Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-09-12

FAVORITES
I.asca.

-~~o~o~~-o-o~~~o~~~
Lasca.
It's all very well to write reviews.
And carry umbrellas, and keep dry shoes.
And say what every ones saying here
And wear what every one else must
wear;
But tonight I'm sick of the whole affair.
| want free life and | want fresh air;
And | sigh for the canter after the cat
The crack of the whips like shots in
battle.
The medley of horns and hoofs and heads
That wars and wrangles and scatters and
spreads;
The green beneath, and the blue above;
And dash and danger. and life and love,
And Lasca.
Lasca used to ride
On a mouse-gray mustang close to my
side
With blue serape and bright-belled spur;
| laughed with Joy as looked at her.
Little knew she of books or of creeds-
An Ave Maria sufiiced her needs;
Little she cared. save to be by my side,
To ride with me, and ever to ride,
L rom san NHDH SnOrt 10 tiuc'
She was as bold as the pillows that beat,
She was as wild as the breezes that blow,
From her little head to her little feet.
She was swayed in her suppleness to an
fro
BY each gust of passion sapling pine,
That grows on the edge Of Kansas
bluff
And wars with the wind when the wealth
err is rough.
Is like this Lasca. this love of mine.
She was alive in every limb
With a feeling, to the finger-tips;
And when the sun is like a fire,
And sky one shining soft sapphire,
One does not drink in little sips.
Why did leave the fresh and the free,
That suited her and suited me?
Listen awhile, and you will see;
But this be sure-in earth or air,
God and Gods laws are everywhere.
And Nemesis comes with foot as fleet
On the Texas trail as in Regent street.
The air was heavy, the night was hot,
| sat by her side and quite forgot;
Forgot the herd that were taking their
rest
Forgot that the air was close opprest.
That the Texas norther comes sudden
and soon,
In the dead of night or the blaze Of moon;
That once let the herd at it's breath take
fright,
Nothing on earth can stop their fight
And woe to the rider. and woe to the
steed,
Who fall in 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 a wild chase down the wind!
But never was fox hunt half so hard.
And never was steed so little spared.
For we rode for our lives. You shall
hear how we Jared
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande.
The mustang few and we urged him on :
| There was one chance left and you have
but one;
Halt, jump to the ground, and shoot your
horse:
Crouch under his carcass. and take your
chance;
And if the steers in their frantic course
Don't batter you both to pieces at once,
You may thank your stars; if not. good
by
To the open air and the open sky,
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande.
The cattle gained on us, and. just as l
felt
For my old six-shooter behind in my belt.
| Down came the mustang. and down came
Clinging together, and-what was the
! restI
4 body that spread itself on my breast,
Two arms chat shielded my dizzy head,
Then came thunder in my ears.
| AS over us surged the sea of steers,
Blows that beat blood into my eyes,
And when | could rise,
Lasca was dead
followed a grave a few feet deep.
| And there in Earth's arms | laid her to
sleep;
And there she is lying. and no one knows,
And the summer shines and the winter
SHOWS:
For many a day the flowers have spread
4 pail of petals DER her head:
| And | wonder why | do not care
For things that are like the things that
were
Does half my life lie buried there
In Texas, down by the Rio Grande?
Frank Desprez.