              ,,*APT] ,X4
  ,AF BR1KFA/ ,I WANT$ 6TALK AB ! D1D
MAN & GUESS \ H[ HE -E 6BE KILL$1 B ,JIM
DIDN'T WANT TO4 ,HE SD X WD FET* BAD
LUCK2 & 2SS1 HE SD1 HE MI<T -E & HA'NT
U2 HE SD A MAN T W>N'T BURI$ 0 M LIKELY
6G A- HA'NT+ >.D ?AN "O T 0 PLANT$ &
-=TA#4 ,T S.D$ PRETTY R1SONA#1 S ,I
DIDN'T SAY NO M2 B ,I CDN'T KEEP F /UDY+
OV] X & WI%+ ,I "K$ :O %OT ! MAN1 & :AT
!Y D"O X =4
  ,WE RUMMAG$ ! CLO!S WE'D GOT1 & F.D
EI<T DOLL>S 9 SILV] SEW$ UP 9 ! L9+ ( AN
OLD BLANKET OV]COAT4 ,JIM SD HE RECKON$
! P 9 T H\SE /OLE ! COAT1 2C IF !Y'D A
"K$ ! M"OY 0 "! !Y WDN'T A LEFT X4 ,I SD
,I RECKON$ !Y KILL$ HM1 TOO2 B ,JIM
DIDN'T WANT 6TALK AB T4 ,I SAYS3
  8,N[ Y ?9K X'S BAD LUCK2 B :AT DID Y
SAY :5 ,I FET*$ 9 ! SNAKE-SK9 T ,I F.D
ON ! TOP (! RIDGE "D 2F YE/]"D8 ,Y SD X
0 ! WOR/ BAD LUCK 9 ! _W 6T\* A SNAKE-
SK9 ) MY H&S4 ,WELL1 "H'S YR BAD LUCK6
,WE'VE RAK$ 9 ALL ? TRUCK & EI<T DOLL>S
2SS4 ,I WI% WE CD H "S BAD LUCK L ? E
"D1 ,JIM40
  8,N"E Y M9D1 H"OY1 N"E Y M9D4 ,DON'T Y
GIT TOO PE>T4 ,X'S A-COM9'4 ,M9D ,I TELL
Y1 X'S A-COM9'40
  ,X DID -E1 TOO4 ,X 0 A ,TUES"D T WE _H
T TALK4 ,WELL1 AF D9N] ,FRI"D WE 0 LAY+
>.D 9 ! GRASS AT ! UPP] 5D (! RIDGE1 &
GOT \ ( TOBA3O4 ,I W5T 6! CAV]N 6GET "S1
& F.D A RATTLESNAKE 9 "!4 ,I KILL$ HM1 &
CURL$ HM UP ON ! FOOT ( ,JIM'S BLANKET1
"E S NATURAL1 ?9K+ "!'D 2 "S FUN :5 ,JIM
F.D HM "!4 ,WELL1 0NI<T ,I =GOT ALL AB !
SNAKE1 & :5 ,JIM FLUNG HMF D[N ON !
BLANKET :ILE ,I /RUCK A LI<T ! SNAKE'S
MATE 0 "!1 & BIT HM4
  ,HE JUMP$ UP YELL+1 &! F/ ?+ ! LI<T
%[$ 0 ! V>M9T CURL$ UP & R1DY = ANO!R
SPR+4 ,I LAID HM \ 9 A SECOND )A /ICK1 &
,JIM GRA2$ PAP'S :ISKY-JUG & 2GUN 6P\R X
D[N4
  ,HE 0 B>EFOOT$1 &! SNAKE BIT HM "R ON
! HEEL4 ,T ALL -ES ( MY 2+ S* A FOOL Z
6N REMEMB] T :]"E Y L1VE A D1D SNAKE XS
MATE ALW -ES "! & CURLS >.D X4 ,JIM TOLD
ME 6*OP (F ! SNAKE'S H1D & ?R[ X AWAY1 &
!N SK9 ! BODY & ROA/ A PIECE ( X4 ,I D"O
X1 & HE EAT X & SD X WD HELP CURE HM4
,HE MADE ME TAKE (F ! RATTLES & TIE !M
>.D 8 WRI/1 TOO4 ,HE SD T T WD HELP4 ,!N
,I SLID \ QUIET & ?R[$ ! SNAKES CLE>
AWAY AM;G/ ! BU%ES2 = ,I W>N'T GO+ 6LET
,JIM F9D \ X 0 ALL MY FAULT1 N IF ,I CD
HELP X4
  ,JIM SUCK$ & SUCK$ AT ! JUG1 & N[ & !N
HE GOT \ ( 8 H1D & PIT*$ >.D & YELL$2 B
E "T HE -E 6HMF HE W5T 6SUCK+ AT ! JUG
AG4 ,8 FOOT SWELL$ UP PRETTY BIG1 & S
DID 8 LEG2 B BY & BY ! DRUNK 2GUN 6-E1 &
S ,I JUDG$ HE 0 ALL "R2 B ,I'D DRU!R BE5
BIT )A SNAKE ?AN PAP'S :ISKY4
  ,JIM 0 LAID UP = F\R "DS & NI<TS4 ,!N
! SWELL+ 0 ALL G"O & HE 0 >.D AG4 ,I
MADE UP MY M9D ,I WDN'T "E TAKE A-HOLT (
A SNAKE-SK9 AG ) MY H&S1 N[ T ,I SEE :AT
_H -E ( X4 ,JIM SD HE RECKON$ ,I WD
2LIEVE HM NEXT "T4 ,& HE SD T H&L+ A
SNAKESK9 0 S* AW;L BAD LUCK T MAYBE WE
_HN'T GOT 6! 5D ( X YET4 ,HE SD HE DRU!R
SEE ! NEW MOON OV] 8 LEFT %\LD] Z M* Z A
?\S& "TS ?AN TAKE UP A SNAKE-SK9 9 8 H&4
,WELL1 ,I 0 GETT+ 6FEEL T WAY MYF1 ?\<
,I'VE ALW RECKON$ T LOOK+ AT ! NEW MOON
OV] YR LEFT %\LD] IS "O (! C>E.SE/ &
FOOLI%E/ ?+S A BODY C D4 ,OLD ,HANK
,BUNK] D"O X ONCE1 & BRA7$ AB X2 & 9
LESS ?AN TWO YE>S HE GOT DRUNK & FELL (F
(! %OT-T[]1 & SPR1D HMF \ S T HE 0 J A
K9D (A LAY]1 Z Y MAY SAY2 & !Y SLID HM
$GEWAYS 2T TWO B>N DOORS =A C(F91 &
BURI$ HM S1 S !Y SAY1 B ,I DIDN'T SEE X4
,PAP TOLD ME4 ,B ANYWAY X ALL -E ( LOOK+
AT ! MOON T WAY1 L A FOOL4
  ,WELL1 ! "DS W5T AL;G1 &! RIV] W5T D[N
2T XS BANKS AG2 & AB ! F/ ?+ WE D"O 0
6BAIT "O (! BIG HOOKS )A SK9N$ RA2IT &
SET X & CAT* A CATFI% T 0 Z BIG Z A MAN1
2+ SIX FOOT TWO 9*ES L;G1 & WEI<$ OV]
TWO HUNDR$ P.DS4 ,WE CDN'T H&LE HM1 (
C\RSE2 HE WD A FLUNG U 96,ILL9OIS4 ,WE J
SET "! & WAT*$ HM RIP & TE> >.D TILL HE
DR[ND$4 ,WE F.D A BRASS BUTTON 9 8 /OMA*
&A R.D BALL1 & LOTS ( RU2AGE4 ,WE SPLIT
! BALL OP5 )! HAT*ET1 & "! 0 A SPOOL 9
X4 ,JIM SD HE'D _H X "! A L;G "T1 6COAT
X OV] S & MAKE A BALL ( X4 ,X 0 Z BIG A
FI% Z 0 "E CAT*$ 9 ! ,MISSISSIPPI1 ,I
RECKON4 ,JIM SD HE _HN'T "E SE5 A BI7]
"O4 ,HE WD A BE5 WOR? A GD D1L OV] AT !
VILLAGE4 ,!Y P$DLE \ S* A FI% Z T 0! P.D
9 ! M>KET- H\SE "!2 "EYBODY BUYS "S (
HM2 8 M1T'S Z :ITE Z SN[ & MAKES A GD
FRY4
  ,NEXT MORN+ ,I SD X 0 GETT+ SL[ &
DULL1 & ,I WANT$ 6GET A /IRR+ UP "S WAY4
,I SD ,I RECKON$ ,I WD SLIP OV] ! RIV] &
F9D \ :AT 0 GO+ ON4 ,JIM LIK$ T NO;N2 B
HE SD ,I M/ G 9 ! D>K & LOOK %>P4 ,!N HE
/UDI$ X OV] & SD1 CDN'T ,I PUT ON "S (
!M OLD ?+S & DRESS UP L A GIRL8 ,T 0 A
GD NO;N1 TOO4 ,S WE %ORT5$ UP "O (!
CALICO G[NS1 & ,I TURN$ UP MY TR\S]-LEGS
6MY KNEES & GOT 96X4 ,JIM HIT*$ X 2H )!
HOOKS1 & X 0 A FAIR FIT4 ,I PUT ON !
SUN-BONNET & TI$ X "U MY *91 & !N =A
BODY 6LOOK 9 & SEE MY FACE 0 L LOOK+ D[N
A JO9T ( /OVEPIPE4 ,JIM SD NOBODY WD "K
ME1 EV5 9 ! "D"T1 H>DLY4 ,I PRACTIC$ >.D
ALL "D 6GET ! HANG (! ?+S1 & BY & BY ;,I
CD D PRETTY WELL 9 !M1 ONLY ,JIM SD ,I
DIDN'T WALK L A GIRL2 & HE SD ,I M/ QUIT
PULL+ UP MY G[N 6GET AT MY BRIT*ES-
POCKET4 ,I TOOK NOTICE1 & D"O BETT]4
  ,I />T$ UP ! ,ILL9OIS %ORE 9 ! CANOE J
AF D>K4
  ,I />T$ ACR 6! T[N F A LL 2L ! F]RY-
L&+1 &! DRIFT (! CURR5T FET*$ ME 9 AT !
BOTTOM (! T[N4 ,I TI$ UP & />T$ AL;G !
BANK4 ,"! 0 A LI<T BURN+ 9 A LL %ANTY T
_HN'T BE5 LIV$ 9 =A L;G "T1 & ,I WOND]$
:O _H TOOK UP QU>T]S "!4 ,I SLIPP$ UP &
PEEP$ 9 AT ! W9D[4 ,"! 0 A WOMAN AB =TY
YE> OLD 9 "! KNITT+ 0A C&LE T 0 ON A P9E
TA#4 ,I DIDN'T "K H] FACE2 %E 0 A
/RANG]1 = Y CDN'T />T A FACE 9 T T[N T
,I DIDN'T "K4 ,N[ ? 0 LUCKY1 2C ,I 0
W1K5+2 ,I 0 GETT+ AFRAID ,I _H -E2 P
MI<T "K MY VOICE & F9D ME \4 ,B IF ?
WOMAN _H BE5 9 S* A LL T[N TWO "DS %E CD
TELL ME ALL ,I WANT$ 6"K2 S ,I KNOCK$ AT
! DOOR1 & MADE UP MY M9D ,I WDN'T =GET
,I 0 A GIRL4
