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_________American Ballads and Folk Songs
It happened in Jacksboro in the spring of seventy-three,
A man by the name of Crego came stepping up to me,
Saying, "How do you do, young fellow, and how would you like to go
And spend one summer pleasantly on the range of the buffalo?"
"It's me being out of employment," this to Crego I did say, "This going out on the buffalo range depends upon the pay. But if you will pay good wages and transportation too, I think, sir, I will go with you to the range of the buffalo."
"Yes, I will pay good wages, give transportation too, Provided you will go with me and stay the summer through j But if you should grow homesick, come back to Jacksboro, I won't pay transportation from the range of the buffalo."
It's now our outfit was complete—seven able-bodied men, With navy six and needle gun—our troubles did begin j Our way it was a pleasant one, the route we had to go, Until we crossed Pease River on the range of the buffalo.
It's now we've crossed Pease River, our troubles have begun. The first damned tail I went to rip, Christ! how I cut my thumb! While skinning the damned old stinkers our lives wasn't a showv For the Indians watched to pick us off while skinning the buffalo.
He fed us on such sorry chuck I wished myself most dead, It was old jerked beef, croton coffee, and sour bread. Pease River's salty as hell fire, the water I could never go— Oh, God! I wished I'd never come to the range of the buffalo.
Our meat it was buffalo rump and iron wedge bread,
And all we had to sleep on was a buffalo robe for a bed}
The fleas and graybacks worked on us, oh, boys, it was not slow,
I'll tell you there's no worse hell on earth than the range of the buffalo,
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