There has been much drinking of aguardiente (brandy) and
everybody by this time is pretty reckless. Then they drive this
selected band to the home corral, the vaqueros yelling, the cattle
"calling," and the reatas whizzing and whistling through the air. If
any unfortunate tries to escape his fate he is pursued, "lass'd," and
brought back. By this time the cattle are pretty well heated and
angry, and when they get into the crowded corral they horn each other
and try to gore the horses. A fire is then built in one corner of
the corral and the branding-irons are heated.'
'Oh! hold my hand, Polly, if the branding is going to begin, I hate
it so,' exclaimed Elsie.
'I won't say much about it, but it's no worse than a thousand things
that people have to bear every year of their lives. Animals never
have to have teeth filled, for instance, nor limbs amputated--'
'Oh, just think of a calf with a wooden leg, or a cow with false
teeth! Wouldn't it be funny?' laughed Bell.
'They don't have a thousand ills that human flesh is heir to, so they
must be thankful they get off so easy. Well! the branding-irons are
heated, as I say--each cattle-owner having his special brand, which
is properly recorded, and which may be any device not previously
used. Two men now catch the calves; one lassoing them by the head,
the other by the legs. A third man takes the iron from the fire and
brands the chosen letter or hieroglyphic on the animal's hind
quarter.
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