Cowboy Life: Reconstructing an American Myth

Andy Adams "Dead tough men bawled like babies"

Andy Adams "Dead tough men bawled like babies" 1906 Andy Adams knew the cowboy perhaps better than anyone else who wrote about him. In The Log of a Cowboy, Adams was concerned with the details of trail driving; in later books he explored particular aspects of cowboy life in greater depth. The cowboy penchant for storytelling was demonstrated admirably by Adams in Cattle Brands: A Collection of Western Camp-Fire Stories. This selection is taken from the story "Around the Spade Wagon." The story is plotless and episodic, consisting of a series of interpolated narratives which suggest something of the humor and poignancy of cowboy life. These old cronies from boyhood sparred along in give-and-take repartee for some time, finally drifting back to boyhood days, while the harshness that pervaded their conversation before became mild and genial. "Have you ever been back in old San Saba since we left?" inquired Edwards after a long meditative silence. "Oh, yes, I spent a winter back there two years ago, though it was hard lines to enjoy yourself. I managed to romance about for two or three months, sowing turnip seed and teaching dancingschool . The girls that you and I knew are nearly all married." "What ever became of the O'Shea girls?" asked Edwards. ''You know that I was high card once with the eldest." From Andy Adams, "Around the Spade Wagon," in Cattle Branch: A Collection of Western Camp-Fire Stories (Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1906), 191-Z00, ZO~l1. COWBOY LIFE "You'd better comfort yourself with the thought," answered Babe, "for you couldn't play third fiddle in her string now. You remember old Dennis O'Shea was land-poor all his life. Well, in the land and cattle boom a few years ago he was picked up and set on a pedestal. It's wonderful what money can dol The old man was just common bog Irish all his life, until a cattle syndicate bought his lands and cattle for twice what they were worth. Then he blossomed into a capitalist. He always was a trifle hide-bound. Get all you can and can all you get, took precedence and became the first lawwith your papa-in-law. The old man used to say that the prettiest sight he ever saw was the smoke arising from a 'Snake' brandingiron . They moved to town, and have been to Europe since they left the ranch. Jed Lynch, you know, was smitten on the youngest girl. Well, he had the nerve to call on them after their return from Europe. He says that they live in a big house, their name's on the door, and you have to ring a bell, and then a nigger meets you. It must make a man feel awkward to live around a wagon all his days, and then suddenly change to style and put on a heap of dog. Jed says the red-headed girl, the middle one, married some fellow, and they live with the old folks. He says the other girls treated him nicely, but the old lady, she has got it bad. He says that she just languishes on a sofa, cuts into the conversation now and then, and simply swells up. She don't let the old man come into the parlor at all. Jed says that when the girls were describing their trip through Europe, one of them happened to mention Rome, when the old lady interrupted: 'Rome? Rome? Let me see, I've forgotten, girls. Where is Rome?' " 'Don't you remember when we were in Italy,' said one of the girls, trying to refresh her memory. "'Oh, yes, now I remember; that's where I bought you girls such nice long red stockings.' "The girls suddenly remembered some duty about the house that required their immediate attention, and Jed says that he looked out of the window." "So you think I've lost my number, do you?" commented Edwards , as he lay on his back and fondly patted a comfortable stomach . "Well, possibly I have, but it's some consolation to remember that that very good woman that you're slandering used to give me ANDY ADAMS the glad hand and cut the pie large when I called. I may be out of the game, but I'd take a chance yet if I were present; that's whatl" They were singing over...