cattleman's　tally…board　as　to　the

number　of　calves　branded。＇3＇　　The　bull…dogger　let　go。　　The　calf

sprang　up；　was　appropriated　and　smelled　over　by　his　worried

mother；　and　the　two　departed　into　the　herd　to　talk　it　over。



＇3＇　For　the　benefit　of　the　squeamish　it　might　be　well　to　note

that　the　fragments　of　the　ears　were　cartilaginous；　and　therefore

not　bloody。





It　seems　to　me　that　a　great　deal　of　unnecessary　twaddle　is

abroad　as　to　the　extreme　cruelty　of　branding。　　Undoubtedly　it　is

to　some　extent　painful；　and　could　some　other　method　of　ready

identification　be　devised；　it　might　be　as　well　to　adopt　it　in

preference。　　But　in　the　circumstance　of　a　free　range；　thousands

of　cattle；　and　hundreds　of　owners；　any　other　method　is　out　of　the

question。　　I　remember　a　New　England　movement　looking　toward　small

brass　tags　to　be　hung　from　the　ear。　　Inextinguishable　laughter

followed　the　spread　of　this　doctrine　through　Arizona。　　Imagine　a

puncher　descending　to　examine　politely　the　ear…tags　of　wild

cattle　on　the　open　range　or　in　a　round…up。

　　　

But；　as　I　have　intimated；　even　the　inevitable　branding　and

ear…marking　are　not　so　painful　as　one　might　suppose。　　The

scorching　hardly　penetrates　below　the　outer　tough　skinonly

enough　to　kill　the　roots　of　the　hairbesides　which　it　must　be

remembered　that　cattle　are　not　so　sensitive　as　the　higher　nervous

organisms。　　A　calf　usually　bellows　when　the　iron　bites；　but　as

soon　as　released　he　almost　invariably　goes　to　feeding　or　to

looking　idly　about。　　Indeed；　I　have　never　seen　one　even　take　the

trouble　to　lick　his　wounds；　which　is　certainly　not　true　in　the

case　of　the　injuries　they　inflict　on　each　other　in　fighting。　

Besides　which；　it　happens　but　once　in　a　lifetime；　and　is　over　in

ten　seconds；　a　comfort　denied　to　those　of　us　who　have　our　teeth

filled。

　　　　

In　the　meantime　two　other　calves　had　been　roped　by　the　two　other

men。　　One　of　the　little　animals　was　but　a　few　months　old；　so　the

rider　did　not　bother　with　its　hind　legs；　but　tossed　his　loop　over

its　neck。　　Naturally；　when　things　tightened　up；　Mr。　Calf　entered

his　objections；　which　took　the　form　of　most　vigorous　bawlings；

and　the　most　comical　bucking；　pitching；　cavorting；　and　bounding

in　the　air。　　Mr。　Frost's　bull…calf　alone　in　pictorial　history

shows　the　attitudes。　　And　then；　of　course；　there　was　the　gorgeous

contrast　between　all　this　frantic　and　uncomprehending　excitement

and　the　absolute　matter…of…fact　imperturbability　of　horse　and

rider。　　Once　at　the　fire；　one　of　the　men　seized　the　tightened

rope　in　one　hand；　reached　well　over　the　animal's　back　to　get　a

slack　of　the　loose　hide　next　the　belly；　lifted　strongly；　and

tripped。　　This　is　called　〃bull…dogging。〃　　As　he　knew　his

business；　and　as　the　calf　was　a　small　one；　the　little　beast　went

over　promptly；　bit　the　ground　with　a　whack；　and　was　pounced　upon

and　held。

　　　

Such　good　luck　did　not　always　follow；　however。　　An　occasional　and

exceedingly　husky　bull　yearling　declined　to　be　upset　in　any　such

manner。　　He　would　catch　himself　on　one　foot；　scramble　vigorously；

and　end　by　struggling　back　to　the　upright。　　Then　ten　to　one　he

made　a　dash　to　get　away。　　In　such　case　he　was　generally　snubbed

up　short　enough　at　the　end　of　the　rope；　but　once　or　twice　he

succeeded　in　running　around　a　group　absorbed　in　branding。　　You

can　imagine　what　happened　next。　　The　rope；　attached　at　one　end　to

a　conscientious　and　immovable　horse　and　at　the　other　to　a

reckless　and　vigorous　little　bull；　swept　its　taut　and　destroying

way　about　mid…knee　high　across　that　group。　　The　brander　and

marker；　who　were　standing；　promptly　sat　down　hard；　the

bull…doggers；　who　were　sitting；　immediately　turned　several　most

capable　somersaults；　the　other　calf　arose　and　inextricably

entangled　his　rope　with　that　of　his　accomplice。　　Hot　irons；　hot

language；　and　dust　filled　the　air。



Another　method；　and　one　requiring　slightly　more　knack；　is　to

grasp　the　animal's　tail　and　throw　it　by　a　quick　jerk　across　the

pressure　of　the　rope。　　This　is　productive　of　some　fun　if　it

fails。

　　　

By　now　the　branding　was　in　full　swing。　　The　three　horses　came　and

went　phlegmatically。　　When　the　nooses　fell；　they　turned　and

walked　toward　the　fire　as　a　matter　of　course。　　Rarely　did　the

cast　fail。　　Men　ran　to　and　fro　busy　and　intent。　　Sometimes　three

or　four　calves　were　on　the　ground　at　once。　　Cries　arose　in　a

confusion：　　〃Marker〃　　〃Hot　iron！〃　　〃Tally　one！〃　　Dust　eddied　and

dissipated。　　Behind　all　were　clear　sunlight　and　the　organ　roll　of

the　cattle　bellowing。

　　　

Toward　the　middle　of　the　morning　the　bull…doggers　began　to　get　a

little　tired。

　　　

〃No　more　necked　calves；〃　they　announced。　　〃Catch　'em　by　the　hind

legs；　or　bull…dog　'em　yourself。〃

　　　

And　that　went。　　Once　in　a　while　the　rider；　lazy；　or　careless；　or

bothered　by　the　press　of　numbers；　dragged　up　a　victim　caught　by

the　neck。　　The　bull…doggers　flatly　refused　to　have　anything　to　do

with　it。　　An　obvious　way　out　would　have　been　to　flip　off　the　loop

and　try　again；　but　of　course　that　would　have　amounted　to　a

confession　of　wrong。

　　　　

〃You　fellows　drive　me　plumb　weary；〃　remarked　the　rider；　slowly

dismounting。　　〃A　little　bit　of　a　calf　like　that！　　What　you　all

need　is　a　nigger　to　cut　up　your　food　for　you！〃

　　　　

Then　he　would　spit　on　his　hands　and　go　at　it　alone。　　If　luck

attended　his　first　effort；　his　sarcasm　was　profound。

　　　　

〃There's　yore　little　calf；〃　said　he。　　〃Would　you　like　to　have　me

tote　it　to　you；　or　do　you　reckon　you　could　toddle　this　far　with

yore　little　old　iron？〃

　　　

But　if　the　calf　gave　much　trouble；　then　all　work　ceased　while　the

unfortunate　puncher　wrestled　it　down。

　　　

Toward　noon　the　work　slacked。　　Unbranded　calves　were　scarce。　

Sometimes　the　men　rode　here　and　there　for　a　minute　or　so　before

their　eyes　fell　on　a　pair　of　uncropped　ears。　　Finally　Homer　rode

over　to　the　Cattleman　and　reported　the　branding　finished。　　The

latter　counted　the　marks　in　his　tally…book。

　　

〃One　hundred　and　seventy…six；〃　he　announced。

　　

The　markers；　squatted　on　their　heels；　told　over　the　bits　of　ears

they　had　saved。　　The　total　amounted　to　but　an　hundred　and

seventy…five。　　Everybody　went　to　searching　for　the　missing　bit。　

It　was　not　forth…coming。　　Finally　Wooden　discovered　it　in　his　hip

pocket。

　　　

〃Felt　her　thar　all　the　time；〃　said　he；　〃but　thought　it　must

shorely　be　a　chaw　of　tobacco。〃



This　matter　satisfactorily　adjusted；　the　men　all　ran　for　their

ponies。　　They　had　been　doing　a　wrestler's　heavy　work　all　the

morning；　but　did　not　seem　to　be　tired。　　I　saw　once　in　some　crank

physical　culture　periodical　that　a　cowboy's　life　was　physically

ill…balanced；　like　an　oarsman's；　in　that　it　exercised　only

certain　muscles　of　the　body。　　The　writer　should　be　turned　loose

in　a　branding　corral。

　　　

Through　the　wide　gates　the　cattle　were　urged　out　to　the　open

plain。　　There　they　were　held　for　over　an　hour　while　the　cows

wandered　about　looking　for　their　lost　progeny。　　A　cow　knows　her

calf　by