Utah Carroll

So you ask me my kind friend

Why I am sad and still

And why my brow is darkened

Like the clouds upon the hill

Rein in your ponies closer

And I'll tell you all a tale

Of Utah Carroll, partner

And his last ride on the trail

In a grave without a headstone

Without a date or name

My partner lies there silent

In the land from which I came

Long ago we rode together

We'd ridden side by side

I loved him like a brother

And I wept when Utah died

While riding up one morning

And our work was almost done

The cattle quickly started

On a wild and maddening run

The boss's little daughter

Who was riding on that side

Rushed in to stop the stampede

It was there my partner died

Lenore upon her pony

Tried to turn the cattle right

But her blanket slipped beneath her

And she caught and held on tight

When we all saw that red blanket

Each cowboy held his breath

For should her pony fail her

None could save the girl from death

When the cattle saw the blanket

Almost dragging on the ground

They were maddened in a moment

And they charged with deafening sound

The girl soon saw her danger

And she turned her pony's face

And bending in her saddle

Tried the blanket to replace

Just then she lost her balance

In the front of that wild tide

Carroll's voice controlled the round up

"Lie still, Lenore" he cried

And then close up beside her

Came Utah riding fast

But little did the poor boy know

The ride would be his last

Full often from the saddle

He had caught the trailing rope

To pick her up at full speed

Was now his only hope

He swung low from his saddle

To take her to his arm

We thought that he'd succeeded

That the girl was safe from harm

But such a strain upon his saddle

Had ne'er been put before

And the cinches gave beneath him

And he fell beside Lenore

When the girl fell from her saddle

She had dragged the blanket down

It lay there close beside them

Where they lay upon the ground

Utah took the blanket

And to Lenore he said

"Lie still" and quickly running

Waved the red thing o'er his head

He turned the maddened cattle

From Lenore, his little friend

And as the mighty herd rushed toward him

He turned to met his end

And as the herd came on him

His weapon quickly drew

He was bound to die defended

As all brave cowboys do

The weapon flashed like lightning

And it sounded loud and clear

As the cattle rushed and killed him

He dropped the leading steer

When I broke through that wide circle

To where poor Utah lay

With a thousand wounds and bruises

His life blood ebbed away

I knelt down close beside him

And I knew that all was o'er

As I heard him faintly whisper

"Good-bye, my sweet Lenore"

Next morning at the churchyard

I heard the preacher say

"Don't think our kind friend Utah

Was lost on that great day

He was a much-loved cowboy

And not afraid to die

And we'll meet him at the round up

On the plains beyond the sky"

So you ask me my kind friend

Why I am sad and still

And why my brow is darkened

Like the clouds upon the hill

Rein in your ponies closer

And I'll tell you all a tale

Of Utah Carroll, partner

And his last ride on the trail