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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1885)
THE WEST SHORE. 139 A SHEEP HERDER'S LIFE. ON a summer'H evening a few years ago, in the wild country known as the " frontier," a youth of seven teen wr8 wearily wending his way homeward after a long day of herding aheop on the prairies. He presented a decidedly forlorn appearance. Two years before, when at home in New England, he was accustomed to call him self a "gentleman." But now we see only a sunburnt face, very much begrimed with dust and perspiration, and a lean, bent figure, clad in a faded blue flannel shirt, coarse brown canvas trousers so stained and discolored by grease and dirt as to be almost black clumsy, ill fitting shoes, much the worse for wear, and an old felt hat that only by great exercise of imagination could one fancy had ever been white. Stretching out in front of him is the flock some fifteen hundred in number of all sixes and ages, from the long-legged wethers at the head to the aggravating little two-month-old liunlm loitering behind, which give endless trouble to the inexperienced, by their absurd practice of pretending to Ik too tirod to move another step, until in desperation the herder leaves them to the tender mercies of wolf and mountain lion (puma), upon which, after one or two pettish "baas," they rejoin the flock. Our friend, however, is much too old a hand to take the least notice of these small mem bers of his flock. He strolls languidly along, tired and thirsty, after his fifteen hours' tramp under a burning sun, with nothing to eat since breakfast at 4:30 A. M. and nothing to drink since two in the afternoon, and it is now nearly eight Not that he thinks of complaining of that it is the custom of the country; and aa the same thing has occurred every day for the last two months he is used to it by this time or ought to be. Something does nevertheless trouble his mind, and aa this lonely life begets the curious habit of audible soliloquy, we can gather the substance of his grievance from the following ejaculations: "Well, I guess the dug-out (herder's hut) ought to be finished to-day; if so, I shall be sent into camp to morrow. What a blessing that will bo! it does one good to think of it No more chores when you come in at night dead taut cutting wood, drawing water and wash ing up the dishes, till your back nearly breaks, and it is half-past ten o'clock before you can go to bed. And then, if the sheep are not out before sun-up the next morning that is to say, half-past four isn't there a pretty row? " In camp; ah! let's see; to begin with, I shan't have a single chore worth mentioning, for the water is clime to the cabin, plenty of driftwood handy only to be picked up and not a ml to cook or do for but myself. Won't it bo fine? You lx-t your life it will! " With these comforting reflections and hoes for future happiness, our lierdor whistles briskly to the sheep, and goes home to his supper and inevitable "chorea" with a lighter heart than he had done for many a long dny. - Aa this is simply a sketch of the life in camp antici pated with so much glee, we will pass over the events of the next twenty-four hours, merely saying that our friend's hopes were fulfilled; ami we will rejoin him the following day as he is escorting his sheep homeward again this time to " camp." Before, however, his e jwrWc' therein are related, perhaps it will give my readers a better idea of the life if I describe first of all his surroundings. To begin with, the camp is utterly isolated from the rest of mankind The " home ranch," thirty miles to the eastward, is the only habitation within reach. North, south and west stretch the rolling prairies, broken only by the mentis (tablelands), the rocky sides of which give shelter to tlio wolves, bears and pumas that are still to 1k found in the wilder parts of the Western Territories. The camp itself is what is called a "dug-out" that is, a Binall hut, partly built atmvo ground, with logs ohinked with mud, and partly dug out of a hill, which was from fifty to one hundred feet in height, supxscd by the settlers to have been raised by Indians or Mexicana to indicate the presence of water. This " dug-out " is six foot square in sixe, with a flat board roof covered with earth, piled thickly in the centre, and thinned down tow ard the edges to allow the water to run off. At one cor ner of the roof a hole had been made, through which an old stove-pi )e was pushed, and called by oourtesy a chimney. Underneath this oontrivance was an open fire place; there waa no pretence of a grate of any tort; the draught must le kept up by a scientific arrangement of tho fuel, the learning to contrive which is more produc tive of profanity than anything olso I know, but is almo- lutely necessary in camp. The furniture of this mansion oonsists of a three, legged stool originally intended for milking purposea ami two blankets. The first a large doublo one, standing for bedstead, mattress and sheets, and tho second a single one, which answers for the countorpano, Tho pillow ia composed of the sleejmr's ooat, vest and if the night ia very warm and tho sheep are quiet-trousers. Peeping from nnder the pillow is a large revolver, tho herder's companion, philosopher and friend -never far from his hand by day or night In what sorry plight would tho Western man 1m without his beloved six-shooter! In that lonely life you may strip him of everything, may take even bis horse, but leave him his revolver. Next in order como the utensils. These are nine in number. 1. A shallow round tin dish, alsmt eighteen inches in diameter, used at different times for washing clothes, face, hands and dishes; also for kneading and making up tho bread. 2. A three-legged iron pot, called also-like the chimney, by courtesy a Imko-oven; therein tho bread is lxiked, coffee roasted and meat boiled. 3. A long-handled tin spoon. 4. A frying an. 5. A coffee pot 0. A tin plate. 7. Ditto cup. 8. A fork, which, by the by, has a detestable habit of eloping with tho spoon, and never being at hand when wanted, its duties being Informed by tf tho all-useful, indispensable "butcher knife," which oomplob our list The provision aro aa follows: A side of bacon, salted, not cured, a sack of flour, ditto of green coffee, a bag of black Mexican lieans, tin of tsxla (to 1 used instead of yeast), a barrel of mutton soaked iu brine (to Vary tho monotony of the bacon) and a few nijon.