Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp · Chapter
The Cowboy and the Maid explained
A cowboy recounts a moonlight walk with Texas Tom, during which Tom reveals his desire to settle down and find a wife.
What happens
A cowboy recounts a moonlight walk with Texas Tom, during which Tom reveals his desire to settle down and find a wife. The narrator playfully encourages him, and the two ultimately share a romantic moment, marking the successful resolution of Tom's proposal.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Romance
The poem centers on a cowboy's bashful proposal and the narrator's playful encouragement, culminating in a romantic kiss under the moonlight.
Community and Camaraderie
The easy, joking rapport between the narrator and Texas Tom reflects the close bonds and mutual support among cowboys.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator is the speaker of the poem, a cowboy who walks with Texas Tom and encourages his romantic pursuit.
- Texas Tom
Texas Tom is the bashful cowboy who confesses his desire for a wife and home, and successfully proposes to the narrator.
Key passages
“Funny how it come about! Me and Texas Tom was out Takin’ of a moonlight walk, Fillin’ in the time with talk.”
It's amusing how things turned out. Texas Tom and I were taking a walk under the moonlight, chatting to pass the time.
The narrator sets the scene for the romantic encounter.
“By and by he says, “I’ve got Fifty head o’ cows, and not One of ’em but, on the dead, Is a crackin’ thoroughbred. Got a daisy claim staked out, And I’m thinkin’ it’s about Time fer me to make a shy At a home.””
Eventually he said, 'I have fifty cows, all of them excellent thoroughbreds. I've also staked a promising claim, and I think it's time for me to try to settle down.'
Texas Tom lists his assets as a prelude to proposing marriage.
“’Tain’t nobody’s business what Happened then, but I jist thought I could see the moon-man smile Cutely down upon us, while Me and him was walkin’ back— Stoppin’ now and then to smack Lips rejoicin’ that at last The dread crisis had been past.”
What happened next is nobody's business, but I imagined the man in the moon smiling down on us as we walked back, stopping now and then to kiss, happy that the tense moment of proposal was finally over.
The narrator coyly describes the romantic conclusion of the walk.