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Speaker 1: The Cowboy's Christmas Ball to the ranchmen of Texas, way

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out in western Texas, where the clear Fork's waters flow,

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where the cattle are a browsin and the Spanish ponies grow,

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Where the northers come a whistling from beyond the neutral strip,

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and the prairie dogs are sneezing as if they had

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the grip, Where the coyotes come a howling round the

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ranches after dark, and the mocking birds are singing. To

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the lovely meadow lark, where the possum and the badger

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and rattlesnakes abound, and the monstrous stars are winking. Or

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a wilderness profound, where lonesome, tawny prairies melt into airy streams,

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where the double mountains slumber in heavenly kinds of dreams,

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where the antelope is grazing and the lonely plovers call.

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It was there that I attended the Cowboy's Christmas Ball.

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The town was Anson City, Old Jones's county seat, where

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they raise pold angus cattle and waving whiskered wheat, where

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the air is soft and balmy and dry and full

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of health, and the prairies is exploding with agricultural wealth,

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where they print the Texas Western that Heck McCann supplies

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with news and yarns and stories of most amazing size,

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where Frank Smith pulls the badger on knowing tender feet,

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and Democracy's triumphant and mighty hard to beat. Where lives

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that good old hunter John Milsap from Lamar, who used

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to be the sheriff back east in Paris, saw twas there,

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I said, Anson with the lively widow wall that I

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went to that reception the Cowboy's Christmas Ball. The boys

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had left the ranches and come to town, and piles the

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ladies kind of scattering had gathered in for miles, and

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yet the place was crowded, as I remember well, twas

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got for the occasion at the morning Star Hotel. The

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music was a fiddle and a lively tambourine and a

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vial come in Poorard by the stage from Abilene. The

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room was togged out gorgeous with mistletoe and shawls, and

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candles flickered frescoes around the airy walls. The women folks

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looked lovely, The boys looked kinda tried till their leader

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commenced Yellin' whoa fellas let stampede and the music started

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sighing and a wailin through the hall. Is a kind

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of introduction to the Cowboy's Christmas Ball. The leader was

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a fellow that came from Swinson's ranch. They called him

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Windy Billy from Little dead Man's branch. His rig was

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kind of careless, big spurs and high heeled boots. He

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had the reputation that comes when fellas shoots. His voice

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was like a bugle upon the mountain's height. His feet

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were animated, and a mighty movin sight when he commenced

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to holler, naw, fellas, stake your pen like horns, tall

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them heifers and rustle em like men. Salute your lovely critters.

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Niw swing and let em go climb the rape vine.

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Round em all hands, dosey dough, you mavericks, join the

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round up. Just skip er waterfall. Huh. It was getting

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active the cowboys Christmas Ball. The boys was tolerable, skittish.

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The lady's powerful neat that old bass vial's music just

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got there with both feet that wailin frisky fiddle, I

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never shall forget, and Wendy kept us singin' I think

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I hear him. Yet o Xes chase their squirrels and

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cut him to one side. Spur treadwell to the center

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with cross Pete Charlie's bride, Doc Hollis down the middle,

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and Twine the lady's chain. Varn Andrews pen the phillies

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in Big t Diamond's train. I'll pull your freight together. Now,

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swallow fork and change Big Boston lead the trail herd

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through little pitchforks. Range per round your gentle pussies. Now

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rope em balance all huh. It was gettin active the

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cowboys Christmas ball, the dust rise fast and furious. We

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all just galloped round till the scenery got so giddy

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that z bar Dick was downed. We buckled to our

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partners and told him to hold on, then shook our

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hoofs like lightning until the early dawn. Don't tell me

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about cotillions or Germans, No SuRie. That whirl at Anson

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City just takes the cake with me. I'm sick of

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lazy shufflings of them. I've had my fill. Give me

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a frontier breakdown, backed up by Windy. Bill mc allister

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ain't nowhere. When Wendy leads the show. I've seen em

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both in harness, and so I sort of know, Oh Bill,

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I shan't forget you, and I'll oftentimes recall that lively

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gaited swaller The Cowboys Christmas Ball. End of The Cowboys

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Christmas Ball by William Lawrence Chittenden