And the trail was mixed and old.

Two whole days Bill searched and waited,

Hoping for some other clew,

Weighing questions of direction,

Undecided what to do.

Till, one night, while cooking supper

By the camp-fire's genial glow,

He was startled by a stranger's

Sudden presence and "Hello!"

8  

Tall of stature, dark of visage,

By the wind well dried and tanned,

Clad in "shaps" and spurs that jingled,

With a bull whip in his hand.

Close behind him in the shadows,

Eyes aglow with red and green,

Stood a blazed-face Texas pony,

Ewe-necked, cat-hammed, wild, and mean.

"Hello, stranger! glad to see you,

Got my cattle fixed for night;

 Prev. P 33/103 next