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Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads

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THE BULL-WHACKER (p. 069) I'm a lonely bull-whacker On the Red Cloud line, I can lick any son of a gun That will yoke an ox of mine. And if I can catch him, You bet I will or try, I'd lick him with an ox-bow,— Root hog or die. It's out on the road With a very heavy load, With a very awkward team And a very muddy road, You may whip and you may holler, But if you cuss it's on the sly; Then whack the cattle on, boys,— Root hog or die. It's out on the road These sights are to be seen, The antelope and buffalo, The prairie all so green,— The antelope and buffalo, The rabbit jumps so high; It's whack the cattle on, boys,— Root hog or die. It's (p. 070) every day at twelve There's something for to do; And if there's nothing else, There's a pony for to shoe; I'll throw him down, And still I'll make him lie; Little pig, big pig, Root hog or die. Now perhaps you'd like to know What we have to eat, A little piece of bread And a little dirty meat, A little black coffee, And whiskey on the sly; It's whack the cattle on, boys,— Root hog or die. There's hard old times on Bitter Creek That never can be beat, It was root hog or die Under every wagon sheet; We cleaned up all the Indians, Drank all the alkali, And it's whack the cattle on, boys,— Root hog or die. There was good old times in Salt Lake That never can pass by, It was there I first spied My China girl called Wi. She (p. 071) could smile, she could chuckle, She could roll her hog eye; Then it's whack the cattle on, boys,— Root hog or die. Oh, I'm going home Bull-whacking for to spurn, I ain't got a nickel, And I don't give a dern. 'Tis when I meet a pretty girl, You bet I will or try, I'll make her my little wife,— Root hog or die. <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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