changed mounts oftener than the Mexican riders, and the horses
they unsaddled for fresh ones were not so spent, so wet, so
covered with lather. It was only after an hour or more of
observation that Madeline began to realize the exceedingly
toilsome and dangerous work cowboys had to perform. There was
little or no rest for them. They were continually among wild and
vicious and wide-horned steers. In many instances they owed
their lives to their horses. The danger came mostly when the
cowboy leaped off to tie and brand a calf he had thrown. Some of
the cows charged with lowered, twisting horns. Time and again
Madeline's heart leaped to her throat for fear a man would be
gored. One cowboy roped a calf that bawled loudly. Its mother
dashed in and just missed the kneeling cowboy as he rolled over.
Then he had to run, and he could not run very fast. He was
bow-legged and appeared awkward. Madeline saw another cowboy
thrown and nearly run over by a plunging steer. His horse bolted
as if it intended to leave the range. Then close by Madeline a
big steer went down at the end of a lasso. The cowboy who had
thrown it nimbly jumped down, and at that moment his horse began
to rear and prance and suddenly to lower his head close to the
ground and kick high. He ran round in a circle, the fallen steer
on the taut lasso acting as a pivot. The cowboy loosed the rope
from the steer, and then was dragged about on the grass. It was
almost frightful for Madeline to see that cowboy go at his horse.
But she recognized the mastery and skill. Then two horses came
into collision on the run. One horse went down; the rider of the
other was unseated and was kicked before he could get up. This
fellow limped to his mount and struck at him, while the horse
showed his teeth in a vicious attempt to bite.