Weekend Sheep herders

The children walked up from the creek towards the shanty near the mine. Each carrying a water bucket, Jim heard Ma scolding the little ones ordering them out doors. It was hot. The water was heavy. Jim was concentrating on the weight but he noticed a movement ahead.
“Beverly, wait!” he shouted racing ahead. He threw his bucket hard. The bucket thunked on the rock as it smashed the small snake. “Baby rattle snake’” he said “keep an eye out where there is one there is often more.”
Beverly froze in looking at the little snake that was smashed on the rock nearby.
“It’s ok Bev. Let me go ahead of you.”
“Bud is helping the wranglers this weekend, he can’t go. They have to get those colts ready for the auction next week. Bernice is needed here to help with the children.” Dad said to the camp tender.
“We need three, an extra for the wool picking. These kids know enough about the sheep to do the job for a couple days. The boss was clear; there is no one else available.” He said.
“Jim will be ok and Beverly would probably do but that is all. I am not sure Bill is ready for a weekend on his own.” Da said absently.
“Billy will be just fine, won’t ya lad?” The camp tender said, “The boss will not be happy if we don’t have three. And which of the others will ya send for the picking?”
“Maxine could probably pick wool,” Pa said reluctantly.
“Alright, have them ready in the morning. It is a couple hours out for the picking and several more to the sheep camps we will be gone all day,” the tender said as he left.

As the wagon approached, the smell of the decaying carcases was evident and the wool visible. The price of wool was high and the boss was set on retrieving every bit of it. They were left to pick up every bit of the wool.
Beverly could hear Maxine and Bill bickering. Maxine, who at 4 had never been asked to pick up the wool from a dead sheep before, shrieked and complained constantly. Beverly knew the heat would have the wool squirming with maggots and could see the image plainly in her mind from the last time she had been chosen to do this task.
“Bev come help us,” Jim called out over the sage.
“I am getting the bits that have blown around. You know we have to get this too!” she said holding up a handful of wool she had picked from a sagebrush. Beverly bent down picking up a chunk off of the lower part of the bush and let his protests go over her head as she continued on. Soon Bill, Jim and Maxine joined her picking the stray bits of wool from the brush around the carnage. Soon there wasn’t much visible wool left to gather and they set their bags down waiting for the ranch hand to return to gather them up. They frollicked among the sage well away from the bags of wool and the carcasses but the smell lingered as they played at a game of tag. The wagon could be heard over the ridge and the children righted themselves to stand dutifully next to the bags. Soon the jangel of the harnesses and the rattle of the wagon came into view. They all stood waiting, sacks in hand.

“Just keep an ear out for the predators and bang the pans together to make noise and the buggers will just run off,” The young man said, “I’ll be back before you know it!”
As he sat next to the driver they began to chat about the gossip, sometimes speaking Spanish. Beverly watched as they left little Bill standing next to the sheep wagon holding the reins of a saddle horse with the herding dog sitting dutifully next to him. He stood stoically silent with tears streaming down his face and shook violently with his effort to contain his sobs. As they topped the ridge.. Beverly watched as he dissolved into racking sobs before they lost sight of the camp. She hated the men of the Barquin ranch, as the frequent beatings and constant degrading comments towards her were haunting. The sight of her little brother being abandoned at a sheep camp made her heart harden even more towards them. The hate boiled but she did not dare let it show.

Jim was older than Bill and had been left at these camps before. He was not as frightened as Bill but he was silent and didn’t say much. Although he didn’t cry she could tell he was afraid although he would not admit it. Jim headed towards the sheep on the hillside nearby.

They arrived at the camp where Beverly was to work for the weekend.They spent many days helping with the sheep, Beverly did not like being left out in the prairies away from the ranch with only a dog and a horse for company.
“Pearl is going to whelp soon. Don’t bother her if she does, she’s kinda protective” he said ending his instructions to her. As the wagon rattled back towards the ranch; all the sheepherders bound for fun in town, the three children were left in their places. Maxine peeked over the edge of the wagon as it topped the hill. Beverly hoped this time they would get some change for the job but was just happy to be away from the stench of the wool bags.
Beverly dozed and woke early in the morning. She set out to check the sheep. Beverly noticed a ewe looking down into a ravine; calling. Her cries echoed through the ravine. A very young lamb’s cry could be heard in return. Beverly rode up to where the ewe stood and looked down the gully where a very young lamb stood crying loudly. Scouting the terrain she found a place to climb down so she jumped off of the horse and tied her to the tallest sagebrush she could find. In depths of the dry crumbly wash she found the small lamb. It bleated shrilly as she carried it to a back down the wash. The mother could be heard above calling frantically to the frightened little lamb. Beverly found a good place in the ravine where she could reach up and safely place the lamb on the bank near its mother. The lamb swiftly ran after its mother to catch up to the herd just over the hill. As she prepared to climb out of the ravine she heard a muffled noise and she turned back to find it..

She discovered a litter of newly born puppies. The scent of the recent birth mixed with the deep earthy smell of the ravine was strong. The big white dog mothering the litter growled at Beverly. Beverly left her there to protect her babies and climbed back up to her horse in the hot July sun. She rode around the herd through the pungent sage, back to the wagon where she made herself some oatmeal with sugar.
The oats were warm and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to them. At 8 years old she had helped cook breakfast often; it made her wonder how the boys were doing out in the brush on their own; especially Bill.

Six year old Bill had managed to get past the racking sobs and rode out to check the herd. He galloped around the sage feeling the wind blow around him. Bill made himself a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. As the night fell he crawled into the wagon with the dog and curled up trembling with fear listening to the dark.
Bill had dozed off and was suddenly woken up by a muffled noise outside the wagon.The dog growled and Bill grabbed the large wood club he had found the day before, clutching it tightly. Remembering the instructions, he banged two pots together and screamed. Whatever was outside lumbered away and Bill curled up on the bed clutching the club with the dog at his feet and cried himself back to sleep.
In the morning Bill found bear tracks around the wagon. He studied the tracks thankful he had remained in the wagon. His fire was almost out so he added some dry wood. He had cold oatmeal with milk with a touch of sugar. He saddled the horse with a lot of effort. Finally he tied the horse to the wagon, made him step over until one side was against the wagon where it couldn’t step away and he was able to get the saddle on by climbing on the stool. Bill rode out to check the herd, afraid that the bear had eaten them. He was relieved to find them grazing peacefully along a nearby ridge. The herding dog jogged along by his side.
“Leave it,” Bill said to the dog as they sat watching the vast herd of sheep graze. He sat on his horse for sometime just watching the sheep graze when all of the sudden quick movement caught his eye on the ground. He looked and saw a lizard sitting on a rock looking at him. He jumped down from the horse Tying it up. When he got to the rock where the lizard had been, it was gone. He lifted the rock and the small lythe creature darted out and hid among a small sagebrush nearby. His little hand darted into the branches and grasped the lizard. He could see the hoof of a small animal that had been stripped away from its owner ahead. He got his club. Tucking the little lizard in his shirt pocket he snapped it. Moving closer to the bloody appendage he looked around for more clues. He picked up the leg and inspected it. The hoof still had the soft spongy protective coating that all newborn lambs had. He walked on carrying the club in one hand and the small fuzzy leg with the bloody stump in the other. He found another piece of the hide, and saw a set of coyote prints in the soft sandy soil; bending to inspect them he saw the remains of the lamb.Through the sagebrush ahead of him he stepped out to the sight of a mother coyote and her babies. Immediately the mother sounded a warning. Bill froze for just a minute but as the mother Coyote lunged at him he brought the club up blocking her from biting his face. She scratched his arm as she snarled and lunged again grabbing his sleeve. As he fell forward the lizard escaped his snapped pocket. He brought his club down hard on the coyote’s head ; she let go. He quickly scrambled away through the brush. Bill noticed a piling stone next to the ravine marking a steep slope to the west. He would remember that to tell the herder. He rode quickly towards the herd of sheep and noticed a young ewe with a new lamb that matched the one that the coyote had eaten. The rest of the herd seem to be contently grazing and Bill figured the coyote would be satisfied for a while at least.

Jim was at home on the prairie at 7 years old. He had been sent out to these sheep camps alot and loved the freedom that Bill didn’t yet understand. He enjoyed leisurely riding out to check the herd and weaving among the sage around them. Jim longed to be part of the sheep drive to thermopolis which would take several days.
As he watched the herd milling at the base of the bighorns he rode towards the mountains day dreaming of riding up the slopes of Mexican Pass into the cool mountain air.
As he approached camp the dog growled and froze. Immediately Jim was brought out of his daydream, he stopped his horse. His eyes caught sight of a snake. The rattle should have caught his attention before the growl of the dog, he would have to be more careful. The snake was about 100 yards from the wagon. Jim turned his horse away from the coiled snake and called the dog to him. He rode far wide of the danger reaching the camp wagon and tied the horse securely. He secured the dog in the wagon and grabbed the shovel.
Slowly Jim snuck to the rock where the snake was basking in the sun. Moving carefully he held his shovel raised ready to strike. The shovel came down with a thunk severing the diamond shaped head. Jim let out a whoop holding the shovel over his head and spinning in delight and triumph. He buried the venom filled head and carried the body back to the wagon. He would have roasted rattlesnake for dinner and he could stretch the skin to dry. The bony donut-like segments of the tail rattled as it banged against his leg while he walked. When he got back to the wagon he skinned the large snake with his pocket knife. When he got to the tail he counted 8 segments.
As the snake sizzled on the open flames Jim stretched the skin to dry. He found salt in the wagon, rubbed it into the skin and used a rock to pound nails into the skin. He used rocks to keep the edges from rolling up as it dried. The next morning the snake skin was still damp so he left it until he heard the jingle of the approaching wagon. He quickly gathered up his skin and got ready for the journey home.


The Camp Tenders wagon rolled up the following day to take them back to the ranch. They brought supplies to replenish the wagon stores and the herders were generous with their change. Each child had some to show. Beverly watched from the wagon when they rolled up to the camp where Bill stood holding the large club. When he told the tale the Camp tender and the herder laughed at him. But Bill drew the tracks that were still slightly visible in the soft dirt and Pointed to the stone Pillar to the south of the wagon intent on being heard. The two men looked at each other with wide eyes.
On the way back to the ranch Jim and Bill chattered wildly about their adventures. Jim was very proud of his snakeskin and eagerly showed off the large rattles. Beverly sat quietly listening and feeling the wagon bump and shift as it rolled over the sage towards the ranch. They showed each other their change and talked about the things they wanted to buy with it. The Mine was just to the north of the main ranch buildings and Beverly was thankful when the wagon came to a stop and all three children jumped down and raced for home.