New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-26
And Lasca!

The Green beneath and the blue above;
And dash and danger, and life and love.
Iasca used tc ride
On mouse gray mustang close 20 my sue
With blue serGpe and bright beled spur;
laughed with JOY as looked al her!
Little knew she OF books or OF creeds;
An Are Maria suliced her needs;
Little she cared, save 10 be by my slde'
To ride with me- and ever to ride,
From San Saba's shore to Lavacas tide.
She was as bold as the pillows that beat
She was as wild as the breezes That dow;
From her little head to her little feet
She was swayed in her suppleness TO and ITO
By each gust Of passion; saplng pine,
That grows on the edge Of Kansas blum,
And wars with the wind when the weather IS rough
| Is like this Lasca, this love OF mine.
| She would hunger that might eat,
| Would take the bitter and leave me the sweet;
| But once when | made her Jealous for fun,
At something I'd whispered, or looked, or done,
One Sunday in San Antonio,
To glorious girl on the Alamo 49,
She drew from her garter dear little dagger,
Adjusting of a wasp!-it made me staggerI
An inch to the left, or an inch to the right,
And | shouldn't be Numbering here t0-night;,
But she sObbed, and sohbIng, so swiftly bound
Her torn rebOsO about the wound,
That | quite turgavc her. Scratches don't count
In lexas. down by the Rio Grande.
Her eye was brown-a deep, deep brown;
Her hair was darker than her eye;
And something in her smile and frown,
Curled crimson lip and lnsiep hlgh
Showed that there ran III each blue vein,
Mixed with the milder Aztec strain.
The vigorous vintage of Old spain.
She was alive ~ every umO
With feeling, 20 the tiDgeT-tlps;
And when the sun Is Ike a ire,
And sky one shining soft sapphire,
One does not drink in little sips.
The air was heavy, the night was hot
| sat by hex side. and fOrgot-forsot;
Forgot the herd that were taking their rest
Forgot that the ar was close Opprest,
That the Texas nOrther comes sudden and soon,
In the dead OF night or the blaze of noon
That once let the herd at Its breath take fright,
That nothing on earth can stop the iiight
And woe to the rider, and woe to the steed,
Who falls IL front of their mad stampede.
Was that thunder No by the Lord!
spring to my saddle without a word.
One foot on mine and she chung behind.
Away on hot chase down the wind!
But never was fox-hunt half so hard,
And never was sfeed so little spared
For we rode for our lives. You shall hear how we
Jared
In Texas, down by the RIO Graude.
The mustang flew and we urged him on;
There was one chance let, AMI you have but one ;
Halt lump 70 ground, and shoot your horse
Crouch under his carcase, and take your chance;
Aud If the steers in their frantic course
Don't batter you both 10 pieces az once,
YOu may thank your star II not goodbye
70 the qulckeniug kiss and the OIg-draWn SIGH,
And the open air and the open sky
In Texas, down by the Rio Graude
The cattle gained OF US, and, just as felt
For my old SIX -shOOter behind In my belt,
Down cane the mustang. ana down came We
Chnging together, and--whst was the restf
A body that spread itself on my breast.
Two arms that shielded my dizzy head,
Two lips that hard on my lips prcst;
Then came thunder in my ears,
As over Us suTged tho sea ofsteers,
Blows that beat blood into my eyes,
And when | could rise,
La was dead
! gouged out "a grave few feet deep,
And there in EaTth's arms LAID her 10 sleep;
And there she l. lying, and no one knows
And the summer shines aid the winter SHOWS;
For many DAY the flowers have spread
A pail Of petals over her head
And the little gray hawk hangs alOft in the air,
And the sly c0yOtf trOts here aud there,
And the black snake gdes and glitters and slides
Into ritt in a cottonwood tree
And the buZZaTd sails on
And comes and Is gone,
Stately and still, ike a ship at sea;
And wonder why DO not care
For the things that are ike the things that were.
Does half my heart lie buried there
IL Texas, down by the itlo GrandeI
FRANK DEsPREZ