re was a strong gate which swang off from
the side fence at the top so to leave it wide enough to go
through. Well, they would rush them into the shoot and when
they came to the gate would let it swing off at the top. The
animal would make a rush but it was so narrow at the bottom
it would bother his feet and there was a rope went from the
top of the gate over his back to a lever on the outside of
the yard. While he was trying to get through, the fellow on
the lever would catch him with the gate and then the frying
began.

They had two good big fires and about four irons in each
and they would put an iron on each side. One is a Triangle
about four inches on a side, the other an Elkhorn about six
inches long with two prongs. It smelt around there as if
Coolage was burning Parkman,[13] or was it Webster? I
remember hearing father read about the smell of meat burning
when I was a boy, and I kept thinking of that and Indians
burning Prisoners at the stake. Well, we burnt them all in
less than a day and a half and then hustled them into the
cars.

[Footnote 13: A celebrated murder case in Boston.]

They of course did not get much to eat for two or three days
before they started. Then we put from 50 to 57 yearlings in
a carr and from 32 to 37 two year olds and started. The poor
cattle would lay down, then of course as many as could stand
on them would do so. The ones that got down would stay there
till they were completely trod under and smothered unless
you made them get up. So I would go in and shove and crowd
and get them off of the down ones, then I would seize a tail
and the man with me would punch from outside with a pole
with a brad in it. This would invigorate the annimal as he
used the pole with great energy, and with my help they would
get up.

I did not dislike the work though it was very warm and the
cattle were rather slippery to hold on to after they had
been down, but it was lively and exciting climbing from one
carr to the other when they were going, especially in the
night. We went to see them every time they stopped and some
times we did not have time before we started. Then we would
have to go from one to the other while they were going, and
after we had got through run back over the tops of the