Another line is: With a line on a heffer & a bull by the tail.

To handle bulls they would ride up and grab the bull by the tail, then flip the bull over. (No kidding) Then the line is the lasso on the heffer (cow). So this was one busy dude. The tail thing I got from a book that was a collection of stroies that Frederic Remington sent to the Atlantic Weekely in the 1860-70's.

I read one account where this over enthustic cowpoke broke the tail off of a bull. He caught hell for it.

I have this tune on one of my music books. I'll try and find the referance to it.