It wasn't no use.

We got off level ground, goin' down, an' then the steers ran somethin' fierce.
We left the little gullies an' washes level-full of dead steers.

Finally I saw the herd was makin' to pass a kind of low pocket between ridges.
There was a hog-back--as we used to call 'em--a pile of rocks stickin' up, and I saw the herd was goin' to split round it, or swing out to the left.

An' I wanted 'em to go to the right so mebbe we'd be able to drive 'em into the pocket.

So, with all my boys except three, I rode hard to turn the herd a little to the right.