Nancy MacIntyre | Page 2

Next thing I would fight my pard. Appetite is surely failing,
Sometimes I don't eat a bite; Dream of Nancy all the daytime, That
durn Johnson, half the night.

6
I've just got to get to plowin', Break a fire-guard 'round my shack, Plant
my sod corn, fix my garden; Everything is goin' to rack. I can't work
the way I used to; Got to quittin' early now, Since a little thing that
happened, I can't just remember how. I was takin' leave of Nancy,
Standin' out there in the night, And I put my arms around her-- Heart
stopped beatin', just from fright. Can't express the kind of feelin',--
Words wa'n't never made for this,-- As I drew her face up closer, And I
stole my first sweet kiss.

THE QUARREL
1
Things have moved along some smoother Since a week ago to-night,
Seems my blood turned all to p'ison-- Me and Johnson had a fight.
Caught him twice up there to Nancy's; Told him plain to stay away; But
he didn't seem to notice Anything I had to say. Caught him settin' there
and talkin' 'Bout the things that he had done-- Durndest liar on the
prairie-- Laughing like he thought 'twas fun, Settin' there beside o'
Nancy-- Settin' down is all he does, Good for nothin', bug-eyed, loafin',
Wrinkled, yaller, meddlin' cuss!
2
I just let him keep on settin' All the whole long evenin' through; When
he started off I follered, Told him what I meant to do. "Why," says he,
"now, don't git foolish; I ain't skeered o' your light breeze; I'll go thar
and set by Nancy, Spite o' you, when I blame please." Well, I don't just
clear remember All the doin's that took place, But you'll know the story
better If you'll look at Johnson's face. As we rode we clinched and
wrestled, Then we tumbled to the ground, Tore the bunch grass up, and
cactus, For a hundred yards around.
3

Got him down, and in the scrimmage Felt my lasso on the ground, Tied
his legs and bent him over, Bound him like he's sittin' down; Hustled
quick to mount my pony, Threw the loose end round the horn, Thought
I'd learn that Mr. Johnson He'd missed out in bein' born. Then I dragged
him on the prairie, Through a Turk's Head cactus bed, Prickly pears and
shoestring bushes,-- 'Twasn't decent what he said. He's so dev'lish fond
of settin', Thought I'd fix his settin' end So's he'd be more kinder careful
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