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Arizona Nights-Part10_Stewart Edward White(1873-1946)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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a walk in order to get a breath of air.



But now we noticed another band, back on the ground over which we

had just come, doubling through in the direction of Mount



Graham. A hard run set them to rights. We turned. More had

poured out from the hills. Bands were crossing everywhere,



ahead and behind. Brown Jug and I went to work.

Being an indivisible unit, we could chase only one bunch at a



time; and, while we were after one, a half dozen others would be

taking advantage of our preoccupation. We could not hold our



own. Each run after an escaping bunch had to be on a longer

diagonal. Gradually we were forced back, and back, and back; but



still we managed to hold the line unbroken. Never shall I forget

the dash and clatter of that morning. Neither Brown Jug nor I



thought for a moment of sparing horseflesh, nor of picking a

route. We made the shortest line, and paid little attention to



anything that stood in the way. A very fever of resistance

possessed us. It was like beating against a head wind, or



fighting fire, or combating in any other of the great forces of

nature. We were quite alone. The Cattleman and Homer had



vanished. To our left the men were fully occupied in marshalling

the compact brown herds that had gradually massed--for these



antagonists of mine were merely outlying remnants.

I suppose Brown Jug must have run nearly twenty miles with only



one check. Then we chased a cow some distance and into the dry

bed of a stream, where she whirled on us savagely. By luck her



horn hit only the leather of my saddle skirts, so we left her;

for when a cow has sense enough to "get on the peck," there is no



driving her farther. We gained nothing, and had to give ground,

but we succeeded in holding a semblance of order, so that the



cattle did not break and scatter far and wide. The sun had by

now well risen, and was beginning to shine hot. Brown Jug still



ran gamely and displayed as much interest as ever, but he was

evidently tiring. We were both glad to see Homer's grey showing



in the fringe of mesquite.

Together we soon succeeded in throwing the cows into the main



herd. And, strangely enough, as soon as they had joined a

compact band of their fellows, their wildness left them and,



convoyed by outsiders, they set themselves to plodding

energetically toward the home ranch.



As my horse was somewhat winded, I joined the "drag" at the rear.

Here by course of natural sifting soon accumulated all the lazy,



gentle, and sickly cows, and the small calves. The difficulty

now was to prevent them from lagging and dropping out. To that



end we indulged in a great variety of the picturesque cow-calls

peculiar to the cowboy. One found an old tin can which by the



aid of a few pebbles he converted into a very effective rattle.

The dust rose in clouds and eddied in the sun. We slouched



easily in our saddles. The cowboys compared notes as to the

brands they had seen. Our ponies shuffled along, resting, but



always ready for a dash in chase of an occasional bull calf or

yearling with independent ideas of its own.



Thus we passed over the country, down the long gentle slope to

the "sink" of the valley, whence another long gentle slope ran to



the base of the other ranges. At greater or lesser distances we

caught the dust, and made out dimly the masses of the other herds



collected by our companions, and by the party under Jed Parker.

They went forward toward the common centre, with a slow



ruminative movement, and the dust they raised went with them.

Little by little they grew plainer to us, and the home ranch,



hitherto merely a brown shimmer in the distance, began to take on

definition as the group of buildings, windmills,and corrals we



knew. Miniature horsemen could be seen galloping forward to the

open white plain where the herd would be held. Then the mesquite



enveloped us; and we knew little more, save the anxiety lest we

overlook laggards in the brush, until we came out on the edge of



that same white plain.

Here were more cattle, thousands of them, and billows of dust,



and a great bellowing, and slim, mounted figures riding and

shouting ahead of the herd. Soon they succeeded in turning the



leaders back. These threw into confusion those that followed.

In a few moments the cattle had stopped. A cordon of horsemen



sat at equal distances holding them in.




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