It must have been a joyous feeling for the trail crew, having been months away from civilization, to be nearing town. It would be the end of the drive, the end of that season's work. At last they would be paid for their labor and free to do what they pleased—at least until their money ran out.

Sometimes, however, the cowboys' entrance into town was delayed. If their herd had arrived shortly after other herds, it was necessary to wait a turn at the holding area, and cowboys had to continue to guard the cattle they had herded for months. "It was sheer agony for the men on watch," writes one historian, "to sit in the saddle, grimy as ever, staring at the lights of the distant pleasure palaces and dreaming of what they might be doing."

"Of Course It Was 'Whoop!' "