Charles A. Siringo

by Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony A Texas Cowboy or

  Everything had taken a change—even to the ranch. It had been moved down the river four miles to Mr. John Moore’s place. Mr. Moore had been appointed “big chief,” hence the ranch being moved to his place.

  About the middle of August we pulled out again with a fresh supply of horses, six to the man and a bran new boss, Mr. Wiley Kuykendall.

  Some of the boys hated to part with Mr. Nie, but I was glad of the change, for he wouldn’t allow me to rope large steers nor fight when I got on the war-path. I remember one time he gave me fits for laying a negro out with a four-year old club; and another time he laid me out with his open hand for trying to carve one of the boys up with a butcher knife.

  We commenced work about the first of September on “Big Sandy” in Lavaca county, a place noted for wild “brush” cattle. Very few people lived in that section, hence so many wild unbranded cattle.

  To illustrate the class of people who lived on Big Sandy, will relate a little picnic a negro and I had a few days after our arrival there.

  While herding a bunch of cattle, gathered the day before, on a small prairie, we noticed a footman emerge from the thick timber on the opposite side from where we were and make straight for a spotted pony that was “hobbled” and grazing out in the open space.

  He was indeed a rough looking customer, being half naked. He had nothing on his head but a thick mat of almost gray hair; and his feet and legs were bare.

  We concluded to “rope” him and take him to camp, so taking down our ropes and putting spurs to our tired horses we struck out.

  He saw us coming and only being about a hundred yards from the spotted pony, he ran to him and cutting the “hobbles,” which held his two front legs together, jumped aboard of him and was off in the direction he had just come, like a flash. The pony must have been well trained for he had nothing to guide him with.

  A four hundred yard race for dear life brought him to the “brush”—that is timber, thickly covered with an underbrush of live-oak “runners.” He shot out of sight like an arrow. He was not a minute too soon, for we were right at his heels.

  We gave up the chase after losing sight of him, for we couldn’t handle our ropes in the “brush.”

  The next day the camp was located close to the spot where he disappeared at, and several of us followed up his trail. We found him and his three grown daughters, his wife having died a short while before, occupying a little one room log shanty in a lonely spot about two miles from the little prairie in which we first saw him. The whole outfit were tough looking citizens. The girls had never seen a town, so they said. They had about two acres in cultivation and from that they made their living. Their nearest neighbor was a Mr. Penny, who lived ten miles west and the nearest town was Columbus, on the Colorado river, fifty miles east.

  As the cattle remained hidden out in the “brush” during the day-time, only venturing out on the small prairies at night, we had to do most of our work early in the morning, commencing an hour or two before daylight. As you might wish to know exactly how we did, will try and explain:—About two hours before daylight the cook would holloa “chuck,” and then Mr. Wiley would go around and yell “breakfast, boys; d—n you get up!” two or three times in our ears.

  Breakfast being over we would saddle up our ponies, which had been staked out the night before, and strike out for a certain prairie may be three or four miles off—that is all but two or three men, just enough to bring the herd, previously gathered, on as soon as it became light enough to see.

  Arriving at the edge of the prairie we would dismount and wait for daylight.

  At the first peep of day the cattle, which would be out in the prairie, quite a distance from the timber, would all turn their heads and commence grazing at a lively rate towards the nearest point of timber. Then we would ride around through the brush, so as not to be seen, until we got to the point of timber that they were steering for.

  When it became light enough to see good, we would ride out, rope in hand, to meet them and apt as not one of the old-timers, may be a fifteen or twenty-year old steer, which were continuously on the lookout, would spy us before we got twenty yards from the timber. Then the fun would begin—the whole bunch, may be a thousand head, would stampede and come right towards us. They never were known to run in the opposite direction from the nearest point of timber. But with cattle raised on the prairies, it’s the reverse, they will always leave the timber.

  After coming in contact, every man would rope and tie down one of the finest animals in the bunch. Once in awhile some fellow would get more beef than he could manage; under those circumstances he would have to worry along until some other fellow got through with his job and came to his rescue.

  If there was another prairie close by we would go to it and tie down a few more, but we would have to get there before sunup or they would all be in the brush. It was their habit to graze out into the little prairies at night-fall and go back to the brush by sunrise next morning.

  Finally the herd which we had gathered before and which was already “broke in,” would arrive from camp, where we had been night-herding them and then we would drive it around to each one of the tied-down animals, letting him up so he couldn’t help from running right into the herd, where he would generally stay contented. Once in awhile though, we would strike an old steer that couldn’t be made to stay in the herd. Just as soon as he was untied and let up he would go right through the herd and strike for the brush, fighting his way. Under those circumstances we would have to sew up their eyes with a needle and thread. That would bring them to their milk, as they couldn’t see the timber.

  I got into several scrapes on this trip, by being a new hand at the business. One time I was going at full speed and threw my rope onto a steer just as he got to the edge of the timber; I couldn’t stop my horse in time, therefore the steer went on one side of a tree and my horse on the other and the consequence was, my rope being tied hard and fast to the saddle-horn, we all landed up against the tree in a heap.

  At another time, on the same day, I roped a large animal and got my horse jerked over backwards on top of me and in the horse getting up he got me all wound up in the rope, so that I couldn’t free myself until relieved by “Jack” a negro man who was near at hand. I was certainly in a ticklish predicament that time; the pony was wild and there I hung fast to his side with my head down while the steer, which was still fastened to the rope, was making every effort to gore us.

  Just before Christmas Moore selected our outfit to do the shipping at Palacious Point,2 where a Morgan steamship landed twice a week to take on cattle for the New Orleans market.

  We used to ship about five hundred head at each shipping. After getting rid of one bunch we would strike right back, to meet one of the gathering outfits, after another herd. There were three different outfits to do the gathering for us.

  We kept that up all winter and had a tough time of it, too, as it happened to be an unusually cold and wet winter.

  Towards spring the cattle began to get terribly poor, so that during the cold nights while night-herding them a great many would get down in the mud and freeze to death. Have seen as high as fifty head of dead ones scattered over the ground where the herd had drifted during the night. It’s a pity if such nights as those didn’t try our nerves.

  Sometimes it would be twelve o’clock at night before we would get the cattle loaded aboard of the ship. But when we did get through we would surely have a picnic—filling up on Mr. Geo. Burkheart’s red eye. Mr. Burkheart kept a store at the “Point” well filled with Cow Boys delight—in fact he made a specialty of the stuff.

  Our camping ground was three miles from the Point, and some mornings the cook would get up and find several saddled horses standing around camp waiting for their corn—their riders having fallen by the wayside.

  CHAPTER IX.

  Owning my first cattle.

  WHEN SPRING OPENED, our outfit, under the leadership of Mr. Robert Partin, Mr. Wiley having quit, struck o
ut up the Colorado river in Whorton and Colorado counties to brand Mavricks.

  About the last of July we went to the “home” ranch, where Mr. Wiley was put in charge of us again. We were sent right out on another trip, west, to Jackson county.

  It was on this trip that I owned my first cattle. Mr. Wiley concluded it would look more business like if he would brand a few Mavricks for himself instead of branding them all for Allen, Pool & Co., so he began putting his own brand on all the finest looking ones. To keep us boys from giving him away, he gave us a nest egg apiece—that is a few head to draw to. My nest eggs were a couple of two-year olds, and my brand was A. T. connected—the T. on top of the A. Of course after that I always carried a piece of iron tied to my saddle so in case I got off on the prairie by myself I could brand a few Mavricks for myself, without Mr. Wiley being any the wiser of it. The way I would go about it would be to rope and tie down one of the long-eared fellows and after heating the straight piece of round, iron bolt, in the brush or “cow-chip” fire, “run” my brand on his hip or ribs. He was then my property.

  Everything ran along as smooth as if on greased wheels for about two months, when somehow or another, Mr. Moore, our big chief, heard of our little private racket and sent for us to come home.

  Mr. Wiley got the “G. B.” at once and a Mr. Logan was put in his place. Now this man Logan was a very good man but he was out of his latitude, he should have been a second mate on a Mississippi steamboat.

  I worked with Logan one trip, until we got back to the ranch and then I settled up for the first time since going to work, nearly two years before.

  An old irishman by the name of “Hunky-dorey” Brown kept the store and did the settling up with the men. When he settled with me he laid all the money, in silver dollars, that I had earned since commencing work, which amounted to a few hundred dollars, out on the counter and then after eyeing me awhile, said: “Allen, Pool & Co. owe you three hundred dollars,” or whatever the amount was, “and you owe Allen, Pool & Co. two hundred ninety-nine dollars and a quarter, which leaves you seventy-five cents.” He then raked all but six bits into the money drawer.

  To say that I felt mortified wouldn’t near express my feelings. I thought the whole pile was mine and therefore had been figuring on the many purchases that I intended making. My intentions were to buy a herd of ponies and go to speculating. I had a dozen or two ponics, that I knew were for sale, already picked out in my mind. But my fond expectations were soon trampled under foot. You see I had never kept an account, consequently never knew how I stood with the company.

  After pocketing my six bits, I mounted “Fannie” a little mare that I had bought not long before and struck out for W. B. Grimes’1 ranch, a few miles up the river. I succeeded in getting a job from the old gentleman at fifteen dollars per month.

  Mr. Grimes had a slaughter house on his ranch where he killed cattle for their hides and tallow—the meat he threw to the hogs. About two hundred head per day was an average killing. Did you ask kind reader, if those were all his own cattle that he butchered? If so, will have to say that I never tell tales out of school.

  After working around the ranch a short while Mr. Grimes gave me the job of taking care of his “stock horses,” that is mares, colts and horses that wern’t in use. There were about two hundred head of those and they were scattered in two hundred and fifty different places—over fifty square miles of territory and of course before I could take care of them I had to go to work and gather them up into one bunch.

  A little circumstance happened shortly after going to work at the “W. B. G.” ranch which I am going to relate.

  An old gentleman by the name of Kinchlow,2 who owned a large horse ranch up on the Colorado river in Whorton county, came down and told Mr. Grimes that his outfit was fixing to start on a horse “hunt” and for him to send a man along, as there were quite a number of “W. B. G.” horses in that country.

  As I had the job taking care of the horses, it fell to my lot to accompany the old gentleman, Mr. Kinchlow, to his ranch fifty miles distant.

  It was bright and early one morning when we pulled out; aiming to ride the fifty miles by ten o’clock that night. Mr. Kinchlow was mounted on “old Beauregard,” a large chestnut sorrel, while I rode a fiery little bay.

  Our journey was over a bald, wet prairie; night overtook us at the head of Blue creek, still twenty miles from our destination.

  A few minutes after crossing Blue creek, just about dusk, we ran across a large panther, which jumped up out of the tall grass in front of us. It was a savage looking beast and appeared to be on the war-path. After jumping to one side it just sat still, growling and showing its ugly teeth. I started to shoot it but Mr. Kinchlow begged me not to as it would frighten his horse, who was then almost beyond control, from seeing the panther.

  We rode on and a few minutes afterwards discovered the panther sneaking along after us through the tall grass. I begged Mr. Kinchlow to let me kill it, but he wouldn’t agree, as, he said, a pistol shot would cause old Beauregard to jump out of his hide.

  It finally became very dark; our guide was a certain bright little star. We had forgotten all about the panther as it had been over half an hour since we had seen it. The old man was relating an indian tale, which made my hair almost stand on end, as I imagined that I was right in the midst of a wild band of reds, when all at once old Beauregard gave a tremendous loud snort and dashed straight ahead at a break-neck speed. Mr. Kinchlow yelled “whoa,” every jump; finally his voice died out and I could hear nothing but the sound of his horse’s hoofs, and finally the sound of them too, died out.

  Of course I socked spurs to my pony and tried to keep up, for I imagined there were a thousand and one indians and panthers right at my heels.

  After running about a quarter of a mile I heard something like a faint, human groan, off to my right about fifty yards. I stopped and listened, but could not hear anything more, except now and then the lonely howl of a coyote off in the distance. I finally began to feel lonesome, so I put spurs to my pony again. But I hadn’t gone only a few jumps when I checked up and argued with myself thusly:—Now suppose that groan came from the lips of Mr. Kinchlow, who may-be fell from his horse and is badly hurt; then wouldn’t it be a shame to run off and leave him there to die when may be a little aid from me would save him?

  I finally spunked up and drawing my pistol started in the direction from whence came the groan. My idea in drawing the pistol was, for fear the panther, who I felt satisfied had been the cause of the whole trouble, might tackle me. Suffice it to say that I found the old gentleman stretched out on the ground apparently lifeless and that a half hour’s nursing brought him to. He finally after several trials, got so he could stand up, with my aid. I then helped him into my saddle, while I rode behind and held him on and we continued our journey both on one horse. He informed me after he came to his right senses, that old Beauregard had fallen and rolled over him.

  We landed at our destination about ten o’clock next morning; but the good old man only lived about two weeks afterwards. He died from the effects of the fall, so I heard.

  About Christmas I quit Mr. Grimes and went to work on my own hook, skinning “dead” cattle and adding to the nest egg Mr. Wiley gave me. I put my own brand on quite a number of Mavricks while taking care of Mr. Grimes’ horses, which began to make me feel like a young cattle king. The only trouble was they were scattered over too much wild territory and mixed up with so many other cattle. When a fellow branded a Mavrick in those days it was a question whether he would ever see or realize a nickel for it. For just think, one, or even a hundred head mixed up with over a million of cattle, and those million head scattered over a territory one hundred miles square and continually drifting around from one place to another.

  After leaving Daddy Grimes I made my home at Mr. Horace Yeamans‘, an old mexican war veteran, who lived five miles from Grimes’. His family consisted of two daughters and two sons, all grown but the youngest daughter,
Sally, who was only fourteen, and who I was casting sheeps eyes at. The old gentleman had brought his children up very pious, which was a glorious thing for me as, during the two years that I made my home there, I got broke of swearing—a dirty, mean habit which had fastened itself upon me, and which I thought was impossible to get rid of. I had become so that it was almost an impossibility for me to utter a sentence without using an oath to introduce it and another to end it. To show how the habit was fastened upon me: Mr. Parten, one of my former bosses, made me an offer of three dollars more wages, on the month, if I would quit cursing but I wouldn’t do it.

  Horace Yeamans, who was about my own age and I went into partnership in the skinning business. Cattle died by the thousands that winter, on account of the country being overstocked, therefore Horace and I had a regular picnic skinning, and branding Mavricks—only those that looked as if they might pull through the winter.

  To give you an idea how badly cattle died that winter will state that, at times, right after a sleet, a man could walk on dead animals for miles without stepping on the ground. This, of course, would be along the Bay shore, where they would pile up on top of one another, not being able to go further, on account of the water.

  About five miles east of Mr. Yeamans’ was a slough or creek called “Turtle bayou” which lay east and west a distance of several miles, and which I have seen bridged over with dead cattle, from one end to the other. You see the solid mass of half starved animals, in drifting ahead of a severe “Norther,” would undertake to cross the bayou, which was very boggy and consequently the weakest ones would form a bridge for the others to cross on.

  My share of the first hides we shipped to Indianola amounted to one hundred and fourteen dollars. You bet I felt rich. I never had so much money in all my life. I went at once and bought me a twenty-seven dollar saddle and sent mother twenty-five dollars. I had found out mother’s address, in Saint Louis, by one of my old Peninsula friends getting a letter from sister.