When I think of those good old days, my eyes with tears do fill; When I think of the tin can by the fire and the cayote on the hill. I'll tell you, boys, in those days old-timers stood a show,-- Our pockets full of money, not a sorrow did we know. But things have changed now, we are poorly clothed and fed. Our wagons are all broken and our ponies most all dead. Soon we will leave this country, you'll hear the angels shout, "Oh, here they come to Heaven, the campfire has gone out." NIGHT-HERDING SONG BY HARRY STEPHENS Oh, slow up, dogies, quit your roving round, You have wandered and tramped all over the ground; Oh, graze along, dogies, and feed kinda slow, And don't forever be on the go,-- Oh, move slow, dogies, move slow. Hi-oo, hi-oo, oo-oo. I have circle-herded, trail-herded, night-herded, and cross-herded, too, But to keep you together, that's what I can't do; My horse is leg weary and I'm awful tired, But if I let you get away I'm sure to get fired,-- Bunch up, little dogies, bunch up. Hi-oo, hi-oo, oo-oo. O say, little dogies, when you goin' to lay down And quit this forever siftin' around? My limbs are weary, my seat is sore; Oh, lay down, dogies, like you've laid before,-- Lay down, little dogies, lay down. Hi-oo, hi-oo, oo-oo. Oh, lay still, dogies, since you have laid down, Stretch away out on the big open ground; Snore loud, little dogies, and drown the wild sound That will all go away when the day rolls round,-- Lay still, little dogies, lay still. Hi-oo, hi-oo, oo-oo. . . . . . . TAIL PIECE Oh, the cow-puncher loves the whistle of his rope, As he races over the plains; And the stage-driver loves the popper of his whip, And the rattle of his concord chains; And we'll all pray the Lord that we will be saved, And we'll keep the golden rule; But I'd rather be home with the girl I love Than to monkey with this goddamn'd mule. . . . . . . . . . . . THE HABIT[5] I've beat my way wherever any winds have blown, I've bummed along from Portland down to San Antone, From Sandy Hook to Frisco, over gulch and hill; For once you git the habit, why, you can't keep still. I settles down quite frequent and I says, says I, "I'll never wander further till I comes to die." But the wind it sorta chuckles, "Why, o' course you will," And shure enough I does it, cause I can't keep still. I've seed a lot o' places where I'd like to stay, But I gets a feelin' restless and I'm on my way. I was never meant for settin' on my own door sill, And once you git the habit, why, you can't keep still. I've been in rich men's houses and I've been in jail, But when it's time for leavin', I jes hits the trail; I'm a human bird of passage, and the song I trill, Is, "Once you git the habit, why, you can't keep still."