Apples and Hosses

Apples and Hosses I started to cowboy just sixteen and raw On a spread east of the divide The boss man was as tough as I ever saw He didn’t keep nothin’ inside. I knew your pa, he says, a long time ago He was tough and built for this land I never saw him quit or even go slow Might you be this same kind of man? I’d never thought one way or the other About what sort of man I was He says I’ll find out this way or another Just what’s underneath that peach fuzz You see that notch in the hills yonder? There’s a painted filly up there There’s a black stud don’t let her wander I want you to bring her down here. Now I didn’t know no better back then Took a sack of apples to eat Headed to the place he said they’d been A drizzly day with rain and sleet. I got to the notch and the sun was bright And shone on the stud and the paint I had no plan but I could think all night To see if I can or I cain’t. I leaned on a tree, ate apples all night And thought ‘til my brain got sore Just at dawn I heard a hoss take a bite They were eatin them apple cores. Jumped on my hoss, sack on my back And headed straight down the hill An apple now and then outta the sack I dropped to give them their fill. Rode home with the paint and the stud Followed by four mares and two colts Poured out the apples fast as I could Closed the gate and threw all the bolts Well the bossman was grinnin’ ear to ear Never saw nothin’ that clever He says your daddy was never even near As smart as that, nossir never. Well I wound up just another cowpoke No more or no less than you I get drunk and I’m always half broke But the story ‘ bout apples is true.