y muddy;
when not they are very shallow, and the water is usually alkaline and
undrinkable, as well as quite useless for bathing purposes.

Cow-ponies generally have sound feet and durable hoofs, but in very
sandy countries the hoofs will spread out in a most astonishing way and
need constant trimming.

In droughty countries like Arizona and New Mexico we were frequently
reduced to serious straits to find decent drinking-water. On many
occasions I have drunk, and drunk with relief and satisfaction, such
filthy, slimy, greenish-looking stuff as would disgust a frog and give
the _Lancet_ a fit, though that discriminating journal would probably
call it soup. Sometimes even water, and I well remember the places, that
was absolutely a struggling mass of small red creatures that yet really
tasted not at all badly. Anyway it was better than the green slime.
Thirst is a sensation that must be satisfied at any cost. Once when
travelling in the South Arizona country, we being all strung out in
Indian file, over a dozen of us, the lead man came on a most
enticing-looking pool of pure water. Of course he at once jumped off,
took a hearty draught, spat it out and probably made a face, but saying
nothing rode quietly on. The next man did the same, and so it went on
till our predecessors had each and all the satisfaction of knowing that
he was not the only man fooled. The water was so hot, though showing no
sign of it, that it was quite undrinkable--a very hot spring.

In the alkali district on the Pecos River the dust raised at a round-up
is so dense that the herd cannot even be seen at 200 yards distance.
This dust is most irritating to the eyes; and many of the men, including
myself, were sometimes so badly affected that they had to stop work for
weeks at a time.

In circuses and Wild-West shows one frequently sees cowgirls on the
bill. Of course, on actual work on the range there is no such thing as a
cowgirl. At least I never saw one.

CHAPTER VII

ON MY OWN RANCH

Locating--Plans--Prairie Fires and
Guards--Bulls--Trading--Successful Methods--Loco-weed--Sale of
Ranch.

A year before selling out the Company's cattle I had started a small
ranch for myself. Seeing that it was quite hopeless to run cattle
profitably on the open-range system, and having longing eyes on a
certain part of the plains which was covered with very fine grass and
already fenced on one side by the Texas line--knowing also qui