That's what I call a hoss! and-What did you say?—

O, the nevey?

Drownded, I reckon, leastways, he never kem back

to deny it.

Ye see the derned fool had no seat,-ye couldn't have made him a rider;

And then, ye know, boys will be boys, and hosses

well, hosses is hosses!

Are a stranger? The same?

Well, I thought it was true,

For thar isn't a man on the river as can't spot the place at first view.

It was called after Dow,

Which the same was an ass,

And as to the how

Thet the thing kem to pass,—

Jest tie up your hoss to that buckeye, and sit ye down

He slipped up somehow

On each thing thet he struck.

Why, ef he'd a straddled thet fence-rail the derned

thing 'ed get up and buck.

He mined on the bar

Till he couldn't pay rates ;

He was smashed by a car

When he tunnelled with Bates;

And right on the top of his trouble kem his wife and

five kids from the States.

It was rough,―mighty rough;

But the boys they stood by,

And they brought him the stuff

For a house, on the sly;

And the old woman,-well, she did washing, and took

on when no one was nigh.

But this yer luck of Dow's

Was so powerful mean

DOW'S FLAT.

That the spring near his house

Dried right up on the green;

37

And he sunk forty feet down for water, but nary a drop

to be seen.

Then the bar petered out,

And the boys wouldn't stay ;

And the chills* got about,

And his wife fell away :

But Dow, in his well, kept a peggin' in his usual ridi

With a shovel and pick on his shoulder, and a derringert hid in his breast.

*Fever and ague.

A derringer, revolver.

He goes to the well,

And he stands on the brink,

And stops for a spell

Jest to listen and think :

For the sun in his eyes, (jest like this, sir!) you see,

kinder made the cuss blink.

His two ragged gals

In the gulch were at play,

And a gownd that was Sal's

Kinder flapped on a bay :

Not much for a man to be leavin', but his all,—as I've heer'd the folks say.

And-That's a peart hoss

Thet you've got, ain't it now?

What might be her cost?

Eh? Oh-Well, then, Dow

Let's see, well, that forty-foot grave wasn't his, sir,

that day, anyhow.