登陆注册
5421300000032

第32章

Such good luck did not always follow, however. An occasional and exceedingly husky bull yearling declined to be upset in any such manner. He would catch himself on one foot, scramble vigorously, and end by struggling back to the upright. Then ten to one he made a dash to get away. In such case he was generally snubbed up short enough at the end of the rope; but once or twice he succeeded in running around a group absorbed in branding. You can imagine what happened next. The rope, attached at one end to a conscientious and immovable horse and at the other to a reckless and vigorous little bull, swept its taut and destroying way about mid-knee high across that group. The brander and marker, who were standing, promptly sat down hard; the bull-doggers, who were sitting, immediately turned several most capable somersaults; the other calf arose and inextricably entangled his rope with that of his accomplice. Hot irons, hot language, and dust filled the air.

Another method, and one requiring slightly more knack, is to grasp the animal's tail and throw it by a quick jerk across the pressure of the rope. This is productive of some fun if it fails.

By now the branding was in full swing. The three horses came and went phlegmatically. When the nooses fell, they turned and walked toward the fire as a matter of course. Rarely did the cast fail. Men ran to and fro busy and intent. Sometimes three or four calves were on the ground at once. Cries arose in a confusion: "Marker" "Hot iron!" "Tally one!" Dust eddied and dissipated. Behind all were clear sunlight and the organ roll of the cattle bellowing.

Toward the middle of the morning the bull-doggers began to get a little tired.

"No more necked calves," they announced. "Catch 'em by the hind legs, or bull-dog 'em yourself."And that went. Once in a while the rider, lazy, or careless, or bothered by the press of numbers, dragged up a victim caught by the neck. The bull-doggers flatly refused to have anything to do with it. An obvious way out would have been to flip off the loop and try again; but of course that would have amounted to a confession of wrong.

"You fellows drive me plumb weary," remarked the rider, slowly dismounting. "A little bit of a calf like that! What you all need is a nigger to cut up your food for you!"Then he would spit on his hands and go at it alone. If luck attended his first effort, his sarcasm was profound.

"There's yore little calf," said he. "Would you like to have me tote it to you, or do you reckon you could toddle this far with yore little old iron?"But if the calf gave much trouble, then all work ceased while the unfortunate puncher wrestled it down.

Toward noon the work slacked. Unbranded calves were scarce.

Sometimes the men rode here and there for a minute or so before their eyes fell on a pair of uncropped ears. Finally Homer rode over to the Cattleman and reported the branding finished. The latter counted the marks in his tally-book.

"One hundred and seventy-six," he announced.

The markers, squatted on their heels, told over the bits of ears they had saved. The total amounted to but an hundred and seventy-five. Everybody went to searching for the missing bit.

It was not forth-coming. Finally Wooden discovered it in his hip pocket.

"Felt her thar all the time," said he, "but thought it must shorely be a chaw of tobacco."This matter satisfactorily adjusted, the men all ran for their ponies. They had been doing a wrestler's heavy work all the morning, but did not seem to be tired. I saw once in some crank physical culture periodical that a cowboy's life was physically ill-balanced, like an oarsman's, in that it exercised only certain muscles of the body. The writer should be turned loose in a branding corral.

Through the wide gates the cattle were urged out to the open plain. There they were held for over an hour while the cows wandered about looking for their lost progeny. A cow knows her calf by scent and sound, not by sight. Therefore the noise was deafening, and the motion incessant.

Finally the last and most foolish cow found the last and most foolish calf. We turned the herd loose to hunt water and grass at its own pleasure, and went slowly back to chuck.

同类推荐
  • 晋真人语录

    晋真人语录

    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。
  • 佛说四谛经

    佛说四谛经

    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。
  • At the Sign of the Cat and Racket

    At the Sign of the Cat and Racket

    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。
  • 闺情

    闺情

    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。
  • 五君咏五首

    五君咏五首

    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
  • 丹阳真人直录

    丹阳真人直录

    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。
  • 你是最好的温暖

    你是最好的温暖

    这是一个关于青春的故事。帅气洒脱的许诺,温柔沉静的顾予,爱开玩笑的大葱,给予自己温暖的叶子,可爱的娜娜,爱笑的朝阳,满腹才情的夏晚,还有懂得各种明星八卦和言情小说的暮雪。青春里那些可爱的人啊,你们一直,都在我的心里。那些青春岁月里的陪伴,那些关于暗恋百转千回的心思,那些不期而遇的温暖,那些喜欢的人和事,我都想表现出来。并立志写一个温暖的,感动的,有些遗憾和惋惜,眼角含泪,但还是微笑着向前的故事。因为我们在内心,都渴望一份温暖吧。不论岁月漫长,时光久远,都会等。希望书中的苏璃会勇敢起来,遇见属于她的温暖。也希望读这本书的你们,收获温暖与幸福。
  • 鲁迅作品集(3)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    鲁迅作品集(3)(中国现代文学名家作品集)

    现在有谁经过西长安街一带的,总可以看见几个衣履破碎的穷苦孩子叫卖报纸。记得三四年前,在他们身上偶而还剩有制服模样的残余;再早,就更体面,简直是童子军的拟态。
  • 中国美学通史8(现代卷)

    中国美学通史8(现代卷)

    《中国美学通史(8现代卷)》是叶朗主持的教育部人文社科重大研究项目《中国美学通史》的第八卷即现代卷。主要是阐述传统美学面临西方文化冲击的应对与调适,从一个侧面印证了中国传统文化的张力。论述了东西方美学相互碰撞,对近代中国社会的影响及其各社会阶层对美学的审美要求。对当代美学的发展提供了宝贵的借鉴意义。
  • 喜爱新鲜空气的人:旅行笔记

    喜爱新鲜空气的人:旅行笔记

    读梭罗克斯的书即是开始一次内容丰富的旅行,有让人喜出望外的,有喜剧的,有盘根错节、纠缠不清的,有壮观惊人的。所有愉快的旅行都应该是这个样子的。
  • 练好口才的第一本书

    练好口才的第一本书

    好口才是训练出来的!中国金话筒金奖得主、著名口才培训师殷亚敏,根据自己三十多年的口才讲授经验以及万千学员的实战训练反馈,总结出了一整套具有中国特色、深受学员欢迎、易练习、见效快的口才训练方法,专治不敢讲话、不会讲话、不善讲话。
  • 哥哥的房陵

    哥哥的房陵

    晚上九点多,哥哥给我打电话,照例询问我的身体,然后闲聊,维系兄弟感情,最后他说:“我哪天失踪了,你回家看看我!”他失踪了,我回家看他,看得到他吗?我正想问他,就听到嘟嘟声;回拨过去,他关机了。话还没说完,他就关机了,这是怎么了?等了一会儿,我又拨过去,手机终于通了。他说在五金库房里面,信号不稳定,通话自动断的。我说:“你突然说失踪,出了什么大事吗?”他说:“人老话多,打胡乱说,莫放心上。”哥哥六十五岁,按照世界卫生组织的标准,正值青春的尾巴,不算特别老吧。
  • 失宠皇后

    失宠皇后

    情路曲折的大学生苏以乔机缘巧合之下穿越到一个陌生朝代,并发现自己成为备受冷落的皇后,处在皇权,相权,后权,以及后宫的各种矛盾之间,且看我们的以乔如何面对,气宇轩昂的皇上与英俊可靠的侍卫,是君臣,是朋友,还是情敌?俊朗如风的贵公子,张扬复杂的杀手,意气飞扬的谋士,刁蛮善良的公主,天真美丽的贵妃,妖魅的王爷,精彩人物轮番上场,为你带来无限精彩。情节虚构,切勿模仿。
  • 曼苏尔

    曼苏尔

    回族民间传说故事丰富多彩。但由于种种原因,开掘面世的极少。《曼苏尔》为回族爱情传说类民间故事专辑,一曲曲“花儿”袒露着回族青年爱的情愫,抒写着爱的圣洁与美丽,爱的不屈与忠贞……
  • 宠婚夜袭:萌妻买一赠二

    宠婚夜袭:萌妻买一赠二

    十八岁成人礼,她误打误撞闯入他的怀抱,成了C城最年轻权贵的暗夜礼物。事后,她逃之夭夭,他翻天寻找。.数年后,他把她逼到角落,优雅而霸气地低头:“言小姐,请问你的孩子怎么来的?”她呵呵哒:“充话费送的!”他眸色一沉:“很好!!”.言毕,猜拳,抽奖,充话费,再送一次小奶包!