,M>%ALL'S ,MATE

,Y ALM HE>D ! SURFACE BAKE1 & SAW !
  GUML1VES TURN--
,Y CD H WAT*$ ! GRASS SCOR* BR[N _H
  "! BE5 GRASS 6BURN4
,9 S* A DR"\ ! /R;GE/ HE>T MI<T WELL
  GR[ FA9T & W1K--
',TWD F"R5 ,SATAN 6HIS HOME--N F> F
  ,D+O ,CREEK4

,! TANKS W5T DRY ON ,N9ETY ,MILE1 Z
  TANKS G DRY \ BACK1
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  :5 ,M>%ALL MISS$ ! TRACK2
,2N A D1D TREE ON ! PLA9 WE SAW A
  PACKHORSE REEL--
,TOO BL 6SEE "! 0 NO %ADE1 & TOO D"O-
  UP 6FEEL4
,& *>COAL$ ON ! CANVAS BAG 7'@TWAS
  WRITT5 PRETTY CLE>7
,WE R1D ! MESSAGE ,M>%ALL WROTE4 ,X
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,I'M "S": (F ( ,D1DMAN'S ,TRACK1
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,F9D ,CR[B>1 GET HM SOB]$ UP1 & FOLL[
  BACK10' X SD4

,8,LET ,MIT*ELL G 6,B&ICOOT4 ,Y'LL
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,8,I'LL />T ! *APS F ,/>V+ ,/E]S1 &
  TAKE ! DRY-HOLES BACK40'
,WE TRAMP$ TILL D>K1 & TRI$ 6TRACK !
  PACKHORSE ON ! S&S1
,& J AT "DLI<T ,CR[B> CAME )
  ,MILROY'S /,N H&S4
,8 *EEKS 7 DRAWN1 8 FACE 0 :ITE1 B HE
  0 SOB] !N--
,9 "TS ( TR\#1 FIRE1 & FLOOD1 'TWAS
  ,CR[B> L$ ! M54
,8,SPR1D \ Z WIDELY Z Y C EA* SIDE !
  TRACK10' SD HE2
,8,! F/ 6F9D HM MAKE A SMOKE T ALL !
  RE/ C SEE40'

,WE TOOK ! TRACK & FOLL[$ BACK ":
  ,CR[B> FOLL[$ FATE1
,WE F.D A D1D MAN 9 ! SCRUB--B 'TWAS
  N ,CR[B>'S MATE4
,! /,N H&S F ,/>V+ ,/E]S 7 SE>*+ ALL
  ! WEEK--
,B N"E NEWS ( ,M>%ALL'S FATE CAME
  BACK 6,D+O ,CREEK4
,& NO "O1 SAVE ! _S (! S&-WA/E1 FI]CE
  & L"O1
,KNEW ": ,JACK ,M>%ALL CRAWL$ 6DIE--B
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,HE'D SC>CELY CLOS$ 8 QUIET EYES OR
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,!Y SAY T ,CR[B> SLEPT NO M UNTIL HE
  SLEPT 9 D1?4
,A C>E.S1 ROV+ SCAMP1 T LOV$ 6LAU< &
  DR9K & JOKE1
,B NO MAN SAW HM SMILE AG 7& NO "O
  SAW HM SMOKE71
,&1 :5 WE SPELL$ AT NI<T1 HE'D LIE )
  EYES / OP5 WIDE1
,& WAT* ! />S Z IF !Y'D PO9T ! PLACE
  ": ,M>%ALL DI$4

,! SE>* 0 MADE Z SE>*ES >E 7& (T5
  MADE 9 VA971
,& ON ! SEV5? "D WE SAW A SMOKE ACR !
  PLA92
,WE LEFT ! TRACK & FOLL[$ BACK--'TWAS
  ,CR[B> / T L$1
,& :5 8 HORSE GAVE \ AT LA/ HE WALK$
  & RAN AH1D4
,WE R1*$ ! PLACE & TURN$ AG--DRA7$
  BACK & NO MAN SPOKE--
,X 0 A BU%-FIRE 9 ! SCRUBS T MADE !
  CURS$ SMOKE4
,& :5 WE GAVE X BE/ AT LA/1 HE SD1
  ,8.,I'LL SEE X "?10'
,AL? HE KNEW WE'D D"O Z M* Z MORTAL
  M5 CD D4
,8,I'LL N--,I WON'T GIVE UP60' HE SD1
  8 H& PRESS$ 6HIS BR[2
,8,MY ,GOD6 ! CURS$ FLIES & ANTS1 !Y
  MI<T 2 AT HM N[4
,I'LL SEE X S 9 TW5TY YE>S1 'TWILL
  HAUNT ME ALL MY LIFE--
,I CD N FACE 8 SI/]1 & ,I CD N FACE 8
  WIFE4
,X'S NO USE TALK+ 6ME N[--,I'M GO+
  BACK10' HE SD1
,8,I'M GO+ BACK 6F9D HM1 & ,I W--
  ALIVE OR D1D60'

           99 99 99            ,HE PACK$
  8 HORSE ) WAT] & PROVI.NS =A WEEK1
,& !N1 AT SUNSET1 CROSS$ ! PLA91 AWAY
  F ,D+O ,CREEK4
,WE WAT*$ HM TRAMP 2S ! HORSE TILL
  WE1 Z X GREW LATE1
,CD N TELL : 0 ,BONY"P & : 0
  ,M>%ALL'S MATE4
,! DAM W5T DRY AT ,D+O ,CREEK1 & WE 7
  DRIV5 BACK1
,& N"O D>$ FACE ! ,N9ETY ,MILE :5
  ,CR[B> TOOK ! TRACK4

,!Y SAW HM AT ,D1D ,CAMEL & AL;G !
  ,DRY ,HOLE ,CREEKS--
,"! CAME A "D :5 N"O _H HE>D (
  ,M>%ALL'S MATE = WEEKS2
,!Y'D SE5 HM AT ,NO ,SUN"D1 HE CALL$
  AT ,/>V+ ,/E]S--
,"! CAME A "T :5 N"O _H HE>D (
  ,M>%ALL'S MATE = YE>S4
,!Y F.D OLD ,BONY"P AT LA/1 PICK$
  CL1N 0HUNGRY CR[S1
,B NO "O KNEW H[ ,CR[B> DI$--! S\L (
  ,M>%ALL "KS6

,& N[1 WAY \ ON ,D+O ,CREEK1 :5 W9T]
  "DS >E LATE1
,! BU%M5 TALK ( ,CR[B>'S <O/ ,8:AT'S
  LOOK+ = 8 MATE0'2
,= LET ! FOOLS 9DULGE _! MIR?1 & LET
  ! WISE M5 D\BT--
,! S\L ( ,CR[B> & 8 MATE H TRAVELL$
  FUR!R \4
,2Y ! FUR!/ TWO-RAIL F;E1 ,COLANNE &
  ,NEV]TIRE--
,2Y ! FUR!/ RA2IT-PRO(1 B>B$ WIRE &
  -MON WIRE--
,2Y ! FUR!/ ',GOV';T0' TANK1 & PA/ !
  FUR!/ BORE--
,! ,N"E-,N"E1 ,NO ,MAN'S ,L&1 ,NO ,M1
  & ,N"EMORE--
,2Y ! ,L& O' ,BR1K-O'-,"D1 & ,SUNSET
  &! ,DAWN1
,! S\L ( ,M>%ALL &! S\L ( ,M>%ALL'S
  MATE H G"O
,UNTO T ,LOV+1 ,LAU<+ ,L& ": LIFE IS
  FRE% & CL1N--
,": ! RIV]S FL[ ALL SUMM]1 &! GRASS
  IS ALW GRE54