nk the other eye
At each other, 'sif they
Smelt a mouse around our way!

Me and Tom had never grew
Spoony like some couples do;
Never billed and cooed and sighed;
He was bashful like and I'd
Notions of my own that it
Wasn't policy to git
Too abundant till I'd got
Of my feller good and caught.

As we walked along that night
He got talkin' of the bright
Prospects that he had, and I
Somehow felt, I dunno why,
That a-fore we cake-walked back
To the ranch he'd make a crack
Fer my hand, and I was plum
Achin' fer the shock to come.

By and by he says, "I've got
Fifty head o' cows, and not
One of 'em but, on the dead,
Is a crackin' thoroughbred.
Got a daisy claim staked out,
And I'm thinkin' it's about
Time fer me to make a shy
At a home." "O Tom!" says I.

"Bin a-lookin' round," says he,
"Quite a little while to see
'F I could git a purty face
Fer to ornament the place.
Plenty of 'em in the land;
But the one 'at wears my brand
Must be sproutin' wings to fly!"
"You deserve her, Tom," says I.

"Only one so fur," says he,
"Fills the bill, and mebbe she
Might shy off and bust my hope
If I should pitch the poppin' rope.
Mebbe she'd git hot an' say
That it was a silly play
Askin' her to make a tie."
"She would be a fool," says I.

'Tain't nobody's business what
Happened then, but I jist thought
I could see the moon-man smile
Cutely down upon us, while
Me and him was walkin' back,--
Stoppin' now and then to smack
Lips rejoicin' that at last
The dread crisis had been past.
_Anonymous._

A COWBOY'S LOVE SONG

OH, the last steer has been branded
And the last beef has been shipped,
And I'm free to roam the prairies
That the round-up crew has stripped;
I'm free to think of Susie,--
Fairer than the stars above,--
She's the waitress at the station
And she is my turtle dove.

Biscuit-shootin' Susie,--
She's got us roped and tied;
Sober men or woozy
Look on her with pride.
Susie's strong and able,
And not a one gits rash
When she waits on the table
And superintends the hash.

Oh, I sometimes think I'm locoed
An' jes fit fer herdin' sheep,
'Cause I only thi