SPRING STORM
by Chip Harding
Iggy and Cooter
Iggy crawled out of his bedroll. He had been layin' there for several hours
listenin' to that damned wind howl. He tried to look out of the window of the
bunkhouse, but the it was plumb covered with a layer of ice and snow.
Well, he thought, we done the right thing yesterday. The weatherman had said that
there was gonna be a blizzard, and had issued stockmans warnings for all of
southeastern Wyoming.
He and the others had gone out and rounded up the cows and taken them to a corner
of the big pasture. There they had taken turns riding through the cows and cutting out
the ones that looked like they would have their calves within the next week.
Instead of taking the heavies to the calving pasture as they normally would, they
took them to the house and put them in the large corrals next to the barns.
That way when a cow had a calf one of the fellers could drag the calf into the barn
and the cow would most generally follow her baby right into a pen and be locked in
before she knew what had happened to her.
The pair would remain there until the weather got better, or if it was a long storm
there would come the time when that calf would be the oldest in the barn and if a new
baby needed the
spot, he and his mother would be kicked back out into another corral with other new
mothers and their babies.
It seemed kinda mean to have to push a baby only a few hours old back out into the
cold, but there wasn't always enough barn space for all of them.
Sides, Iggy knew that if that baby got dried off and got hisself up and got some milk
in his belly, why that little critter was good to go. They are mighty tough little boogers
if they get some milk in them, and there was another cold little critter a shiverin' and a
waitin' for the space.
Anyway, they had got them cows in and they had taken turns goin' out to the corral
and checking for new babies every 2 hours all night. There was 4 new little critters and
their mothers in the barn and everthing was workin' out pretty good.
But there was somethin' a worryin' Ol Iggy.
Yesterday as they was bringin' the heavies in, he had seen a cow with a new calf. It
was too young to walk to the corrals or Iggy would have brought them along. The storm
hit so quick that Iggy didn't have a chance to go back after that cow and calf.
That old cow was a good one though and she had found a gully to have her baby in and
they would have some protection. He had felt that little critters tummy and was sure
that it had got some milk in it's gizzard. It would probably be alright. If there had
been time, Iggy would have gone out with a pickup and a calf sled and brought them in.
A calf sled is a little bitty corral just big enough for a small calf to stand up in, but
tall enough that he can't jump out. It is on sled runners and Iggy would hook it behind
the pickup and put the baby calf in it.
Then he would bawl like a calf and the cow would come over and smell her baby in
that sled. Iggy would quietly get in the pickup and start drivin' real slow, and most
generally the old cow would just follow along right behind, and he could lead her right
into the corrals at the house and all would be hunky-dorry!
Well the storm come up too quick and the wind was outta the wrong direction. Iggy
knew that old cow, no matter how good a Mommer she was, would never follow the sled
facing into that storm. There was nothing he could do, but hope she took good care of
her baby, and he would do what he could in the morning.
Well sir, it was morning alright and from the sound of that damned wind last night it
had been a wooly booger!! Iggy got dressed and walked out the door of the bunkhouse
and into knee deep snow, and that was on the level. Why hell there was drifts
6 feet deep between the house and the barn. Iggy knew right then that little calf out
there in the pasture was in trouble.
If the snow hadn't been so deep he coulda drove out there and found that baby and if
it was cold he would put on the floor of his pickup and turned the heater up to broil.
He would then drive around and check the rest of the critters in the pasture which
usually took about an hour. In that time that calf would be pretty much thawed out
and when he dropped it back by it's mommer, it would be ready for breakfast.
That shore wasn't gonna happen this morning though. There was a 8 foot drift in
front of the garage door and if he could get the pickup out he wouldn't get out of the
yard.
Dammit, there just wasn't much he could do. He and the others went about feeding
and caring for the critters in the barns and corrals. When that was done they went to
the cookhouse and had breakfast. When breakfast was done they stood around and
talked about the storm, but Iggy couldn't stay. He still had that calf on his mind.
"Well, By Gawd there was still a chance!" he muttered. He would just have to do it the
old timer's way.
He saddled Cooter. He shore wished Alpo was around. Alpo woulda handled what Iggy
had in mind without any hesitation. Now Cooter was gonna be a fine pony someday, but
he hadn't learned to trust Iggy the way Alpo did.
Iggy would just have to do the best he could with the only horse he had available. The
others were somewhere out in pasture in the storm. They headed out into the storm
towards where Iggy had last seen the cow and calf. It was tough going as the snow was
deep and drifted. Iggy was glad that Cooter was young and strong.
It was just as well to have this young gelding after all. Alpo was gittin' old like Iggy
and although he would have given every ounce of his strength he might not have made
this trip and lived to tell of it.
It was about a mile to where Iggy had seen that pair last night and he sure hope that
the cow hadn't drifted in the storm. The calf would not have been able to follow her
and Iggy would never be able to find the calf under all this snow. It was still snowin'
and blowin' and Iggy could hardly see where he was going.
"Lord, if you ain't too busy right now, I could sure use a little help in finding them
two!" Iggy thought to himself.
Iggy and Cooter kept going into that wind and after a short time it seemed like
maybe it was lettin' up a little. Then the wind almost died clear down and there in
front of them was the gully and there was the cow.
"Hot Damn, Cooter there they are! Thank you Sir, ya done it agin!" cried Iggy!
Iggy slid off of his horse and waded through the snow to where the cow was
standing. She was covered with snow and ice clung to her hair. Beside her was a small
mound of snow. Iggy rushed
over and began brushing the snow away. There was the calf all curled into a tight knot,
cold and stiff as could be.
"Damn!" muttered Iggy. He shook the calf, but there was no response. He reached
down and lifted the little calf's eyelid as a last hope. There was a still a tiny twinkle in
that critter's eye. It was still alive if just barely. There might still be a chance.
"Thank you Sir!! I'll take it from here!!" Iggy yelled into the returning storm.
Now comes the hard part Iggy thought to himself. I got to git this cold, stiff, little
critter up astraddle of a horse that don't have the least idea of what I am doing. Then
I got to keep both of them still till I can drag my carcass up onto that horse and all of
that going on in 2 feet of snow.. " Hell, Nothing to it!!" he chuckled.
Well it warn't purty, but he got it done. He was so damned proud of Cooter. He just
turned his head, sniffed that calf, and looked at Iggy as if to say "Well, if you think
this is neccessary, I guess it is okay with me."
Iggy suspected he might have had some help from above, but he shore wasn't gonna
argue. They started back to the house. The cow would not move more and a few yards
from spot where her calf was supposed to be for a couple of days. Iggy was sure that
he could either bring the calf back to her if it lived, or get the cow to the house. Sides
he would know that cow anywhere now. She was a good ol Mommer, and he wouldn't
forget her.
Once Iggy got the calf back to the house they had a hot box that they would put the
little critter in. It had infra-red heat bulbs in it and would have that calf warmed up in
a hurry.
Iggy would swipe some milk from the other cows in the barn that had calves during
the night and either get the calf to suck or would put a hose down it's throat and pour
milk into the calf that way. The little critter needed a jumpstart bad!!!
On the way back to the house, the little critter kinda stirred and began to flop
around. Ol Cooter, just kinda looked back at the calf, rolled his eyes, and then
continued on struggling through the snow.
"Alpo woulda been plumb proud of you, young feller." Iggy said softly to the
horse.."Mighty Proud!"
Iggy began to rub the calf as he rode along. He needed to get the little critter's
circulation going. As they went a long he spoke to the cold little heifer. "You know, you
po'chaince little rascal, if it hadn't been for that little tiny twinkle in your eye, I
would a left you for dead. If me and the Lord can drag you through this, I'm gonna call
you Twink!!!
When Iggy got back to the house with the calf, he gave it to the other fellers. They
put it in the hot box while Iggy got out of his wet clothes.
He went down to the barn in a little bit to check on Twink. The calf was beginning to
thaw out a little and was shivering so hard she was shaking the hot box.
Iggy got a coke bottle and went and found a cow in one of the pens that looked like
it had plenty of milk to spare. He crawled into the pen and moved quietly along side the
cow. He reached slowly for her udder.
Now that old cow knew durn well that ugly galoot wasn't her calf and she kicked at
his hand. Iggy again moved in and stuck his shoulder into her side and tried again.
After several kicks and a lot of cussing, Iggy finally got that pop bottle full of milk.
He crawled into the hot box with Twink. He moved her around until her head was in
his lap and stuck a finger in her mouth. She had been so cold that the inside of her
mouth and tongue were cold to the touch.
She instinctively started sucking on his finger. After a few seconds he substituted
the bottle with a black rubber nipple on it in her mouth. Twink knew right away that
wasn't her Momma, and tried to spit the nipple out. Iggy kept her mouth open and
squirted some milk in it. Now that may not be Momma, but she knew that the milk
tasted familiar and she was hungry.
Hunger quickly overcame pride and Twink tied into that bottle like a vacuum
sweeper. Iggy felt the calf's legs and feet and they were warming up nicely. They were
not frozen and stiff as
he had feared, but her ears near the ends were icy cold.
"Well, little gal, you ain't gonna be hard to pick out of the herd next year. You're
gonna have some mighty short ears when you grow up, but you're gonna do fine." Iggy
said quietly.
When Twink had finished the bottle, Iggy crawled out of the hot box and closed the
door. He stood there looking at the hot box and listening to the steady breathing
coming from inside.
"Well Lord, I think we done alright with that little critter after all." Iggy thought to
himself.
A booming voice came through the howling storm. "Yup, we done alright. So long
Iggy!"
And Iggy replied, "See ya down the trail, Sir!"
About the Author:
Chip Harding has read and studied about men of the old west, all of his life. Those who
went in quest of beaver; and in doing so, explored the western half of a continent of
what would one day become the United States.
Over the years he continued to read and learn all that he could about these men, that
only show up fleetingly in our history books. Their stories were fascinating to the point
that he felt the need to do more than just read about them. He learned much of their
knowledge and skill.
There were others who were interested in what he had learned and he now finds
himself teaching and giving living history presentations to civic groups; and talks in
schools from fourth grade to college history classes.
He has developed a character that he portrays in these presentations. He is a
composite of all the men who roamed the west in the 1820-30's. His name is "Iggy."
Chip began writing stories about "Iggy" and his adventures for his friends, and they
enjoy them very much.
In more recent stories, there has been a transition in the character of "Iggy." He has
become a hard-bitten old ranch hand.......on a modern ranch.
Chip and his wife, Linda, live and work on their ranch near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Below
they are pictured as they wait to give a "living history" presentation.
![[Chip/Linda]"](http://www.oocities.org/twink2k2/storm/chiplindawaiting.jpg)
Page created with permission
from Chip Harding
by:
"Twink's Ink"
March 24,
1999
Editors note:
This latest story was written shortly after a new calf was born on the ranch. I had
asked a lot of questions about the ranch; about the new calf; and if it could be named
"Twink."
And "Spring Storm" was born!
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