a bank clerk. But after a
year of hard work with coarse fare he must have some relaxation. He
takes what he finds. The cattle-towns cater to his worst passions. He
is as noisy in his spending as a college boy, and, on the average, just
as good natured and eager to have a good time.

Only a man of tried and proved courage can hold his job. Skill and
daring are needed to handle the half-wild beasts of the herds. The
steer respects no one on foot, but has a wholesome fear for a mounted
man. Taken separately, neither man nor horse has the smallest chance
with range cattle, but the combination inspires the fear noticeable
among the Apaches for cavalryman as compared with their contempt for
foot-soldiers.

The longhorned steer will fight with the ferociousness of a tiger. A
maddened cow will attack even a man on horseback. The most desperate
battles of the range are with cows who have lost their calves.

The cow-puncher first comes in contact with his cattle at the round-up.
The outfit consists of a foreman with eight men to each thousand head
as drivers. Each man has from six to ten mounts. The broncos are only
half-broken. But they follow a steer like a terrier does a ball. They
delight in the game as much as a polo-pony.

A chuck-wagon accompanies each outfit. This is usually of the United
States Army type, solidly built and hauled by four mules. The cook of
the outfit is the driver. He has a helper, a tenderfoot, or a boy
learning the trade. In the field only the bravest dares defy the cook.
His word on the camp is law. All the men are subject to his call. In
the wagon are carried a tent, the men's bedding, sleeping-bags, and
stores consisting of pork, navy beans, flour, potatoes, canned
tomatoes, and canned peaches. At the rear end of the wagon bed is a
built-up cupboard, the door of which can be lowered with straps to make
a table. Dishes, the lighter food supplies, and a small medicine-chest
are stored there. A water-barrel is strapped to the side of the wagon.
Enough fire-wood for emergency use is packed under the driver's seat.
No wagon is complete without a bucket hanging from the axle.

The spare horses are driven with the herd, the men taking turns at the
task. At daybreak each morning the cowboys scatter from the
mess-wagon, riding up and down the draws and over the hills, driving in
the cattle for branding and the "cutting out," or separating from the
herd, of marketable beeves. These