Then old Zach would try to soothe him In his simple-hearted way; "She won't hurt you," he would tell him, "I'll go drive her clear away. I've seen things--now listen, pardner-- Those things happened once to me Once down there in old Dodge City, Winding up a three weeks' spree. What you see is jest a 'lusion, 'Cause you're crazy in your head; When your thinker's runnin' proper You'll find 'She' is gone or dead. There, now, pardner, see what this is! Ain't it purty? Your tin cup; Found a little pinch o' coffee. That's the boy, now, drink it up!" 12 When the breeze of spring in whispers Stirred the withered bunch-grass plume, Humming hymns of resurrection Over nature's silent tomb, And the fleeing clouds of heaven, Bending low at God's command, Spilled their tribute from the ocean On the long-forsaken land, And the sun, with mellow kindness Spread abroad his softened rays, Calling bud and blade and blossom From their sleep of many days, Billy heard, at last, the music Of the glad earth's jubilee, Felt a new strength stir within him, And a longing to be free. 13 One day, o'er the hill's low summit, Whence the prairie dipped away, There appeared a moving wagon With its canvas patched and gray, Like a vessel on the ocean Under taut and close-reefed sail, Rising slowly on the billows Heaped up by the driving gale. Veering towards the little dug-out, Making for a friendly shore, Heaving to, the schooner anchored Close beside the open door. Loud and hearty were the greetings, For the driver of the team Was Tom Frothingham, a neighbor, Who had lived near Billy's claim. 14 Bit by bit he told the story-- How he'd wandered all around Since he left his Kansas homestead And the folks near North Pole mound; How he'd traveled all through Texas With the roving fever on, Camping oft in strange new places, Where no other soul had gone. So the news, now half forgotten In his absence from the place, Came in broken recollections-- Careful efforts to retrace All the incidents of interest To the sick one listening there, Who, with pale and careworn features, Heard the story with despair. 15 "Three weeks after you left Kansas I hitched up and came away. Still, I reckoned you intended To improve your claim and stay; For your eighty was a picture-- Running spring and good clear land-- Everything a body needed For a starter, right at hand. Well, some others left 'fore I did-- You remember Mac, of course, How he got the moving notion When Bill Kelly missed his horse? Chased him clear to Old Man's crossing, So I heard the posse say; Thought they had him fairly cornered, But, by jings! he got away. 16