CODE OF THE COW COUNTRY
It don't take such a lot of laws
to keep the range land straight.
Nor books to write them in
because there's only six or eight.
The first one is the welcome sign
written deep in western hearts:
My camp is yours and yours is mine
in all cow country parts.
Treat with respect all womankind--
same as you would your sister.
Take care of neighbors' strays you find
and don't call cowboys "mister".
Shut the pasture gate when passin' through
and takin' all in all.
Be just as rough as pleases you
but never mean nor small.
Talk straight, shoot straight,
and never break your word to man nor boss.
Plumb always kill a rattlesnake
and don't ride a sore-back hoss.
It don't take law nor pedigree
to live the best you can.
Just these few rules is all it takes
to be a cowboy -- and a man.
-- S. Omar Barker
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