rope one of his own horses, or more often point it out to the most skillful roper of the outfit, who would rope it for him—­for if the man was an unskillful roper and roped the wrong horse or roped the horse in the wrong place there was a chance of the whole herd stampeding.  Each man then saddled and bridled his horse.  This was usually followed by some resolute bucking on the part of two or three of the horses, especially in the early days of each round-up.  The bucking was always a source of amusement to all the men whose horses did not buck, and these fortunate ones would gather round giving ironical advice, and especially adjuring the rider not to “go to leather”—­that is, not to steady himself in the saddle by catching hold of the saddle-horn.

As soon as the men had mounted, the whole outfit started on the long circle, the morning circle.  Usually the ranch foreman who bossed a given wagon was put in charge of the men of one group by the round-up foreman; he might keep his men together until they had gone some ten or fifteen miles from camp, and then drop them in couples at different points.  Each couple made its way toward the wagon, gathering all the cattle it could find.  The morning’s ride might last six or eight hours, and it was still longer before some of the men got in.  Singly and in twos and threes they appeared from every quarter of the horizon, the dust rising from the hoofs of the steers and bulls, the cows and calves, they had collected.  Two or three of the men were left to take care of the herd while the others changed horses, ate a hasty dinner, and then came out to the afternoon work.  This consisted of each man in succession being sent into the herd, usually with a companion, to cut out the cows of his brand or brands which were followed by unbranded calves, and also to cut out any mavericks or unbranded yearlings.  We worked each animal gently out to the edge of the herd, and then with a sudden dash took it off at a run.  It was always desperately anxious to break back and rejoin the herd.  There was much breakneck galloping and twisting and turning before its desire was thwarted and it was driven to join the rest of the cut—­that is, the other animals which had been cut out, and which were being held by one or two other men.  Cattle hate being alone, and it was no easy matter to hold the first one or two that were cut out; but soon they got a little herd of their own, and then they were contented.  When the cutting out had all been done, the calves were branded, and all misadventures of the “calf wrestlers,” the men who seized, threw, and held each calf when roped by the mounted roper, were hailed with yelling laughter.  Then the animals which for one reason or another it was desired to drive along with the round-up were put into one herd and left in charge of a couple of night guards, and the rest of us would loaf back to the wagon for supper and bed.