Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-12-01
A Cowboys Idea of the "Sweet
By-an'-Bye."

A Cowboys Idea of the "Sweet
By-an'-Bye."
A bit Of tender sentiment perme-
ates every line Of the following,
which we clip from the Albion
Times:
Last night az 'ay on the prairie,
And looked at the stars ~ the SKY,
wonder If ever a cowboy
Would DRIFT TO that sweet byo-an' bye.
Jack laid his pipe down and turn
ing to his pard, who was also star
gazing, said: "Old man, what do
you think of that proposition, any
how2"
whats that, old boyp
"Well, this deal about the sweet
bye and bye. Do you think
couple of toughs like us would
stand any kind of a show way up
there among the angels, with their
golden wings, and their gold-paved
streets, no end Of harps, free music.
everything coming your way, where
everyone has his own private brand
and the good Lord dead onto every
angel in the herd2 I've been sort
of thinking this thing over, and it
hits me bang in the short ribs that
you and me had better sit in that
kind of a game, play close and see
if we can't win, for
The trail to that bright mystic region
Is narrow and dim, so they say,
But the that leads down to perdtion
Is staked and biazed all the way.
"And that's dead right. It's no
trouble to find the trail to hades-
it's a oinch and you can't lose it,
for the devil is the smoothest old
boy in the deck. He sticks closer
than that porous plaster | put on
you that had been shot with bird
shot When the big roundup
comes up we want to be easy to
find.
They say there viii be a great roundup
Where cowboys Ike cattle will stand
To be cut out by the riders from heaven
Nhe are posted and know every brand.
Nov, old man, that verse is the
apple dumping of the whole layout
and shows that no monkeying goes
for a minute. How are you going
to get around it? You and me have
been riding these ranges all our
lives and we amt got brand.
We've got to croak some day. Look
at payday; we get our dough and
where is it2 Booze-faries and
boozel A scrap or two and we go
back to work. It's the same old
game, and you can't beat it. Do
you think a -puncher could get
to heaven, anyhow?
wonder was there ever cowboy
Prepared for that great Judgment day,
Who could say to the boss OF the riders,
] am ready to be driven awayY
"That last one is hard to crack
don't see why cowboy can't get
there with both hoofs. I'm go
ing to keep cases on them sky pi-
lots and try to get onto their curves;
but, old man, it's on the square and
| know it. Listen to this:
They say He viii never forsake you
hat he notes every action and look
But for safety you'd better get branded
And have your name in the big tally book,
NOW you've got the whole SNAP
right in the neck. I'm going to get
branded. You had better shake of
your hobbies and cash your chips
with me. When we get up yonder
and jingle our spurs at the gate Of
the big corral and st. Peter looks
out We'll just tell his royal highness
that we're the two biggest thorough
breds that ever came from the n
range, that lately we've been on the
dead square-no monkeying Of any
kind-and it's safe money he'll say
to some tenderfoot, Gust fit these
gentlemen out with wings" Then
we're in the game from that on.