buying and selling and shipping. The
Captain was a busy man.

And the ranch was a busy place. Its population swung through the
nations. Always the aristocracy was the cowboy. There were not many of
him, for the cattle here were fenced and fattened; but a few were
necessary to ride abroad in order that none of the precious beef be
mired down or tangled in barbed wire; and that all of it be moved hither
and yon as the pasture varied. And of course the driving, the loading
and unloading of fresh shipments in and out demanded expert handling.

Some of them came from the desert, lean, bronzed, steady-eyed men
addicted to "double-barrelled" (two cinch) saddles, ox-bow stirrups,
straight-shanked spurs, tall-crowned hats, and grass ropes. They were
plain "cowpunchers." Between them and the California "vaqueros," or
"buckeroos", was always much slow and drawling argument. For the latter
had been "raised different" in about every particular. They used the
single-cinch saddle; long _tapaderos_; or stirrup hoods; curve-shanked
spurs with jingling chains; low, wide-brimmed sombreros and rawhide
ropes. And you who have gauged the earnestness of what might be called
"equipment arguments" among those of a gentler calling, can well
appreciate that never did bunk-house conversation lack.

Next to these cow riders and horse riders came probably the mule
drivers. There were many teams of mules, and they were used for many
things: such as plowing, cultivating, harvesting, haying, the building
of irrigation checks and ditches, freighting, and the like. A team
comprised from six to twelve individuals. The man in charge had to know
mules--which is no slight degree of special wisdom; had to know loads;
had to understand conditioning. His lantern was the first to twinkle in
the morning as he doled out corn to his charges.

Then came the ruck of field hands of all types. The average field hand
in California is a cross between a hobo and a labourer. He works
probably about half the year. The other half he spends on the road,
tramping it from place to place. Like the common hobo, he begs his way
when he can; catches freight train rides; consorts in thickets with his
kind. Unlike the common hobo, however, he generally has money in his
pocket and always carries a bed-roll. The latter consists of a blanket
or so, or quilt, and a canvas strapped around the whole. You can see him
at any time plodding along the highways and railroads, the roll slung