Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp | Page 8

should ride,
A-trippin' down the slope,
But High-Chin Bob, with sinful pride
And mav'rick-hungry rope.

"Oh, glory be to me," says he,
"And fame's unfadin' flowers!
All meddlin' hands are far away;
I ride my good top-hawse today
And I'm top-rope of the Lazy J--
Hi! kitty cat, you're ours!"

That lion licked his paw so brown
And dreamed soft dreams of veal--
And then the circlin' loop sung down
And roped him 'round his meal.
He yowled quick fury to the world
Till all the hills yelled back;
The top-hawse gave a snort and whirled
And Bob caught up the slack.

"Oh, glory be to me," laughs he.
"We hit the glory trail.
No human man as I have read
Darst loop a ragin' lion's head,
Nor ever hawse could drag one dead
Until we told the tale."

'Way high up the Mogollons
That top-hawse done his best,
Through whippin' brush and rattlin' stones,
From canyon-floor to crest
But ever when Bob turned and hoped
A limp remains to find,
A red-eyed lion, belly roped
But healthy, loped behind.

"Oh, glory be to me," grunts he,
"This glory trail is rough,
Yet even till the Judgment Morn
I'll keep this dally 'round the horn,
For never any hero born
Could stoop to holler: 'nuff!'"

Three suns had rode their circle home
Beyond the desert's rim,
And turned their star herds loose to roam
The ranges high and dim;
Yet up and down and round and 'cross
Bob pounded, weak and wan,
For pride still glued him to his hawse
And glory drove him on.

"Oh, glory be to me," sighs he.
"He kaint be drug to death,
But now I know beyond a doubt
Them heroes I have read about
Was only fools that stuck it out
To end of mortal breath."

'Way high up the Mogollons
A prospect man did swear
That moon dreams melted down his bones
And hoisted up his hair:
A ribby cow-hawse thundered by,
A lion trailed along,
A rider, ga'nt, but chin on high,
Yelled out a crazy song.

"Oh, glory be to me!" cries he,
"And to my noble noose!
O stranger, tell my pards below
I took a rampin' dream in tow,
And if I never lay him low,
I'll never turn him loose!"
Charles Badger Clark.

[1] Pronounced by the natives "muggy-yones."

HIGH CHIN BOB

'WAY high up in the Mokiones, among the mountain tops,
A lion cleaned a yearling's bones and licks his thankful chops;
And who upon the scene should ride, a-trippin' down the slope,
But High Chin Bob of sinful pride and maverick-hungry rope.
"Oh, glory be to me!" says he, "an' fame's unfadin' flowers;
I ride my good top hoss today and I'm top hand of Lazy-J,
So, kitty-cat, you're ours!"

The lion licked his paws so brown, and dreamed soft dreams of veal,
As High Chin's rope came circlin' down and roped him round his meal;
She yowled quick fury to the world and all the hills yelled back;
That top horse gave a snort and whirled and Bob took up the slack.
"Oh, glory be to me!" says he, "we'll hit the glory trail.
No man has looped a lion's head and lived to drag the critter dead
Till I shall tell the tale."

'Way high up in the Mokiones that top hoss done his best,
'Mid whippin' brush and rattlin' stones from canon-floor to crest;
Up and down and round and cross Bob pounded weak and wan,
But pride still glued him to his hoss and glory spurred him on.
"Oh, glory be to me!" says he, "this glory trail is rough!
But I'll keep this dally round the horn until the toot of judgment
morn
Before I'll holler 'nough!"

Three suns had rode their circle home, beyond the desert rim,
And turned their star herds loose to roam the ranges high and dim;
And whenever Bob turned and hoped the limp remains to find,
A red-eyed lion, belly roped, but healthy, loped behind!
"Oh, glory be to me," says Bob, "he caint be drug to death!
These heroes that I've read about were only fools that stuck it
out
To the end of mortal breath."

'Way high up in the Mokiones, if you ever camp there at night,
You'll hear a rukus among the stones that'll lift your hair with
fright;
You'll see a cow-hoss thunder by--a lion trail along,
And the rider bold, with his chin on high, sings forth his glory song:
"Oh, glory be to me!" says he, "and to my mighty noose.
Oh, pardner, tell my friends below I took a ragin' dream in tow,
And if I didn't lay him low, I never turned him loose!"
From oral rendition.

TO HEAR HIM TELL IT

I WAS just about to take a drink--
I was mighty dry--
So I hailed an old time cowman
Who was passing by,
"Come in, Ole Timer! have a drink!
Kinda warm today!"
As we leaned across the bar-rail--
"How's things up your way?"

"Stock is doin' fairly good,
Range is gettin' fine;
I jes dropped down to meetin' here
To spend a little time.
Con'sidable stuff a-movin' now--
Cows an' hosses, too,
Prices high an' a big demand--
Now I'm tellin' you!

"I've loaded out my feeders,
Got a good price all aroun';
Sold 'em in Kansas City
To a commission man named Brown.
A thousand told o' mixed stuff,
In pretty fair shape, too,"
Said the old Texas cowman,
"Now I'm tellin' you!

"I've been in this yere country
Since late in fifty-nine,
I know every