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Literary
August 25, 1960
The Glacier Reporter
Browning, Glacier County, Montana
What is this article about?
A humorous anecdote about ranch hands heading to a dance in a wagon, accidentally leaving Mary Fitzpatrick behind after she bounces off due to rough terrain while singing 'The Girl I Left Behind.'
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
A True Short Story
—by Tom Fontaine
GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND
I went to a dance one time in the Sweet Grass Hills when three punchers from the Deer Creek Cattle Company came to the Secrist ranch and told us there was to be a dance at the Perkins and Wareham ranch that night. Earl Secrist had no saddle horses up, but he did have a team in the barn. We hitched the team to a light wagon, and Mary Fitzpatrick, who happened to be at the Secrist place, wanted to go along. There was no tail gate to the wagon box, and Mary sat down on the end with her legs hanging down.
Dan Belcord and I got the spring seat and Earl drove. We didn't know the way to the Perkins and Wareham ranch, but the punchers said they would ride ahead and we could follow. The punchers struck out spurring, traveling right along. Earl was whipping and keeping up with them over rough rocky prairie, hitting badger holes, missing one out of five.
The three of us on the seat lifted our lusty voices singing (the girl I left behind). After a while, instinctively, I turned and looked back. Sure enough, we had left the girl behind . . . Mary had bounced off the wagon and she was nowhere in sight ! ! !
—by Tom Fontaine
GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND
I went to a dance one time in the Sweet Grass Hills when three punchers from the Deer Creek Cattle Company came to the Secrist ranch and told us there was to be a dance at the Perkins and Wareham ranch that night. Earl Secrist had no saddle horses up, but he did have a team in the barn. We hitched the team to a light wagon, and Mary Fitzpatrick, who happened to be at the Secrist place, wanted to go along. There was no tail gate to the wagon box, and Mary sat down on the end with her legs hanging down.
Dan Belcord and I got the spring seat and Earl drove. We didn't know the way to the Perkins and Wareham ranch, but the punchers said they would ride ahead and we could follow. The punchers struck out spurring, traveling right along. Earl was whipping and keeping up with them over rough rocky prairie, hitting badger holes, missing one out of five.
The three of us on the seat lifted our lusty voices singing (the girl I left behind). After a while, instinctively, I turned and looked back. Sure enough, we had left the girl behind . . . Mary had bounced off the wagon and she was nowhere in sight ! ! !
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
What themes does it cover?
Agriculture Rural
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Short Story
Ranch Life
Dance Mishap
Cowboys
Wagon Accident
What entities or persons were involved?
By Tom Fontaine
Literary Details
Title
Girl You Left Behind
Author
By Tom Fontaine
Key Lines
Sure Enough, We Had Left The Girl Behind . . . Mary Had Bounced Off The Wagon And She Was Nowhere In Sight ! ! !