Cowboy Songs Part 12

They live in a hut with hewed log wall, But it ain't got any windows at all; With a clap-board roof and a puncheon floor, And that's the way all Texas o'er.

They will take you out on a live-oak hill And there they will leave you much against your will.

They will leave you on the prairie, starve you on the plains, For that is the way with the Texians,-- For that is the way with the Texians.

When they go to preaching let me tell you how they dress; Just an old black s.h.i.+rt without any vest, Just an old straw hat more brim than crown And an old sock leg that they wear the winter round,-- And an old sock leg that they wear the winter round.

For your wedding supper, there'll be beef and cornbread; There it is to eat when the ceremony's said.

And when you go to milk you'll milk into a gourd; And set it in the corner and cover it with a board; Some gets little and some gets none, For that is the way with the Texians,-- For that is the way with the Texians.

THE OLD MAN UNDER THE HILL

There was an old man who lived under the hill, Chir-u-ra-wee, lived under the hill, And if he ain't dead he's living there still, Chir-u-ra-wee, living there still.

One day the old man went out to plow, Chir-u-ra-wee, went out to plow; 'Tis good-bye the old fellow, and how are you now, Sing chir-u-ra-wee, and how are you now.

And then another came to his house, Chir-u-ra-wee, came to his house; "There's one of your family I've got to have now, Sing chir-u-ra-wee, got to have now.

"It's neither you nor your oldest son, Chir-u-ra-wee, nor your oldest son."

"Then take my old woman and take her for fun, Sing chir-u-ra-wee, take her for fun."

He takened her all upon his back, Chir-u-ra-wee, upon his back, And like an old rascal went rickity rack, Sing chir-u-ra-wee, went rickity rack.

But when he got half way up the road, Chir-u-ra-wee, up the road, Says he, "You old lady, you're sure a load,"

Sing chir-u-ra-wee, you're sure a load.

He set her down on a stump to rest, Chir-u-ra-wee, stump to rest; She up with a stick and hit him her best.

Sing chir-u-ra-wee, hit him her best.

He taken her on to h.e.l.l's old gate, Chir-u-ra-wee, h.e.l.l's old gate, But when he got there he got there too late, Sing chir-u-ra-wee, got there too late.

And so he had to keep his wife, Chir-u-ra-wee, had to keep his wife, And keep her he did for the rest of his life.

Sing chir-u-ra-wee, for the rest of his life.

JERRY, GO ILE THAT CAR

Come all ye railroad section men an' listen to my song, It is of Larry O'Sullivan who now is dead and gone.

For twinty years a section boss, he niver hired a tar-- Oh, it's "j'int ahead and cinter back, An' Jerry, go ile that car!"

For twinty years a section boss, he niver hired a tar, But it's "j'int ahead an cinter back, An' Jerry, go ile that car-r-r!"

For twinty years a section boss, he worked upon the track, And be it to his cred-i-it he niver had a wrack.

For he kept every j'int right up to the p'int wid the tap of the tampin-bar-r-r; And while the byes was a-swimmin' up the ties, It's "Jerry, wud yez ile that car-r-r!"

G.o.d rest ye, Larry O'Sullivan, to me ye were kind and good; Ye always made the section men go out and chop me wood; An' fetch me wather from the well an' chop me kindlin' fine; And any man that wouldn't lind a hand, 'twas Larry give him his Time.

And ivery Sunday morni-i-ing unto the gang he'd say: "Me byes, prepare--yez be aware the ould lady goes to church the day.

Now, I want ivery man to pump the best he can, for the distance it is far-r-r; An' we have to get in ahead of number tin-- So, Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!"

'Twas in November in the winter time and the ground all covered wid snow, "Come put the hand-car-r-r on the track an' over the section go!"

Wid his big soger coat b.u.t.toned up to his t'roat, all weathers he would dare-- An' it's "Paddy Mack, will yez walk the track, An' Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!"

"Give my respects to the roadmas-ther," poor Larry he did cry, "An lave me up that I may see the ould hand-car before I die.

Come, j'int ahead an' cinter back, An' Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!"

Then lay the spike maul upon his chist, the gauge, and the ould claw-bar-r-r, And while the byes do be fillin' up his grave, "Oh, Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!"

JOHN GARNER'S TRAIL HERD

Come all you old timers and listen to my song; I'll make it short as possible and I'll not keep you long; I'll relate to you about the time you all remember well When we, with old Joe Garner, drove a beef herd up the trail.

When we left the ranch it was early in the spring, We had as good a corporal as ever rope did swing, Good hands and good horses, good outfit through and through,-- We went well equipped, we were a jolly crew.

We had no little herd--two thousand head or more-- And some as wild a brush beeves as you ever saw before.

We swung to them all the way and sometimes by the tail,-- Oh, you know we had a circus as we all went up the trail.

All things went on well till we reached the open ground, And then them cattle turned in and they gave us merry h.e.l.l.

They stampeded every night that came and did it without fail,-- Oh, you know we had a circus as we all went up the trail.

We would round them up at morning and the boss would make a count, And say, "Look here, old punchers, we are out quite an amount; You must make all losses good and do it without fail Or you will never get another job of driving up the trail."

When we reached Red River we gave the Inspector the dodge.

He swore by G.o.d Almighty, in jail old John should lodge.

We told him if he'd taken our boss and had him locked in jail, We would sh.o.r.e get his scalp as we all came down the trail.

When we reached the Reservation, how squirmish we did feel, Although we had tried old Garner and knew him true as steel.

And if we would follow him and do as he said do, That old bald-headed cow-thief would surely take us through.

When we reached Dodge City we drew our four months' pay.

Times was better then, boys, that was a better day.

The way we drank and gambled and threw the girls around,-- "Say, a crowd of Texas cowboys has come to take our town."

The cowboy sees many hards.h.i.+ps although he takes them well; The fun we had upon that trip, no human tongue can tell.

The cowboy's life is a dreary life, though his mind it is no load, And he always spends his money like he found it in the road.

If ever you meet old Garner, you must meet him on the square, For he is the biggest cow-thief that ever tramped out there.

But if you want to hear him roar and spin a lively tale, Just ask him about the time we all went up the trail.