Page 299 of The Texas Sterling Collection
“We want them to go east toward the spring,” Joey motioned his arm to the right. “We’ll circle to our left and approach them from the west. They’ll see us and turn to start moving away.”
“Is that all?” Felix shrugged, thinking this herding business was not too tough after all.
Joey winked at Felix. “Cows do not always do what we want. They’ll tend to scatter. Of course, a few flat don’t want to go in the direction we want them to.”
Felix glanced back at Joey. “So they don’t follow the leader? We must get the entire herd to go where we want?”
“Yes. You’ll see when we start herding.” Joey gigged Lightning into a gallop. Felix did the same with Sparkle, keeping up with Joey. He never ran a horse before he came to the ranch. Now, he liked it, and Sparkle responded well to his hand. They circled to the left around the herd, then slowed as they approached the cattle. The cows nearest them began moving away, and the herd started moving in the right direction.
Joey raised his voice over the heavy hoofbeats and mooing. “The drive will be much easier once the cattle furthest from us start moving toward the spring.” He motioned forward with his arm. “Cattle tend to move in the direction the leaders go.”
“How do they know who is the leader and who is not?” Felix noticed the dust kicking up from the ambling, noisy herd.
“They don’t,” Joey said. “If you watch cows in a field, one will wander over to a greener spot, and soon there is a line…all following the first cow.”
Felix kept his eye on the cattle. “Cows are not very bright, are they?”
“No,” Joey chuckled. “But they make good steaks.”
Felix circled to the left, encouraging the cattle to stay together. Joey did the same to the right, keeping the herd moving forward. The dust and noise from the herd were more than Felix expected, and he rode over near Joey, coughing from the dust. “Dang…this herding business is dirty.”
“Told you,” Joey shouted, coughing on the dust. “Tie your bandanna around your face, covering your nose and mouth. That will help, and we can drop back a bit as long as the cattle keep moving forward.” He let Lightning amble forward as he let go of the reins to tie his bandanna.
Felix followed suit. Soon they were far enough behind the dust cloud being carried northward by the breeze, and they could breathe easier.
Felix spoke through the bandanna, “I always wondered about bandannas. Now we can breathe.”
“Keep an eye out for strays, Felix. Cows have a mind of their own. Not a very big mind, but it doesn’t take much to wander off.”
“Gotcha.” Felix spotted a straggler and rode up to encourage it to stay with the herd.
* * *
An hour later, they arrived at the spring. Some cattle slaked their thirst while others grazed on the green grass surrounding the watering hole.
Joey guided Felix toward one of the trees near the spring. “Let’s allow the horses to drink, then we’ll tether them to a tree and get in to wash off this dirt.” He led Lightning to the spring and dismounted as his horse slaked his thirst. “Watch out for cow pies,” Joey said.
“Cow pies?” At the spring, Felix dismounted from Sparkle. “Is that something Ma made us for lunch?”
Joey laughed out loud. “No. It’s poop from the cows. Don’t step in it.”
Felix checked around but didn’t see any. “Warn me if you see any in my path.”
The horses finished drinking, and Joey took their leads and tethered them to a tree.
Felix stripped off his clothes as fast as he could, shaking out the dust and hanging everything on a tree branch. He ran to the water and shoutedyaa-hoo.A splash followed. The cows raised their heads at the noise.
Felix shook the water from his hair after he emerged. Joey remembered the first day they came to this spring and how difficult it was to get Felix to relax enough to take off his clothes.
“You didn’t shed your clothes that fast the first time we were here.” Joey laughed as he tore off his clothes, shook out the dust, and hung them by Felix’s. He jumped into the spring, and the sound was blocked when his head went under. He poked his head out, shook the water from his hair, and wiped the droplets from his eyes.
“I was scared that day.” Felix rubbed the back of his neck and fingered his ears to clean them. “But now I like being naked with you, and I’m not scared anymore.” He ducked under the water again. When he emerged, he wiped his face.
Joey smiled. “I’m sure glad. I like being naked with you, too.”
Felix moved over to where Joey was sitting in the water. He sank and got his head wet again, then surfaced and shook the water from his hair.
“Hey…stop that!” Joey laughed, scooted backward, and shoved the heel of his hand through the water to splash Felix.
