The Great Klamath Roundup

The Great Klamath Roundup

By J. Charles Dill 

The dogs had assembled in one locale 

They knew what had to be done 

Their masters took it so seriously and all 

But to them it was all just great fun 

Snipe stared intently down the field so distant 

A long pasture of grass and cattle 

The master’s whistle and his calm insistence 

Made it all look like it wasn’t a battle 

Snow ran the field with a blazing outrun 

The audience let out with a wow! 

She came up behind from out of the sun 

And she brought in the very last cow 

Red who acted real nonchalant 

Took his turn to shine in the sun 

While Blister tried the others to taunt 

Neither one of them actually won 

Then came His turn to run the whole show 

He felt His work was the purest of art

The new-dog-in-town that nobody know’d 

From then on though they'd all know Dart 

With the most graceful of gates His outrun He did 

A wide swooping sprint of elegant delight 

While master and horse with commands still unsaid

Dart worked them left and then He worked right 

Come-by and Away, Stop and Walk-Up 

With a focus that came from His confidence 

He worked that herd and a record time went up 

Dart was one with the field and the fence 

But when He put them away is when the crowd went wild 

He closed and latched the gate Himself - it’s true! 

And the horse and rider just simply stood by 

As Dart took the keys to the Ford truck too 

He got Him a drink after doing His job 

Then He bowed for the spectator’s view

This collie was not just a working dog 

He could put up all the horses to boot 

The tack in its place and the horses all groomed 

He would pull on the trailer rope gate 

He poured a cool drink for his cowboy friend too 

Jumped in the truck so they wouldn’t be late 

And as they drove off with that buckle in hand 

Dart turned as He so often did 

He winked out the window as they slowly drove past 

And the crowd was a mass dumbfounded 

But then Dart awoke from his afternoon dream

His master’s command and a quick leash jerk

It was time now for Dart to be part of the team

And go out and do some real ranch work


Copyright © 2010 J. Charles Dill