| As long as I could remember, he'd had that horse! I | | | | "No thank you Sir, I have a paper." |
| turned twenty six last week and I guess that would | | | | Now everyone knows you didn't address your Pa with |
| make Old Blue 'bout 32, Pop said he was ready for | | | | rolled smokes before you was twenty five, but I guess |
| first grade the year I was born so, 32 it had to be! I | | | | my Pa was way ahead of me, 'cuz he just smiled |
| think somehow I resented Pop thinking of Old Blue as | | | | slightly, asked for the papers and tobacco and |
| a big brother to me, when I was knee high to a | | | | commenced to roll smokes, one after another, till he |
| grasshopper, Pop'd put me up on Blue's back and tell | | | | had quite a stack laying on the barrel head. I was |
| him to care for me right proper and off we would ride. | | | | feeling pretty smart, seeing as to how I knew you |
| Shucks, many was the time me and Old Blue would | | | | didn't roll up a bunch more than you was of a mind to |
| ride in after dark and Ma'd have already put supper in | | | | smokin' at any one time, here old Pa was just a |
| the ice box, for we cleared the ranch yard. Pa didn't | | | | workin' away at rolling. I must say, he appeared to |
| take too kindly to our coming in after dark, o'course. | | | | know what he was doin, for those smokes was rolled |
| Thinking on that one, I recall a whippin I took for Blue, | | | | and tamped tight enough to make it hard to keep 'em |
| we'd been down by the creek side and Blue didn't | | | | lit. |
| want to go home, he just sort of hung round the old | | | | You might wonder how I knowed it was hard to keep |
| swing tree and stamped a foot now and again. | | | | 'em lit, well you see, Pa, he had him an idea that since I |
| Me, of course, I was raring to go home, a'for dark, not | | | | figured I was old enough to smoke tobacco, he was |
| wanting to upset Pa and all. But that durned old horse | | | | going to see how severely bad I wanted to smoke. |
| was so stubborn, I looked him directly in the eye and | | | | So, when he was done rolling the rest of the can of |
| said, "Now Blue, see here, it's time you stand on your | | | | Bull Durham I had pulled from my hiding spot in the hay, |
| own two feet and head on back to the house, where | | | | he just says, "Light 'er up, Son." |
| everyone gets to tell you what you can and can't do! I | | | | I thought we had reached a milestone in our |
| reckon as to how, since he had four feet 'stead of | | | | relationship just then, till, just as soon as I finished one |
| two, he just didn't take to be bossed anymore! | | | | cigarette, Pa had me light up again, then keep on |
| So, there we was, dragging in after dark again, sure | | | | repeating that lighting, till every cigarette was burned up |
| 'nough, there was Pa with the razor strap, just a sittin' | | | | and I was as green as a tree fresh lime! |
| there as stubborn as old Blue had been down by the | | | | Looking back now, I think that was the last time me |
| creek! Me, I sorta smiled at Pa and said, "Evening Sir," | | | | and Old Blue came in after dark, and as a matter of |
| Pa, he just sorta chuckled and hung the strap up on | | | | fact, neither Old Blue, nor me has come anywhere |
| the nail beside the door and lit up his pipe and even | | | | near a can o' Bull Durham since. |
| offered it to me! Why, I was so shocked, I just said, | | | | |