The latter, seeming as usual to know they were not wanted, made no effort to avoid the men, which probably accounted in great measure for the fact that the herd as a body remained compact, in spite of the cowboys threading it, and in spite of the lack of an enclosure.
Our horses caught, we saddled as hastily as possible; and then at the top speed of our fresh and eager ponies we swept down on the chuck wagon.

There we fell off our saddles and descended on the meat and bread like ravenous locusts on a cornfield.

The ponies stood where we left them, "tied to the ground", the cattle-country fashion.
As soon as a man had stoked up for the afternoon he rode away.

Some finished before others, so across the plain formed an endless procession of men returning to the herd, and of those whom they replaced coming for their turn at the grub.
We found the herd quiet.

Some were even lying down, chewing their cuds as peacefully as any barnyard cows.