When, toward the middle of the week, Kelton's men--two bepistoled,
capable punchers--drove the cattle comprising the Lazy Y purchase into
the valley, Calumet immediately set to work to train the black to
observe the various niceties of the etiquette of cow-punching. He soon
learned, that when the rope whistled past his ears he was to watch its
progress, and if its loop encircled a neck or a leg he was to brace
himself for the inevitable shock. If the loop failed--which it rarely
did--he discovered that he was to note at which particular steer it had
been hurled, and was to follow that steer's progress, no matter where
it went, until the rope went true. He discovered that it was
imperative for him to stand without moving when his master trailed the
reins over his head; he early learned that the bit was a terrible
instrument of torture, and that it were better to answer to the
pressure of Calumet's knee than to be subjected to the pain it caused
him.
He was taught these things, and many more, while the work of rebranding
the Diamond K cattle went forward.
This work was no sinecure. Dade and Malcolm, and even Bob, assisted in
it--Malcolm and Bob attending to the heating of the branding irons
while Calumet roped the steers and dragged them to the fire where Dade
pressed the white-hot irons to their hips.
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