Come
gather round you cowboys, come listen to my tale
A story of a rancher out on the round up
trail
For three long weeks he'd been away, and
longed for word from home
When his trusted old time cowhand came ridin'
up alone.
"Come
sit down here old Charlie, the campfire's burning bright
Come tell me all the latest news while evening
turns to night
You surely are a friend to me as I have
been to you
So tell me be it good or bad in any way
you choose."
Old
Charlie sips his coffee, sets quiet for a spell
Then turns to him right serious, the news
him for to tell
"Your dearest friend old Bugler, that dog
you've had since youth
Took sick and died on Monday, I'm sad to
tell the truth."
The
rancher bent in sorrow, old Bugler he was gone
"How could this happen suddenly? Charlie
please go on
Cause when I left three weeks ago, old Bugler
he was fine
Still chasin' rabbits gaily and of sickness
showed no sign."
Old
Charlie changed his posture, he wasn't finished yet
He said that Bugler died from something
that he'd et
"The barn caught fire the other night and
burned clean to the ground
And killed your finest horses, burned horse
meat killed that hound."
"What
caused that dreadful fire?" was most obvious to ask
Old Charlie quite uneasy now continued with
the task
"The barn had caught a spark from which
the house caught fire first
The candles at the wake it seems was where
the fire burst."
"Who
died ?" he asked in fear but didn't really want to know
Old Charlie he continued, his voice now
soft and low
"Your wife was killed by her dearest friend
in the arms of the man she loved
The killer is now in custody and awaits
the circuit judge."
The
rancher sat quite silent, too numb too speak or cry
He'd lost his love, his house and barn,
and wished that he could die.
Old Charlie said "Now listen son, I tried
to ease the blow
Although I may have gone too far, this last
thing you should know:
Your
wife is fine and loves you alone, your house and barn stand
tall
Your horses are still the finest stock and
wait to hear your call
But Bugler's dead, that faithful dog, buried
on a hill with a view
And that's about all I've got to report,
'cept that, there is no news."
