the passing of the frontier-第6章

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free　grass〃　and　a　new　market。　The　territorial　ranges　needed　many　thousands　of　cattle　for　their　stocking；　and　this　demand　took　a　large　part　of　the　Texas　drive　which　came　to　Abilene；　Great　Bend；　and　Fort　Dodge。　Moreover；　the　Government　was　now　feeding　thousands　of　its　new　red　wards；　and　these　Indians　needed　thousands　of　beeves　for　rations；　which　were　driven　from　the　southern　range　to　the　upper　army　posts　and　reservations。　Between　this　Government　demand　and　that　of　the　territorial　stock　ranges　there　was　occupation　for　the　men　who　made　the　saddle　their　home。

The　Long　Trail；　which　had　previously　found　the　black　corn　lands　of　Illinois　and　Missouri；　now　crowded　to　the　West；　until　it　had　reached　Utah　and　Nevada；　and　penetrated　every　open　park　and　mesa　and　valley　of　Colorado；　and　found　all　the　high　plains　of　Wyoming。　Cheyenne　and　Laramie　became　common　words　now；　and　drovers　spoke　as　wisely　of　the　dangers　of　the　Platte　as　a　year　before　they　had　mentioned　those　of　the　Red　River　or　the　Arkansas。　Nor　did　the　Trail　pause　in　its　irresistible　push　to　the　north　until　it　had　found　the　last　of　the　five　great　transcontinental　lines；　far　in　the　British　provinces。　Here　in　spite　of　a　long　season　of　ice　and　snow　the　uttermost　edges　of　the　great　herd　might　survive；　in　a　certain　percentage　at　least；　each　year　in　an　almost　unassisted　struggle　for　existence；　under　conditions　different　enough；　it　would　seem；　from　those　obtaining　at　the　opposite　extreme　of　the　wild　roadway　over　which　they　came。

The　Long　Trail　of　the　cattle…range　was　done！　By　magic　the　cattle　industry　had　spread　over　the　entire　West。　Today　many　men　think　of　that　industry　as　belonging　only　to　the　Southwest；　and　many　would　consider　that　it　was　transferred　to　the　North。　Really　it　was　not　transferred　but　extended；　and　the　trail　of　the　old　drive　marks　the　line　of　that　extension。

Today　the　Long　Trail　is　replaced　by　other　trails；　product　of　the　swift　development　of　the　West；　and　it　remains　as　the　connection；　now　for　the　most　part　historical　only；　between　two　phases　of　an　industry　which；　in　spite　of　differences　of　climate　and　condition；　retain　a　similarity　in　all　essential　features。　When　the　last　steer　of　the　first　herd　was　driven　into　the　corral　at　the　Ultima　Thule　of　the　range；　it　was　the　pony　of　the　American　cowboy　which　squatted　and　wheeled　under　the　spur　and　burst　down　the　straggling　street　of　the　little　frontier　town。　Before　that　time；　and　since　that　time；　it　was　and　has　been　the　same　pony　and　the　same　man　who　have　traveled　the　range；　guarding　and　guiding　the　wild　herds；　from　the　romantic　to　the　commonplace　days　of　the　West。



Chapter　IV。　The　Cowboy

The　Great　West；　vast　and　rude；　brought　forth　men　also　vast　and　rude。　We　pass　today　over　parts　of　that　matchless　region；　and　we　see　the　red　hills　and　ragged　mountain…fronts　cut　and　crushed　into　huge　indefinite　shapes；　to　which　even　a　small　imagination　may　give　a　human　or　more　than　human　form。　It　would　almost　seem　that　the　same　great　hand　which　chiseled　out　these　monumental　forms　had　also　laid　its　fingers　upon　the　people　of　this　region　and　fashioned　them　rude　and　ironlike；　in　harmony　with　the　stern　faces　set　about　them。

Of　all　the　babes　of　that　primeval　mother；　the　West；　the　cowboy　was　perhaps　her　dearest　because　he　was　her　last。　Some　of　her　children　lived　for　centuries；　this　one　for　not　a　triple　decade　before　he　began　to　be　old。　What　was　really　the　life　of　this　child　of　the　wild　region　of　America；　and　what　were　the　conditions　of　the　experience　that　bore　him；　can　never　be　fully　known　by　those　who　have　not　seen　the　West　with　wide　eyesfor　the　cowboy　was　simply　a　part　of　the　West。　He　who　does　not　understand　the　one　can　never　understand　the　other。

If　we　care　truly　to　see　the　cowboy　as　he　was　and　seek　to　give　our　wish　the　dignity　of　a　real　purpose；　we　should　study　him　in　connection　with　his　surroundings　and　in　relation　to　his　work。　Then　we　shall　see　him　not　as　a　curiosity　but　as　a　productnot　as　an　eccentric　driver　of　horned　cattle　but　as　a　man　suited　to　his　times。

Large　tracts　of　that　domain　where　once　the　cowboy　reigned　supreme　have　been　turned　into　farms　by　the　irrigator's　ditch　or　by　the　dry…farmer's　plan。　The　farmer　in　overalls　is　in　many　instances　his　own　stockman　today。　On　the　ranges　of　Arizona；　Wyoming；　and　Texas　and　parts　of　Nevada　we　may　find　the　cowboy；　it　is　true；　even　today：　but　he　is　no　longer　the　Homeric　figure　that　once　dominated　the　plains。　In　what　we　say　as　to　his　trade；　therefore；　or　his　fashion　in　the　practice　of　it；　we　speak　in　terms　of　thirty　or　forty　years　ago；　when　wire　was　unknown；　when　the　round…up　still　was　necessary；　and　the　cowboy's　life　was　indeed　that　of　the　open。

By　the　costume　we　may　often　know　the　man。　The　cowboy's　costume　was　harmonious　with　its　surroundings。　It　was　planned　upon　lines　of　such　stern　utility　as　to　leave　no　possible　thing　which　we　may　call　dispensable。　The　typical　cowboy　costume　could　hardly　be　said　to　contain　a　coat　and　waistcoat。　The　heavy　woolen　shirt；　loose　and　open　at　the　neck；　was　the　common　wear　at　all　seasons　of　the　year　excepting　winter；　and　one　has　often　seen　cowboys　in　the　winter…time　engaged　in　work　about　the　yard　or　corral　of　the　ranch　wearing　no　other　cover　for　the　upper　part　of　the　body　but　one　or　more　of　these　heavy　shirts。　If　the　cowboy　wore　a　coat　he　would　wear　it　open　and　loose　as　much　as　possible。　If　he　wore　a　〃vest〃　he　would　wear　it　slouchily；　hanging　open　or　partly　unbuttoned　most　of　the　time。　There　was　a　reason　for　this　slouchy　habit。　The　cowboy　would　say　that　the　vest　closely　buttoned　about　the　body　would　cause　perspiration；　so　that　the　wearer　would　quickly　chill　upon　ceasing　exercise。　If　the　wind　were　blowing　keenly　when　the　cowboy　dismounted　to　sit　upon　the　ground　for　dinner；　he　would　button　up　his　waistcoat　and　be　warm。　If　it　were　very　cold　he　would　button　up　his　coat　also。

The　cowboy's　boots　were　of　fine　leather　and　fitted　tightly；　with　light　narrow　soles；　extremely　small　and　high　heels。　Surely　a　more　irrational　foot…covering　never　was　invented；　yet　these　tight；　peaked　cowboy　boots　had　a　great　significance　and　may　indeed　be　called　the　insignia　of　a　calling。　There　was　no　prouder　soul　on　earth　than　the　cowboy。　He　was　proud　of　being　a　horseman　and　had　a　contempt　for　all　human　beings　who　walked。　On　foot　in　his　tight…toed　boots　he　was　lost；　but　he　wished　it　to　be　understood　that　he　never　was　on　foot。　If　we　rode　beside　him　and　watched　his　seat　in　the　big　cow　saddle　we　found　that　his　high　and　narrow　heels　prevented　the　slipping　forward　of　the　foot　in　the　stirrup；　into　which　he　jammed　his　feet　nearly　full　length。　If　there　was　a　fall；　the　cowboy's　foot　never　hung　in　the　stirrup。　In　the　corral　roping；　afoot；　his　heels　anchored　him。　So　he　found　his　little　boots　not　so　unserviceable　and　retained　them　as　a　matter　of　pride。　Boots　made　for　the　cowboy　trade　sometimes　had　fancy　tops　of　bright…colored　leather。　The　Lone　Star　of　Texas　was　not　infrequent　in　their　ornamentation。

The　curious　pride　of　the　horseman　extended　also　to　his　gloves。　The　cowboy　was　very　careful　in　the　selection　of　his　gloves。　They　were　made　of　the　finest　buckskin；　which　could　not　be　injured　by　wetting。　Generally　they　were　tanned　white　and　cut　with　a　deep　cuff　or　gauntlet　from　which　hung　a　little　fringe　to　flutter　in　the　wind　when　he　rode　at　full　speed　on　horseback。

The　cowboy's　hat　was　one　of　the　typical　and　striking　features　of　his　costumes。　It　was　a　heavy；　wide；　white　felt　hat　with　a　heavy　leather　band　buckled　about　it。　There　has　been　no　other　head　covering　devised　so　suitable　as　the　Stetson　for　the　uses　of　the　Plains；　although　high　and　heavy　black　hats　have　in　part　supplanted　it　today　among　stockmen。　The　boardlike　felt　was　practically　indestructible。　The　brim　flapped　a　little　and；　in　time；　was　turned　up　and　perhaps　held　fast　to　the　crown　by　a　thong。　The　wearer　might　sometimes　stiffen　the　brim　by　passing　a　thong　through　a　series　of　holes　pierced　through　the　outer　edge。　He　could　depend　upon　his　hat　in　all　weathers。　In　the　rain　it　was　an　umbrella；　in　the　sun　a　shield；　in　the　winter　he　could　tie　it　down　about　his　ears　with　his　handkerchief。

Loosely　thrown　about　the　cowboy's　shirt　collar　was　a　silk　kerchief。　It　was　tied　in　a　hard　knot　in　front；　and　though　it　could　scarcely　be　said　to　be　devoted　to