Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1876-02-18
For the AvANr COURIER.
A CACTUS CANTICLE.

[ sing an ldyl CT the Yellowstone.
The snow now covers, like coat OF paste,
This cactus covered. barren, rocky waste,
AID hides, like cloak Of charity, the sod,
Of bowling, windy desert, cursed of God
The bellows demon y taking q repose.
This day was calm, that now is at its close;
But we have every reason to suppose,
rhst with the rising sun away twill GO:
Chasing the sitting, shifting, drifting snow
Which ever seeks to batis. its pu.suer,
Failing to hid, unable to endure,
Disguised, curses the unquiet day,
Aud vanishes into thin air away.
Poor, vexed and weary.worn and vested
snow,
[. too, must battle with the winds that
blow.
Some day. like you, may get up and go.
comes this pushing, pouring mass
OF breath?
and walling DER the barren
heath,
Like Wandering Jew. denied rest in
death.
Far in the deep recess of Wonderland,
Where nature carves her canyons deep
and grand,
And frames formations with fantastic
hand;
Where bubbling hot springs honeycomb
the land,
And roaring geysers spout up mud aud
sand,
IT'S there the imps this whistIing wind
have placned.
And Boreal Devil bears a s.eady hand.
Wines through the desert like silver
tire d,
The rolling river in its rocky bed
A scrubby cedar struggling here and there,
Some gh0stly cottonwoods, all skinned
aud bare,
n axe ia'nt attempt to check the whistline
air.
Some groves Of willow, though they bear
no fruit,
Temper the tempest to the suffering brute
Brtimes where cometh down mountain
branch,
Some poles and cabin try to make a ranch.
The occupant, not in the least forlorn.
Expects to make itrsising stock and corn
He toes not have much stock to speak oil
A pair OF bu1zard-heads to pull his pillow.
A hog or two, and here and there a COW
Young stock unknown Us < is in algebra,
Some bronchos that would shame striped
zebra.
A Jersey farmer'd laugh to see how cheap
These simple cactus raLchmen raise sheep
With S,arp's or Winche,ter's new shep-
herd crook,
And pocket. glass to lengthen out his look,
You'll see him worm his way from rock
to rock,
And creep among the crags to watch his
tlccx.
A rlfl, IS sharp repOrt-a wounded leap
jrang rs way and other angels weep
This Rocky Mountain rauchnlan' g raised
asleep.
Some wicked joker, by the Devil led on
A man these ranchmen ought to put 4
head on
Says all man wants IN this happy land
Is just to own one luilch cow and brand
A pony that can just get up and 90,
A timber lariat and the skill TO throw:
Some lashing ropes aud one good stout
corral,
And then. if he'll attend to business we'll.
Kind Providence will bring him beet to
sell.
But this is nerest bosh; our ranchman
don't
Jet any of his meat that way. nor won't.
No, chucklc. headed reader, don't sup
pose,
Because the chill rem here wear buckskin
clothes.
Because to church their mama never goes.
That the coll winds this peoples heart
have iroze.
rhey win their way by honest, sturdy
blows.
they are not deaf TO other peoples woes.
The grub they give to wandering tilks
dispose,
fields a sweet incense to our Fathers
nose.
Z. quiet moccasin, who hurts and trans,
ling of Basaltic crags and mountain 6 Fps,
Ever beguiling ski"s and buying schnappsI
e human eagle with prehensile foot,
II un'ncumbered By cumbrous boot,
e creeping "a: Of upper atmosphere,
leartless fiend to harmless elk and deer,
constant ghouI to frightened eye and
car.
1e cultivated savages and squawe,
lust have our gauntlets, lpFs and fool
gewgaws,
nd so. regardless ofgood mercy's laws,
ur,ler our brothers of hoofs and paws,
ut moccasin thine Occasion's gone.
DIX to the East. behold the. creeping
dawn.
be skirmiSh line of great Centennial
morn,
rome ON the river bank press close thine
ear,
sut BE- carful NOT 70 press 1t on prickly
pear.
Ost not the slogan OF the coming steam.
er hear?
rat up the winding, silvery styeam DOTH
steer.
'ou TT done; its civilizations pioneer.