Ranchester High School - Rustler Yearbook (Ranchester, WY)

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HORSESHOES “Pitchin’ horseshoes as we be Has its own philosophy Same as life,” he says to me. “Not,” says I to him, “it’s own— Every horseshoe ever thrown Somethin’ like it I have known.” Then we started. He got one, And he says, “This sure is fun.” I says nothin’. Then I done Somethin’ that I seldom done Somethin’ that I seldom do— Ringer and a leaner, too. More I got the worse he threw, Worse he threw the more he swore. Game stood seventeen to four. Him? He couldn’t hit a door. But at last he had some luck— Throwin’ wild, the stake he struck; Shoe just wobbled, leaned and stuck. And you ought to hear him yell When I hit it and it fell, Givin’ him a ringer. Well, Just to make the story short, My luck got the other sort, And he says, “Ain’t this the sport?” Settin’ underneath a tree After he had walloped me, “Now, here’s my philosophy,” He remarked, “to never quit When your luck is off a bit, For you yet will conquer it.” “Maybe you are right,” I said, “But, it seems to me, instead It’s to shoot and keep your head. Luck will sometimes pull you through, Like it lately did for you. But, when luck goes up the flue, If you can keep your temper sweet You can stand it to be beat, You can swallow your defeat. “Some folks everything begin With a pray’r for strength to win. Well, that isn’t any sin, But, to keep away the blues, Here’s the pray’r that I would choose, ‘Give me strength, O Lord, to lose,.” —Douglas Malloch.