登陆注册
5421300000024

第24章

Well, the cow and I ran nearly side by side for as much as half a mile at top speed. She declined to be headed. Finally she fell down and was so entirely winded that she could not get up.

"Now, old girl, I've got you!" said I, and set myself to urging her to her feet.

The pony acted somewhat astonished, and suspicious of the job.

Therein he knew a lot more than I did. But I insisted, and, like a good pony, he obeyed. I yelled at the cow, and slapped my bat, and used my quirt. When she had quite recovered her wind, she got slowly to her feet--and charged me in a most determined manner.

Now, a bull, or a steer, is not difficult to dodge. He lowers his head, shuts his eyes, and comes in on one straight rush. But a cow looks to see what she is doing; her eyes are open every minute, and it overjoys her to take a side hook at you even when you succeed in eluding her direct charge.

The pony I was riding did his best, but even then could not avoid a sharp prod that would have ripped him up had not my leather bastos intervened. Then we retired to a distance in order to plan further; but we did not succeed in inducing that cow to revise her ideas, so at last we left her. When, in some chagrin, I mentioned to the round-up captain the fact that I had skipped one animal, he merely laughed.

"Why, kid," said he, "you can't do nothin' with a cow that gets on the prod that away 'thout you ropes her; and what could you do with her out there if you DID rope her?"So I learned one thing more about cows.

After the steer cut had been finished, the men representing the neighbouring ranges looked through the herd for strays of their brands. These were thrown into the stray-herd, which had been brought up from the bottom lands to receive the new accessions.

Work was pushed rapidly, as the afternoon was nearly gone.

In fact, so absorbed were we that until it was almost upon us we did not notice a heavy thunder-shower that arose in the region of the Dragoon Mountains, and swept rapidly across the zenith.

Before we knew it the rain had begun. In ten seconds it had increased to a deluge, and in twenty we were all to leeward of the herd striving desperately to stop the drift of the cattle down wind.

We did everything in our power to stop them, but in vain.

Slickers waved, quirts slapped against leather, six-shooters flashed, but still the cattle, heads lowered, advanced with slow and sullen persistence that would not be stemmed. If we held our ground, they divided around us. Step by step we were forced to give way--the thin line of nervously plunging horses sprayed before the dense mass of the cattle.

"No, they won't stampede," shouted Charley to my question.

"There's cows and calves in them. If they was just steers or grown critters, they might."The sensations of those few moments were very vivid--the blinding beat of the storm in my face, the unbroken front of horned heads bearing down on me, resistless as fate, the long slant of rain with the sun shining in the distance beyond it.

Abruptly the downpour ceased. We shook our hats free of water, and drove the herd back to the cutting grounds again.

同类推荐
  • The Historyof John Bull

    The Historyof John Bull

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 评诗格

    评诗格

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄帝阴符经注

    黄帝阴符经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Well at the World's End

    The Well at the World's End

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 吴船录

    吴船录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 失忆

    失忆

    莫名在感到已经死去时才觉得自己正在活过来。梦魇中的自己是一条泥涂间的鱼,在垂死中竭尽全力地蠕动着,体内分泌浓腥如薄膜的黏液而使呼吸不至窒息。而当噏动的唇齿吞咽不下那不尽的黑色绝望时,潮湿的眼在幽邃的暗夜里如第一次也如最后一次睁开了,不知道此刻是再生之际还是弥留之时,正如不知此身是初萌婴儿还是垂亡老者。昨日是印象,明日是想象,今日只是绪乱的意象;昨天是回忆,今天是记忆,明天仍是空照的往忆。他只愿自己是一尾逆流溯源的鲤鱼,不去跳什么龙门,只是洄游向自己内心深处……,而此时,只有想到水,才觉得一阵清凉。
  • 神级孵化

    神级孵化

    自从接收了来自星空深处的一枚彩蛋,张明轩不可避免地在牛比的道路上越走越远。只要许愿的功夫深,彩蛋就能孵化出他想要的任何东西。于是,畅销作家、科技巨子、行业领袖、超级偶像、武道宗师,无数的头衔砸到了他头上,他引领了时代风潮!可是张明轩总是心累,高级货孵化得太多,他总是得想办法消化掉。
  • 马克思主义箴言:资本来到人间·一切人反对一切人的战争

    马克思主义箴言:资本来到人间·一切人反对一切人的战争

    《马克思主义箴言·资本来到人间:一切反对一切人的战争》分为机器猛于虎、不敢生病、大踏步地走向不可避免的危机三部分,具体内容包括机器PK工人、机器一改进, 工资就降低、巨无霸等。
  • 血色剑客

    血色剑客

    有人的地方,就有江湖。王肆魂穿异界,用血泪书写传奇故事。
  • 全后汉文

    全后汉文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 魅王爆宠:逆天小医妃

    魅王爆宠:逆天小医妃

    她是阮家臭名昭著的废物,人人厌恶,唯独权倾朝野的逸王殿下对她誓死纠缠,倾心相待。殊不知世人眼拙,废物实为逆天神医!他是她的夫,欺他就是辱她,害他就是伤她,人若辱她、伤她,她必除之后快!龙有逆鳞,狼有暗刺,她就是他的命,谁要是动了他的命,他定灭其满门,诛其九族!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 近峰纪略

    近峰纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 虎门销烟

    虎门销烟

    李玉敏编著的《虎门销烟》为丛书之一,介绍了虎门销烟的有关内容。 《虎门销烟》中优美生动的文字、简明通俗的语言、图文并茂的形式,把中国文化中的物态文化、制度文化、行为文化、精神文化等知识要点全面展示给读者。点点滴滴的文化知识仿佛颗颗繁星,组成了灿烂辉煌的中国文化的天穹。能为弘扬中华五千年优秀传统文化、增强各民族团结、构建社会主义和谐社会尽一份绵薄之力。
  • 名家教子书:母亲的榜样(中国篇)

    名家教子书:母亲的榜样(中国篇)

    本书让您迅速了解大师教育智慧的核心内容,从而能够轻而易举地亲近和理解世界教育大师的智慧,感受世界经典教育方法的巨大魅力。对于那些渴望获得成功的教子经验的中国父亲和母亲来说,本书是一部有很大参考价值的家庭教育读本,甚至可以说是一套权威而完善的教育宝典。汲取榜样母亲科学的教育理念,成就优秀孩子辉煌的发展轨迹。本书介绍了近现代中外36位成功母亲的教子经验,这些“榜样母亲”的教子经验包含了丰富而深刻的教育哲理,在中外家庭教育的历史上有着广泛的影响,意义深远,而且她们的教育智慧在今天的实践中依然不断地被运用。
  • 小事物语(读者精品)

    小事物语(读者精品)

    我从乡下跑到京城里,一转眼已经六年了。其间耳闻目睹的所谓回家人事,算起来也很不少;但在我心里,都不留什么痕迹,倘要我寻出这些事的影响来说,便只是增长了我的坏脾气,老实说,便是教我一天比一天的看不起人。