be still running loose without a brand and therefore without an owner.
It was particular satisfaction to get one's rope, and therefore one's
brand, on to such a rover, though it might really not be the progeny of
your own cattle at all. It was no easy job either for one man alone to
catch and brand such a big and wild creature, especially if among the
brush and cedar trees. A certain stimulant to your work was the fact
that you were not the only one out on a maverick hunt. There were
others, such as your neighbours, or even independent gentlemen, expert
with the rope and branding-iron, who never bought a cow critter in their
lives, but started their herds by thus stealing all the calves they
could lay hands on. A small crooked iron rod, an iron ring, or even an
old horseshoe, did duty as branding-iron on these occasions. The ring
was favoured by the latter class of men, as it could be carried in the
pocket and not excite suspicion. Of course we branded, marked and
altered these calves wherever we found them. "Hair branding" was a
method resorted to by dishonest cowboys; by burning the hair alone, and
not the hide, they would apparently brand the calf with its rightful
owner's brand; but later, when the calf had grown bigger and left its
mother, they would slap on their own brand with comparative safety. One
had to be constantly on the lookout for such tricks.

The Mexicans, too, were fond of butchering a beef now and then, so they
too required watching; but my busiest time came with early spring, when
the cattle were in a poor and weak condition. The river-bed, too, was
then in its boggiest state. Cattle went in to drink, stuck, and could
not get out again, and thus some seasons we lost enormous numbers of
them. Therefore I "rode bog" every day up and down the river. When I
found an animal in the mud I had to rope it by the horns or feet and
drag it by main force to solid ground. A stout, well-trained horse was
needed. It was hard, dirty work and exasperating, as many of those you
pulled out never got up again, and if they did would invariably charge
you. No special tackle was used; you remain in the saddle, wrap the rope
round the horn and dig the spurs in. Of course, on your own beat, you
dragged out all you could, no matter of what brand; but when, as often
happened, you failed to get them out, and they belonged to someone else,
you were not allowed to shoot them; so that there the poor creatures lay
for days, and p