George M. Noblitt

THE BOYS

 

The boys sat around the Red Creek Saloon

Poolin' up their cash

Their throats was dry as the Mojave

But the boys were dead done broke

 

"We ain't got a dime!" said Bad Bill Brown

"But me, I got some ideas!"

"We'll rob us a bank or maybe a stage,

That'll buy beer and tobacee smoke!"

 

The boys sat down to ponder the plan

Then turned and looked at Big Slim

He was the boys self appointed leader

They listened when he spoke

 

You could tell Slim was deep in thought

Then his eyes began to widen

"We ain't no outlaws, we'll do no robb'n"

"Hell! We're just ordinary cowpoke"

 

With the wink of an eye and a wily smile

Bidg Slim was done a think'n

"We'll join a trail drive to stay alive"

"We'll work like honest folk"

 

The boys stuttered and stammered around

Certainly not a happy bunch

Then one spoke up, I believe he said

"Big Slim, is this a joke?"

 

Honest work was not the boy's forte

Anyone could plainly see

But Big Slim stood fast on his decision

His head was hard as Oak

 

Bad Bill, Shorty, Tubbs and Big Slim

"My 'God'! what a sight!"

The thought of the boys trailin' a herd

Would make a maggot choke

 

But trail they did, pushing head

Week after weary week

Through choking hot days and thunderstorms

The kind that thoroughly soak

 

I guess it was about the fifith week

We lost little Shorty

He fell of his horse in a midnight stampede

Run down by the chuckwagon wheel spoke

 

It was a sad time as we lowered him down

Even tho' we kept his boots

We all knew it could be one of us

The next time someone might croak

 

Well things went fine for a short time

Then tragedy struck again

It seemed Bad Bill who was quite obese

Died of a cardiac stroke

 

Well that left Tubbs and Big Slim to ride

And push along the doggies

They was havin' themselves a second thought

And the fear was hard to cloak

 

The boys had started out together

But now only numbered two

Maybe this plan was dumb as dirt

and something to revoke

 

Only a day later Big Slim dismounted

To heed the call of nature

We guess he never saw that rattlesnake

As he squat to empty his poke

 

Tubbs ate the whole drive

But made it alive

"Breakfast!"

Was the first word he spoke

 

"Barkeep! Bring me a beer with my breakfast

In memory of the boys

For ous last meal togehter bring bacon and eggs

And don't bust the yoke"