The Chisholm Trail by Sam P. Ridings

Author:Sam P. Ridings
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781632207685
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2014-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

THE ROUND-UP From original painting by Frances (Cheney) Bali. Painted after observing and studying the operation of a round-up. Owned by and kept in the Stock Exchange Bank of Caldwell, Kansas.

CHAPTER XX.

A DAY ON THE ROUND-UP

During the old cattle days in the Southwest the happenings hereinafter set out were usual occurrences in a day’s work on the round-up, and for those who do not know of the process used in the same the following will be of interest.

During the winter season, and especially during driving storms, even at the times when the cattle ranges in the Outlet were securely fenced, many cattle escaped from their home range and became mixed with other brands. It was actually remarkable the number of these strays that would be found and the distance that some of them would travel. In all countries where cattle were kept in such numbers that the owners could not know each individual animal and would not know when one was missing, it was necessary to have a round-up each spring in order to gather in the strays. This work was done in the early summer, before the calves born in the spring were weaned and separated from their mothers. The round-ups in the Cherokee Outlet were held in the springtime, as soon as the grass was advanced far enough so that the cattle would be in good condition, usually in May or early June.

The round-up would eventually cover the entire Outlet. It would not, during the entire progress of the same, include the same outfits, as some would drop out, for the reason that the round-up had gotten so far from their range that no strays had gone that far from their home pastures. Others from ranges in the new district would then take their place, and thus it would continue over the entire cattle country.

The time referred to in this article is the latter part of May in the middle eighties. The location of the camp of the preceding evening was on a branch of the Eagle Chief Creek, north of the Cimarron River, on the T5 range. On the following day the round-up was scheduled to move eastward onto the —BQ (barBQ) range. The scene opens just before daylight, and before the world in that vicinity awoke to activity.

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