What types of things did cowboys do in the Old West and out west now?

Watercolor painting and searching for Indian artifacts? Thank you. You just gave me ideas for my comic book.

Did cowboys ever do anything with cacti and alkali?

Did cowboys ever use treasure maps?

Isn't a great deal you can do with cactus or alkali. It is well-known however that all pirates hauled the bulk of their looted treasure a thousand miles inland and buried it somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

Can't you poison people's water supply with alkali? Where did outlaws hide their silver and gold stashes?

cowboys did not as a rule go around poisoning people's water supply. not part of the job description.

Did outlaws ever do that? Where did cowboy criminals hide their silver and gold stashes?