# Old Shorty — Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp character guide

> Old Shorty in Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp by John A. Lomax.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Shorty

**First appearance:** 0047-the-ol-cow-hawse

## Who they are

An old cowboy character in several poems.

## In the story

### [Songs of the Cattle Trail and Cow Camp](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/songs-of-the-cattle-trail-and-cow-camp)

Old Shorty is a veteran cowboy who tells stories of the range, including the tale of Lasca.

### [Part I: Cowboy Yarns](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/part-i-cowboy-yarns)

An old-time Texas cowman who reminisces about the early days of the open range and laments the changes brought by railroads.

### [To Hear Him Tell It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/to-hear-him-tell-it)

The old Texas cowman who reminisces about the early days of ranching.

### [The Bunk-House Orchestra](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/the-bunk-house-orchestra)

Mentioned as having twitching toes and dancing joyfully to the music, forgetting a past fall.

### [At a Cowboy Dance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/at-a-cowboy-dance)

Called out to shed his sombrero and join the dance.

### [Part III: Cowboy Types](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/part-iii-cowboy-types)

Mentioned in 'Ridin' Up the Rocky Trail from Town' as one of the cowboys who got into a fight in town.

### [Ridin’ Up the Rocky Trail from Town](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/ridin-up-the-rocky-trail-from-town)

Mentioned as having a nose that won't bear parading after the town visit.

### [The Disappointed Tenderfoot](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/chapters/the-disappointed-tenderfoot)

The oldest settler, named Six-Gun Sim, who explains that the West has moved East.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/characters/old_shorty
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/songs_of_the_cattle_trail_and_cow_camp_se/characters