This may not have much to do about Cowboy Cooking...but it's a story about one hungry cowboy!

"Pecos Bill Comes To Camp"

One time, Pecos Bill's hoss broke a leg, leaving Bill afoot with about a hundred miles to go that afternoon. He slung his saddle over his shoulder and set off a-hikin' and a'swearin.

Soon, he come to a ten foot rattlesnake and just to be fair, Bill give the snake the first three bites. Wasn't long the old rattler yelled for mercy and Bill picked up the snake and the saddle and started on, waving that snake at the gila monsters.

About 50 miles further on, a big old mountain lion jumped off a cliff and landed on Bill's neck. Bill laid the saddle down and the snake and went into action. In about 3 minutes, the old lion gave up and Bill cinched the saddle on him and rode off whoppin' and yellin' and quirtin' him down the flank with the rattlesnake.

Directly, he saw a chuck wagon with a bunch of cowboys squattin' around it. He rode up on the wagon, splittin' the air with his war whoops, with that old lion a'screechin' and that snake singin' his rattles. When he come to the fire, grabbed the old cougar by the ear, jerked him back on his haunches, stepped off him, hung his snake around his neck and looked the outfit over.

Them cowboys sat there sayin' less than nothing.

Bill was hungry and seein' a boilerful of beans cookin' on the fire, he scooped up a few handfuls and swallowed them, washin' them down with a few gallons of boilin' coffee out of the pot. Wipin' his mouth on a prickly pear catcus Bill asked: "Who the hell is boss around here'?

A big feller, about 8 feet tall with 7 pistols and 9 bowie knives in his belt, rose up and takin' off his hat, said: 'Stranger, I was, but you be now'."

The Cowboy Cook
www.thatsgoodcooking.com