e two rods were very thin, light
and jointed; and in taking the tent down you simply loosed the rope,
knocked out the stake-pins, and that was all.

During these long guarding spells you practically just sit in your
saddle for four hours at a stretch. You cannot take exercise and you
dare not get down to walk or you will stampede the cattle. But, yes, you
may gallop to camp if you know the direction, and drink a cup of hot
strong coffee, which in bad weather is kept on the fire all night,
re-light your pipe and return to "sing" to the cattle.

Then the quiet of these huge animals is impressive. About midnight they
will get a bit restless, many will get on their feet, have a stretch and
a yawn, puff, cough and blow and in other ways relieve themselves, and
if allowed will start out grazing; but they are easily driven back and
will soon be once more resting quietly.

The stampeding of the herd on such a night is almost a relief. It at
once effectually wakes you up, gets you warm, and keeps you interested
for the rest of your spell, even if it does not keep you out for the
rest of the night.

I should explain that "singing" to the cattle refers to the habit
cowboys have, while on night-guard, of singing (generally a sing-song
refrain) as they slowly ride round the herd. It relieves the monotony,
keeps the cattle quiet and seems to give them confidence, for they
certainly appear to rest quieter while they know that men are guarding
them, and are not so liable to stampede.

Stampeding is indeed a very remarkable bovine characteristic. Suppose a
herd of cattle, say 2000 steers, to be quietly and peacefully lying down
under night-guard. The air is calm and clear. It may be bright
moonlight, or it may be quite dark; nothing else is moving. Apparently
there is nothing whatever to frighten them or even disturb them; most of
them are probably sound asleep, when suddenly like a shot they, the
whole herd, are on their feet and gone--gone off at a more or less
furious gallop. All go together. The guard are of course at once all
action; the men asleep in camp are waked by the loud drumming of the
thousands of hoofs on the hard ground and at once rush for their horses
to assist. The stampede must be stopped and there is only one way to do
it--to get up to the lead animals and try to swing them round with the
object of getting them to move in a circle, to "mill" as we called it.
But the poor beasts meantime are frantic with fear an