Stampede" by Frederick Remington (1908)
Ed Bruce and Willie Nelson-"The Last Cowboy Song"-YouTube
Sitting at a traffic light...on a dark, rainy, foggy morn... I swallow a swig of coffee...to the tune of a honking horn. The streetlights have a blurry glare... Each looks down at me...as if to stare. For three minutes...sitting there at that light... My mind drifts to a "far-away" valley...at the end of a starry night. ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~ The cattle behind me...are still quiet... My campfire breakfast...is a normal "trail-ride" diet. Of Salted Pork, Beans, and a Cup of "Molasses-Thick" Coffee... The Sun is up...but the dark rain clouds...makes it hard to see. A few rain drops roll off my Cowboy Hat's brim... I have to move this herd out of this valley today...at least...to the North Rim. The thermometer is steadily dropping...and we could be in for a freeze... I extend out to the fire one last time ...to warm my hands...while on my knees. ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~ It is time to "saddle-up"...and to ignore the cold around... We must ride all day to clear the valley...We must cover alot of ground. By nightfall this herd must be at the far tip...of the canyon wall... Where they'll be safe...down another 100 feet...if the temp continues to fall. I pull my bull whip out from my saddle's bag...and give it a quick snap... And arise the last of the cattle...Still lying around and taking a nap. ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~ Then...with one quick pull...I draw in the saddle's girth... My horse looks to me...and I saddle up to ride...for all it's worth. I look to the other Cowhands..."Cowboys"... that are around... Each one saddles up to join me...Each one without a sound. One or two...let their ropes swing at their sides..to get the cattle going... I pull up the collar on my long slicker...'Cause it looks like it might start snowing. ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~ We head due South...as the herd starts to spread out... This is what a Cowboy's work is all about... A few hands ride into the deep brush... where a few cattle try to run and hide... And steer them back to the herd...to keep them from going up the mountainside. We set out in a large group...about 100 yards wide at the middle part... Now...we got these cattle moving...Our long ride ahead is about to start ! ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~ My horse whinnies and the cattle moan low...now that we are on the move... My good ol' horse bumps one...to get it going...as it kicks up a rebellious hoof. He cuts that ornery one off...and stares him down...'til that ol' cow...sees who's the boss... That horse of mine could do this job all by himself...Let me tell you...He surely is quite a "hoss". And as the Sun tries to break through...on this wintery, rainy, ugly day... I waken to traffic moving...and a Green Light...Time for me to get back underway. ~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~~~~◊◊◊◊~~~
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