D. J. O’Malley grew up living at frontier forts because his step-father served in the 19th infantry. He lived at Fort Keogh near Miles City for five years before coming to work in 1803 at age 16 for the Home Land and Cattle Co (N Bar N) for $45 a month. His 14 year tenure with the outfit included three trail drives from Texas.
In O’Malley’s day writing verse about life on the range was a common cowboy pastime and O’Malley was one of the best. His poem “After the Roundup” appeared in the Miles City STOCKMENS JOURNAL in 1893. Thirty years later it had become the classic. “When the Work’s All Done This Fall” – Here is the refrain from the original poem.
After the roundup's over, after the shipping's done,
I'm going straight back home, boys, ere all my money's gone.
My mother's heart is breaking, breaking, breaking for me, that's all;
But with God's help I'll see her when the work is done this fall.