Ol' Badger was done for the evenin';
he stirred the last embers of fire,
turned down the lamp on the table
and readied himself to retire.

The wind of a winter's night blowin'
came callin' as Badger lay down,
another long night in December,
another long night of that sound.
The winter's a time for old mem'ries,
and Badger had more than his share.
A lifetime of people and places
were gathered about his gray hair.

For some reason Smitty came to him,
at least in his mind's eye it seemed:
a cowboy he'd known in the old days.
How funny he'd be in this dream.

For Smitty was sort of a loner
as tight with a penny or mill.
No moocher or lender Ol' Smitty;
he'd kept his first dime with him still.

But Badger weren't nothin' like Smitty:
the depth of his pockets ran deep.
"Why money wuz meant to be spent, son,"
and Badger weren't known to be cheap.

Still Smitty was there for a reason,
and Badger began to ask"Why?
"Both of our lives were so diff'rent.
I thought that the day that you died.

There wuzn't a soul at yore fun'ral.
I came 'cause it didn't seem fair
a man would be 'round us forever
and when he had passed no one cared.

"I know," came the voice of Ol' Smitty,
"and that is the reason I've come.
You done me a kindness ol' pardner,
and I felt that I owed you one."

"You think that our lives were so diff'rent,
but pardner you got it all wrong:
you and me rode diff'rent hosses,
but both of us wound up alone."

"In my case I miser'd my money
and that kept me cut off from men
while you never held back a penny,
but that never bought you a friend."

"You see it's like this," said Ol' Smitty,
"tain't money that matters most, friend:
it's friendship and love that most matters
when time has run out fer all men."

It might have been just an old tree limb
or maybe an ember that flared.
Whatever it was woke Ol' Badger
all sweaty and shiv'rin' and scared.

"When time has run out," he was thinkin'
"could Smitty have meant that fer me?
Lord, I've been such an old 'igit'
If I had one chance you would see."

Then somethin' or someone was knockin'.
Now who could that be late at night?
He opened the door of his cabin.
His eyes had to shut from the light.

Why it wasn't nighttime at all now;
he'd stayed in that dream until dawn,
and here were some cowboys "jest passin"
who'd stopped to see who was at home.

"Come in boys and make yoreselves cozy!
I'll rustle some coffee and such.
I'm right glad to see you this mornin'.
You know I've been long out of touch."

Ol' Badger began to relax now,
a smile big as life on his face.
That visit from Smitty had done it
and brought three new friends to his place.

The laughter and jawin' was music,
a tuneless old carol that played.
Twas then that he thought of the reason:
"Dear Lord!" it was now Christmas Day."

"If you boys don't mind, I'll come with you.
at least into town if I may.
I'd like to find somethin' fer Christmas
to place on an old pardner's grave."