# The Bronc That Wouldn’t Bust explained — Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp

> Chapter companion for Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp by John A. Lomax.

## What happens

A cowboy narrator recounts his failed attempt to break a particularly unruly buckskin bronco on Powder River. Despite his experience, the horse bucks him off spectacularly, leading him to humorously resign from bronco-busting altogether.

## Themes in this chapter

### Masculinity and Bravado

The narrator's pride in his bronco-busting skill and his humorous acceptance of defeat highlight cowboy bravado.

### Solitude and Reflection

The narrator's decision to sell his gear and quit reflects a solitary moment of reflection on his limits.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown Narrator

The speaker and protagonist, a seasoned bronco buster who meets his match.

## Key lines

> I’ve busted bronchos off and on Since first I struck their trail, And you bet I savvy bronchos From nostrils down to tail;

I've been breaking horses since I started out, and I know them inside and out.

_Establishes the narrator's experience and confidence._

> That hoss wasn’t built to tread the earth; He took natural to the air; And every time he went aloft He tried to leave me there.

That horse seemed more at home in the air than on the ground, and each jump was meant to throw me off.

_Describes the bronco's extraordinary bucking ability._

> I’m not a-riding airships Nor an electric flying beast; Ain’t got no rich relation A-waitin’ me back East;

I'm not some fancy modern rider with money or connections back East.

_The narrator contrasts himself with wealthy or urban types, reinforcing his cowboy identity._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/the-bronc-that-wouldn-t-bust
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters