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CHAPTER X
ADJUSTING THE PACK

IN saddling up, be sure that the saddle blanket is folded large enough to protect the horse's sides from the pack, when the pack is slung into place. Otherwise the kyacks or alforjas will be liable with constant chafing when the horse is in motion to cause sores. Not only where the saddle rests upon the blanket but where the pack rests upon the horse's sides there should be sufficient thicknesses of blanket to overcome friction, and this demands a greater thickness than under the riding saddle, for the pack load is a dead load. After the pack saddle is thrown into place, and before cinching it, ease the blanket by pulling it up slightly under the center of the saddle—along the backbone of the animal. This will overcome the tendency of the blanket to draw down and bind the horse's back too tightly when the saddle is cinched and the pack in place.

When packing the kyacks or alforjas particular care should be taken to have the pair for each horse evenly balanced as to weight. If the load swung on one side of the horse is heavier than that on the opposite side, there will be a continual drawing down of the pack saddle on the heavier side, resulting almost certainly in injury to the animal. Inattention or willful carelessness on the part of packers in balancing the pack is five times out of six the cause which leads to sore-backed pack animals.

If two or more pack animals are used, let such provisions and utensils as are in constant use and will be needed at once by the cook, be packed on one animal. Hobbles and bell should also be carried on this animal. This will be the first animal unpacked, and while the other animals are being unpacked the cook may get busy, and the packer will have hobbles and bell at hand to immediately attach to the animals.

Attached to each end of the kyacks and alforjas is a leathern loop or sling strap. By means of these loops kyacks and alforjas are hung to the saddle, one loop fitting over the forward, the other over the rear cruz, or fork. The kyacks should be so adjusted as to hang evenly one with the other. That is to say, one kyack should hang no lower upon the animal's side than the other, and both should hang as high as possible.

The kyacks in place, hobbles, bell, and such odds and ends as it may not be convenient to pack in the kyack, may be laid on the center between the crosstrees and on top of the kyack, and over all smoothly folded blankets, sleeping bags, or tent, care being exercised to keep the pack as low and smooth as possible. Everything carefully placed and adjusted, cover the pack with the pack cloth or tarpaulin, folded to proper size to protect the whole pack, but with no loose ends extending beyond it to catch upon brush or other obstructions. If inconvenient to include within the pack, the cooking outfit in its canvas case may be lashed to the top of pack after the final hitch has been tied. All is ready now for the hitch that is to bind the pack into place.

Frequently the traveler is not provided with either kyacks or alforjas, and it becomes necessary to pack the load without the convenience of these receptacles. Before considering the hitches, therefore, let us describe methods of slinging the load in such cases upon the crosstree saddle.

The load which is to be slung from the crosstree should be arranged in two compact packages of equal weight, one for each side of the animal. Boxes may be used, but large, strong sacks are preferable. The large canvas duffle bags, described in the chapter on canoe outfitting, are well adapted to the purpose.

Sling for Packing on Crosstree Saddle

A is forward cruz, B rear cruz of saddle. CC are loops which support packages. D and E are ends or hauling parts of rope.

Take the sling rope, and, standing on the near side, throw one end over the horse's neck just forward of the saddle. Now at about the middle of the rope form two half hitches, or a clove hitch, on the forward cruz or fork of the saddle.

With the free end of the rope on the near side form a half hitch on the rear cruz, allowing sufficient loop between the forward and rear cruz to receive the side pack, with the free end of the rope falling under the loop. Now go to the off side and arrange the rope on that side in similar manner.

Lift the offside pack into position with its forward end even with the forward fork, lifting the pack well up to the forks. Hold the pack in position with the palm of the right hand against the center of the pack, and with the left hand pass the loop along the lower side of the pack, drawing in the slack with the free end of the rope, which passes around the rear fork and under the center of the pack. With the pack drawn snugly in position, take a turn with the free end of the rope around the rope along the side of the pack. This will hold the pack in position. Tie a bowline knot in the end of rope, and at proper length for the bowline loop to reach the center and top of pack. Place loop where it may be easily reached from the near side.

Now pass to the near side and sling the near pack in exactly similar manner, save that no bowline knot is to be formed. Reach up and slip the end of the near rope, which you are holding, through the bowline loop, draw tight and tie.

The following is another method of slinging packs, frequently used by forest rangers:

Throw the rope across the horse directly in front of the saddle, and as in the previous method form two half hitches with the rope at its middle on the front fork, but in this case permitting the ends to lie on the ground on either side the horse. Place the near pack in position and against the lower rope, and holding it with one hand, bring the rope up and over the pack with the other hand and throw a half hitch around the forward fork, keeping the free end of the rope under. Draw the rope taut, lifting the pack well up. Pass the running rope back and throw a half hitch around the rear fork, the loose or running end of the rope on the under side, as when forming the half hitch on the front fork. Now pass the running rope from under over the pack at the rear, throw a half hitch over the rear fork, take up all slack, bring the loose end under and around the two ropes at their intersection between pack and rear fork, and tie securely. The pack on off side is slung in similar manner.

Most mules, and not infrequently horses as well, have a constitutional dislike to receiving the pack. If your pack animal displays any such tendency adjust the blind over his eyes and let it remain there until the hitch is thrown and the load tightened and secured. The blind is usually an effective quieter.

CHAPTER XI
SOME PRACTICAL HITCHES

WHETHER the load is made up with kyacks, alforjas, or separate packs slung to the crosstree saddle as described in the preceding chapter it must be secured in place. For this purpose various hitches are employed by packers, each hitch well adapted to the particular conditions which evolved it.

Our description will be confined to the following six hitches, which furnish ample variety to suit the exigencies of ordinary circumstances:

(1) The crosstree or squaw hitch, which is the father of all hitches because from it the diamond, the double diamond and all pack-train hitches in present-day use were evolved.

(2) A diamond hitch, adapted to the crosstree pack saddle. This is a form of single diamond.

(3) The United States army diamond particularly adapted for use with the aparejo. The true double diamond is a hitch rarely called for save in army work or freighting pack trains, and will therefore be omitted. There are several so-called double diamonds that might be described, but these near-double diamonds possess little or no advantage over the single diamond, and we shall pass them over as they are scarcely resorted to in ordinary pack work.

(4) The one-man or lifting hitch.

(5) The stirrup hitch, to be used when the packer has rope but no cinch.

(6) The saddle hitch, employed in slinging loads upon an ordinary riding saddle.

(7) The hitch for packing a sick or injured man.

THE CROSSTREE HITCH

This hitch was introduced into the Northwest by the early fur traders and adopted by the Indians. Among Indians, women are the laborers, and the crosstree hitch being the hitch almost exclusively employed by the squaws was presently dubbed by white men the "squaw hitch." It is a hitch very generally used by prospectors, and for this reason is known in some localities as the "prospector's hitch." In other sections of the West, where sheep herders commonly use it, it is locally called the "sheep herder's hitch." It is a hitch easily thrown by one man, holds well, and is therefore a favorite.

Squaw or Crosstree Hitch

(Fig. 1.) Rope engaged on cinch hook and bight of rope running from rear forward under standing rope.

(Fig. 2.) Loop of bight enlarged, reversed and passed around bottom and lower corners of off side pack.

(Fig. 3.) Hitch formed and ready to tighten. 1. Standing rope. 2. Running rope. 3. Rear rope—off side. 4. Front rope—off side. 5. Front rope—near side. 6. Rear rope—near side. 7. Marker.

With lash rope attached to cinch, take a position on the near side of the animal facing the pack. Throw the cinch over the top and center of pack in such manner as to be easily reached under the horse's belly. Pick up cinch and engage the rope from in out upon the hook. Draw up slack, taking care that the cinch rests properly upon the horse's belly. Grasp the running and standing rope in left hand above the hook, to hold slack, and with the right hand double the running rope and thrust the doubled portion under the standing rope from rear forward in a bight, at top of pack. Enlarge the loop of the bight by drawing through enough slack rope to make the loop of sufficient size to be passed over and around the off side kyack or pack. Step to off side, turn loop over, and engage it around the ends and bottom of kyack, from front to rear. Return to near side, and pass the loose end of running rope around the forward end, bottom and finally rear end of kyack. Draw the rope end, from above down, over and under the standing rear and running ropes, at the top and center of the load, and the hitch is ready to tighten.

To tighten the hitch, grasp the running rope a little above the cinch hook, and pull with all your strength, taking up every inch of slack possible. Retain this slack by holding the standing and running rope together with left hand, while with the right hand you reach to top of load and pull up slack where running rope passes under standing rope. Go to off side and draw in all slack, following the rope around off side pack. Retaining slack, return to near side, and still following rope and taking up slack around front to rear of near side pack, grasp end of rope, already engaged as directed over and under standing rear and running rope, pull hard, bracing a foot against pack, and tie. Two men, one on each side of the horse, can, of course, throw the hitch and tighten the load much more quickly than one. Tightening the load is just as important a feature of packing as evenly balancing the packs. The result of an improperly tightened load will pretty certainly be a sore-backed horse.

THE CROSSTREE DIAMOND HITCH

(Fig. 1.) A turn is here taken around standing rope with loop of bight of running rope thrust under standing rope from rear to front, as in Fig. 1, illustrating Squaw Hitch.

Take position on the near side of horse, as when forming the crosstree hitch, and throw cinch over horse, engaging it on hook and adjusting it in exactly similar manner. Take in slack and retain it by grasping the standing and running ropes in left hand. Double running rope and thrust doubled portion under standing rope in a bight, from rear forward at top and center of load. Take up all slack. Enlarge loop of bight by drawing through enough running rope to form a diamond of sufficient size to hold top of load. Now bring center of loop over and under standing rope, from rear forward, thus giving rope at each side of loop a complete turn around standing rope. Throw the disengaged portion of running rope to off side of horse, and passing to the off side, bringing the rope down along rear, bottom, and up front of kyack, thrust loose rope end up through loop at top of pack. Take in slack and return to near side of horse. Engage running rope around front, bottom and rear end of near side kyack or pack, and thrust rope end over and under standing rope opposite center of loop. Take up slack and load in ready to tighten.

Crosstree Diamond Hitch

(Fig. 2.) Hitch formed ready to tighten.

Tighten load by grasping running rope above hook and drawing as tight as possible. Hold slack with left hand, gripping running and standing rope, and take up slack at loop with right hand. Pass to off side and take up slack and tighten rear to front around kyack. Pass to near side, tightening front to rear; finally, bracing a foot against the load pull on loose end, and retaining all slack make final tie.

The above described "diamond" hitch is not the true diamond employed by government pack trains where the aparejo is used, but it is a diamond evolved from the crosstree hitch, and is particularly well adapted to the crosstree or sawbuck pack saddle, is easily formed, and holds the load securely, which is the ultimate object of all hitches.

THE UNITED STATES ARMY DIAMOND HITCH

The single diamond hitch employed by army packers is the ideal hitch for securing a load upon an aparejo. This is a two-man hitch, though an expert can throw it alone.

One packer takes his position on the off side of the animal, while the other with the coiled lash rope, cinch attached, remains on the near side.

The near packer, retaining the cinch, throws the coiled rope over the horse's haunch, to rear. The off packer picks up end of rope, and receiving the hook end of cinch, passed to him under horse's belly by near packer, holds it

together with end of rope in his left hand, and stands erect.

United States Army Diamond Hitch

Figures represent successive stages in formation. Near side towards right in each case. Line PP in Fig. 1 represents horse's back. AA (Fig. 3) standing part of rope, and A´ (Fig. 2) the running rope.

Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.

Fig. 5.

Fig. 6.

The near packer, taking a position at the horse's neck, grasps the rope about six feet from cinch, and with an upward and backward motion, drops it between the two packs, one slung on either side of the aparejo.

Still grasping the rope in his right hand just forward of the packs at the top, he pulls forward between the packs sufficient running rope to permit him to bring his hand down to his side. Retaining the rope in his right hand he now reaches up with his left hand, and with back of hand up and thumb under grasps running rope and draws sufficient rope forward to permit the left hand grasping the rope to come down to his side, arm's length.

With the right elbow crooked the right hand, still holding the rope, is brought up about on a level with the chin, and the left hand, also retaining its hold on the rope, thumb down, is raised to hollow of the right arm, with loop of rope between the hands lying outside the right arm. Now by a single swinging motion with both hands the rope in the right hand, called the "standing rope," is thrown over the center of pack to the off packer who stands ready to receive it; and the rope held in the left hand, called the "running rope," over the horse's neck, forward of the pack.

The off packer, still standing with cinch hook and end of rope in left hand, with his right hand grasps the standing rope as it comes over as high up as he can conveniently reach, draws it down, and holding the cinch hook in proper position below the aparejo draws down the standing rope and engages it upon the hook from in out.

The near packer now draws forward between the packs about six feet more rope, which he throws to the rear of the near side pack. This rope is now called the "rear" rope. He next grasps the running rope at the horse's neck, and with the off packer's assistance releases that portion of the running rope lying between the packs forward of the standing rope, and brings it to the center of pack on near side, next to and just back of the standing rope.

He now slips his right hand down the rope to a point half way between pack and aparejo boot, and with the left hand reaches from forward between standing rope and aparejo and grasps the rope just above the right hand. Both hands are now slipped down the rope, and with the same motion drawn apart, one on each side of standing rope (under which the rope being manipulated passes) to the cinches. With the hands about ten inches apart, the section of rope between them, which is held in a horizontal position, is jammed down between the two cinches under the aparejo.

The off packer, holding the running rope with his right hand above the hook, places the left hand holding end of rope on top of running rope between his right hand and the hook, and with thumb under running rope grasps both ropes and slips his hands up on running rope, bringing it to center of load.

He now draws the end of the rope, held by left hand, forward until a foot or so falls upon the near side of the horse's neck. The hitch is now formed, ready to tighten.

To tighten, the near packer with his left palm passing the side and center of the pack grasps the running rope at the rear of the standing rope, at the same time bringing the running rope between the thumb and index finger of the left hand, which he is using as a brace. In this position he is prepared to hold slack as it is given him by the off packer.

The off packer grasps the running rope close down to the hook, and, bracing himself with a knee against the aparejo boot, pulls with all his might, taking two or more pulls, if necessary, and giving slack to near packer, until no more slack can be taken on standing rope. He now steps smartly to rear and throws the top rope forward of the pack. The top rope is the rope leading up from the rear corner of the aparejo boot on near side to the side and center of off side pack. After it is thrown forward it is called the "front" rope. He now prepares to receive slack from near packer by grasping the rear rope where it lies between the packs.

The near packer, who has been receiving the slack given him by the off packer, carries his right hand, with which he holds the slack at rear of standing rope, to lower side of pack toward the aparejo, and reaches under standing rope, with left hand grasps rope above right hand, drawing it forward under standing rope, and employing both hands jams it upward in a bight between standing rope and pack. Care should be taken during this operation to retain all slack.

The near packer now engages around front boot of aparejo the free portion of the running rope below the bight just formed. Holding slack with left hand, he grasps the rope to rear of cinch in right hand; receiving slack from left hand he brings rope to rear of aparejo boot, and with both hands carries rope smartly to upper corner of side pack, always retaining slack. The off packer receives slack, pulling it in quickly hand over hand, the near packer retaining his hold until the off packer has the rope taut. The near packer now takes a position at the forward end of load, facing the rear, and grasps end of rope prepared to take slack from off packer.

The off packer, after receiving slack from near packer as described takes a turn of the rope around each hand, holding every inch of slack, steps to the rear, keeping in line with the horse's body, and then facing forward throws his full weight back upon the rope. Retaining the slack with his left hand, with his right hand he brings the free portion of running rope under and around the aparejo boot, from rear to front, passes forward of rope, and facing the rear and grasping rope, right hand above the left, brings it smartly to upper corner of pack.

The near packer, holding end of rope, immediately draws in slack until he has about six feet of free rope, which he throws over center of load to off side, and then drawing in all remaining slack takes a turn of rope around each hand and throws his weight upon it, and the off packer releases his hold.

Holding the slack with the left hand, the near packer releases his right hand and with it engages the free or running portion of rope under and around the aparejo boot to rear of load, while the off packer steps to rear of load, takes end of rope, and while he draws in all slack, neatly coils rope, holding coil in right hand at lower side of pack, and, with palm of left hand braced against center of load, receives slack from near packer.

Grasping in his left hand the taut rope above the coils, and lifting it sufficiently above the load to admit the coiled rope under it, he swings the coils with his right hand from rear to front to top of load and brings the standing rope held in his left hand down on top of the coils to hold them. He now takes a loop of the rope, forces it between standing rope and pack, in a bight, and takes a turn of the loop around standing and running rope to secure it, first joining the loop well up, and the hitch is tightened.