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。
  〃Pretty　good　haul；〃　said　the　man　next　to　me；　〃a　good　five
  thousand　head。〃
  CHAPTER　SIX
  CUTTING　OUT
  It　was　somewhere　near　noon　by　the　time　we　had　bunched　and　held
  the　herd　of　some　four　or　five　thousand　head　in　the　smooth；　wide
  flat；　free　from　bushes　and　dog　holes。　　Each　sat　at　ease　on　his
  horse　facing　the　cattle；　watching　lazily　the　clouds　of　dust　and
  the　shifting　beasts；　but　ready　at　any　instant　to　turn　back　the
  restless　or　independent　individuals　that　might　break　for　liberty。
  Out　of　the　haze　came　Homer；　the　round…up　captain；　on　an　easy
  lope。　　As　he　passed　successively　the　sentries　he　delivered　to
  each　a　low　command；　but　without　slacking　pace。　　Some　of　those
  spoken　to　wheeled　their　horses　and　rode　away。　　The　others　settled
  themselves　in　their　saddles　and　began　to　roll　cigarettes。
  〃Change　horses；　get　something　to　eat；〃　said　he　to　me；　so　I　swung
  after　　the　file　traveling　at　a　canter　over　the　low　swells　beyond
  the　plain。
  The　remuda　had　been　driven　by　its　leaders　to　a　corner　of　the
  pasture's　wire　fence；　and　there　held。　　As　each　man　arrived　he
  dismounted；　threw　off　his　saddle；　and　turned　his　animal　loose。
  Then　he　flipped　a　loop　in　his　rope　and　disappeared　in　the　eddying
  herd。　　The　discarded　horse；　with　many　grunts；　indulged　in　a
  satisfying　roll；　shook　himself　vigorously；　and　walked　slowly
  away。　　His　labour　was　over　for　the　day；　and　he　knew　it；　and　took
  not　the　slightest　trouble　to　get　out　of　the　way　of　the　men　with
  the　swinging　ropes。
  Not　so　the　fresh　horses；　however。　　They　had　no　intention　of　being
  caught；　if　they　could　help　it；　but　dodged　and　twisted；　hid　and
  doubled　behind　the　moving　screen　of　their　friends。　　The　latter；
  seeming　as　usual　to　know　they　were　not　wanted；　made　no　effort　to
  avoid　the　men；　which　probably　accounted　in　great　measure　for　the
  fact　that　the　herd　as　a　body　remained　compact；　in　spite　of　the
  cowboys　threading　it；　and　in　spite　of　the　lack　of　an　enclosure。
  Our　horses　caught；　we　saddled　as　hastily　as　possible；　and　then　at
  the　top　speed　of　our　fresh　and　eager　ponies　we　swept　down　on　the
  chuck　wagon。　　There　we　fell　off　our　saddles　and　descended　on　the
  meat　and　bread　like　ravenous　locusts　on　a　cornfield。　　The　ponies
  stood　where　we　left　them；　〃tied　to　the　ground〃；　the
  cattle…country　fashion。
  As　soon　as　a　man　had　stoked　up　for　the　afternoon　he　rode　away。
  Some　finished　before　others；　so　across　the　plain　formed　an
  endless　procession　of　men　returning　to　the　herd；　and　of　those
  whom　they　replaced　coming　for　their　turn　at　the　grub。
  We　found　the　herd　quiet。　　Some　were　even　lying　down；　chewing
  their　cuds　as　peacefully　as　any　barnyard　cows。　Most；　however；
  stood　ruminative；　or　walked　slowly　to　and　fro　in　the　confines
  allotted　by　the　horsemen；　so　that　the　herd　looked　from　a　distance
  like　a　brown　carpet　whose　pattern　was　constantly　changinga
  dusty　brown　carpet　in　the　process　of　being　beaten。　　I　relieved
  one　of　the　watchers；　and　settled　myself　for　a　wait。
  At　this　close　inspection　the　different　sorts　of　cattle　showed
  more　distinctly　their　characteristics。　　The　cows　and　calves
  generally　rested　peacefully　enough；　the　calf　often　lying　down
  while　the　mother　stood　guard　over　it。　　Steers；　however；　were　more
  restless。　　They　walked　ceaselessly；　threading　their　way　in　and
  out　among　the　standing　cattle；　pausing　in　brutish　amazement　at
  the　edge　of　the　herd；　and　turning　back　immediately　to　endless
  journeyings。　　The　bulls；　excited　by　so　much　company　forced　on
  their　accustomed　solitary　habit；　roared　defiance　at　each　other
  until　the　air　fairly　trembled。　　Occasionally　two　would　clash
  foreheads。　　Then　the　powerful　animals　would　push　and　wrestle；
  trying　for　a　chance　to　gore。　　The　decision　of　supremacy　was　a
  question　of　but　a　few　minutes；　and　a　bloody　topknot　the　worst
  damage。　　The　defeated　one　side…stepped　hastily　and　clumsily　out
  of　reach；　and　then　walked　away。
  Most　of　the　time　all　we　had　to　do　was　to　sit　our　horses　and　watch
  these　things；　to　enjoy　the　warm　bath　of　the　Arizona　sun；　and　to
  converse　with　our　next　neighbours。　　Once　in　a　while　some
  enterprising　cow；　observing　the　opening　between　the　men；　would
  start　to　walk　out。　　Others　would　fall　in　behind　her　until　the
  movement　would　become　general。　　Then　one　of　us　would　swing　his
  leg　off　the　pommel　and　jog　his　pony　over　to　head　them　off。　　They
  would　return　peacefully　enough。
  But　one　black　muley　cow；　with　a　calf　as　black　and　muley　as
  herself；　was　more　persistent。　　Time　after　time；　with　infinite
  patience；　she　tried　it　again　the　moment　my　back　was　turned。　　I
  tried　driving　her　far　into　the　herd。　　No　use；　she　always
  returned。　　Quirtings　and　stones　had　no　effect　on　her　mild　and
  steady　persistence。
  〃She's　a　San　Simon　cow；〃　drawled　my　neighbour。　　〃Everybody　knows
  her。　　She's　at　every　round…up；　just　naturally　raisin'　hell。〃
  When　the　last　man　had　returned　from　chuck；　Homer　made　the
  dispositions　for　the　cut。　　There　were　present　probably　thirty　men
  from　the　home　ranches　round　about；　and　twenty　representing　owners
  at　a　distance；　here　to　pick　up　the　strays　inevitable　to　the
  season's　drift。　　The　round…up　captain　appointed　two　men　to　hold
  the　cow…and…calf　cut；　and　two　more　to　hold　the　steer　cut。
  Several　of　us　rode　into　the　herd；　while　the　remainder　retained
  their　positions　as　sentinels　to　hold　the　main　body　of　cattle　in
  shape。
  Little　G　and　I　rode　slowly　among　the　cattle　looking　everywhere。
  The　animals　moved　sluggishly　aside　to　give　us　passage；　and　closed
  in　as　sluggishly　behind　us；　so　that　we　were　always　closely　hemmed
  in　wherever　we　went。　　Over　the　shifting　sleek　backs；　through　the
  eddying　clouds　of　dust；　I　could　make　out　the　figures　of　my
  companions　moving　slowly；　apparently　aimlessly；　here　and　there。
  Our　task　for　the　moment　was　to　search　out　the　unbranded　J　H
  calves。　　Since　in　ranks　so　closely　crowded　it　would　be　physically
  impossible　actually　to　see　an　animal's　branded　flank；　we　depended
  entirely　on　the　ear…marks。
  Did　you　ever　notice　how　any　animal；　tame　or　wild；　always　points
  his　ears　inquiringly　in　the　direction　of　whatever　interests　or
  alarms　him？　　Those　ears　are　for　the　moment　his　most　prominent
  feature。　　So　when　a　brand　is　quite　indistinguishable　because；　as
  now；　of　press　of　numbers；　or；　as　in　winter；　from　extreme　length
  of　hair；　the　cropped　ears　tell　plainly　the　tale　of　ownership。　　As
  every　animal　is　so　marked　when　branded；　it　follows　that　an　uncut
  pair　of　ears　means　that　its　owner　has　never　felt　the　iron。
  So；　now　we　had　to　look　first　of　all　for　calves　with　　uncut　ears。
  After　discovering　one；　we　had　to　ascertain　his　ownership　by
  examining　the　ear…marks　of　his　mother；　by　whose　side　he　was　sure；
  in　this　alarming　multitude；　to　be　clinging　faithfully。
  Calves　were　numerous；　and　J　H　cows　everywhere　to　be　seen；　so　in
  somewhat　less　than　ten　seconds　I　had　my　eye　on　a　mother　and　son。
  Immediately　I　turned　Little　G　in　their　direction。　　At　the　slap　of
  my　quirt　against　the　stirrup；　all　the　cows　immediately　about　me
  shrank　suspiciously　aside。　　Little　G　stepped　forward　daintily；
  his　nostrils　expanding；　his　ears　working　back　and　forth；　trying
  to　the　best　of　his　ability　to　understand　which　animals　I　had
  selected。　　The　cow　and　her　calf　turned　in　toward　the　centre　of
  the　herd。　　A　touch　of　the　reins　guided　the　pony。　　At　once　he
  comprehended。　　From　that　time　on　he　needed　no　further　directions。
  Cautiously；　patiently；　with　great　skill；　he　forced　the　cow
  through　the　press　toward　the　edge　of　the　herd。　　It　had　to　be　done
  very　quietly；　at　a　foot　pace；　so　as　to　alarm　neither　the　objects
  of　pursuit　nor　those　surrounding　them。　　When　the　cow　turned　back；
  Little　G　somehow　happened　always　in　her　way。　　Before　she　knew　it
  she　was　at　the　outer　edge　of　the　herd。　　There　she　found　herself；
  with　a　group　of　three　or　four　companions；　facing　the　open　plain。
  Instinctively　she　sought　shelter。　　I　felt　Little　G's　muscles
  tighten　beneath　me。　　The　moment　for　action　had　come。　　Before　the
  cow　had　a　chance　to　dodge　among　her　companions　the　pony　was　upon
  her　like　a　thunderbolt。　　She　broke　in　alarm；　trying　desperately
  to　avoid　the　rush。　　There　ensued　an　exciting　contest　of　dodgings；
  turnings；and　doublings。　　Wherever　she　turned　Little　G　was　before
  her。　　Some　of　his　evolutions　were　marvellous。　　All　I　had　to　do
  was　to　sit　my　saddle；　and　apply　just　that　final　touch　of　judgment