Shut up from the first; be attentive and meek
When you’re next to a hardened old gringo.
And now, from the start, don’t mistakenly think,
That to be a good sport you must gamble and drink,
And play the darn fool: to rise up—not sink—
Is the motto of every right gringo.
But, if you do gamble and never can win,
Don’t damn at the dice-box, and kick up a din,
But keep your tongue silent, and switch on a grin,
And pay up your debts like a gringo.