THE RUSTLERS

There were six dudes and a wrangler guide.
They headed West, it was quite a ride.

They didn’t look much like cowpokes do,
and they didn’t know where they were riding to.

But ride they did, and they did their best.
to find some doggies -- cattle was their quest.

And it weren’t too long until they found
a herd of cows, some black, some brown.

They couldn’t tell a Hereford steer
from an Angus bull or a fat old deer.

But they didn’t care what type or breed
They’d found a herd and it met their need.

They wanted to move 'em, they knew not where
and in fact they really didn’t care.

The dudes spread out and began to shout,
and the herd began to scatter about.

The cows did bellow, grunt and moo
and the dudes replied with their “Ya hoo.”

But soon a mother cow with calf
decided she’d have the last laugh.

She had sharp horns that stuck out straight.
And when she turned, there was no debate.

When dudes and cow were face-to-face,
the dudes turned tail and picked up the pace.

She chased them for a little while,
it probably wasn’t an eighth of a mile.

But it was enough to make them queasy
and teach them movin’ cows ain’t easy.

8-20-92


Dedicated to Robin Presson and Sue McIlwain in Indianapolis and to Jim and Cindy Hewlitt in Olatha, Kansas.