ul
Settin' by that girl again.

[Illustration: "Then I dragged him on the prairie
Through a Turk's Head cactus bed."]

THE DISAPPOINTMENT

1

There's a feeling in my bosom,
Like a hound that's lost the game,
After chasing over bunch grass
Till his feet are sore and lame.
I am standing by her dug-out,
Open stands the sagging door;
Every grassblade speaks of Nancy,
But she's gone, to come no more.
For her father and her mother,
And her brothers, late last night,
Loaded up their prairie schooner,
And vamoosed the ranch, 'fore light.
'Taint no use to stand here cussin',
But my heart slumps down like lead
When I think of losing Nancy
And to know my dreams are dead.

2

It was here I held you, Nancy,
When I showed you all my heart;
When I told you I would always
Be your friend and take your part.
Oh, I thought that in life's lottery
I had drawn the biggest prize,
When I kissed you there that evening
And looked down into your eyes;
For I never had such feelin's
Fill my hide clean through and through
Such a hungry, starving longing,
To be always close to you.
But you've gone with all your family,
And I'm left to mourn my loss,
While the posse hunts your daddie,
'Cause he stole Bill Kelly's hoss.

3

Now, I don't know where you're roaming,
And I don't know where'll you'll land;
But I wish you knew my feelin's,
And 'twas clear just how I stand:
How the good Lord, high in heaven,
Put a throbbing heart in here,
But it starts to pumping backwards
When it feels that you don't keer.
I'm a roving old jay-hawker,
Never caught like this before,
But I'd give my last possession
For a glimpse of you once more.
If we lose your old fool father
Folks 'round here can stand the loss,
He was raised in old Missoura,
Or he'd never stole that hoss.

[Illustration: "I am standing by her dug-out,
Open stands the sagging door."]

4

When my mind gets to recalling
All the happy times we had,
Good red liquor and tobacco
Gets to tasting kind o' bad.
You remember on your birthday
How I drove 'round kind o' late,
And we went to Donkey Collins'
To a dance, to celebrate?
When you got up in my wagon,
Bless my heart, you sure was sweet!
You was bound that you'd go barefoot,
'Cause your new shoes hurt your feet.
Well, I tell you, pretty Nancy,
Every minute of that ride
Seemed like floating through the heavens,
'Cause you set there by my s