Red Steagall - Rider on the rim

^AOn the wagon last october was a ^Dkid of seven-^Ateen ^AA city kid from Dallas, wet behind the ears and ^Egreen He ^Astepped out of the pages of a ^Dwestern c^Aatalog ^Aand not the kind you'd pick to ride the ^Erivers and b^Aoggs ^DThe boss had throwed this kid and me together for the drive ^AWe took the outside circle, I was mad and full of ^Efight ^DFor it ain't no place for tender feet, cause where we had to go ^AUp in the hills and badlands where the twisted cedars ^Egrow

The^A kid had drawed a snaky bronc, plum ^Dfull of dirty ^Atricks ^Aand I'll give the kid the credit boys he stayed and took his ^Elicks Cause ^Aeverytime he got throwed off, ^Dhe'd step back on ^Aagain ^AAnd we all were wondered how much practicin this city ^Eboy could ^Astand ^DAt the head of an arroyo where the tamarac grow tall ^AI sent the kid a driftin north, to ride out Deadmans ^Edraw ^DThe country's pretty open and the draw ain't very deep ^ASo I took Blackhole canyon, where the bluffs are high and ^Esteep

It was ^Amisty in the canyon, ^A7the light was sorta dim ^DThru the mist I saw a ghostly rider on the rim H^Ee waved his hat and motioned to go back the way I come ^Dand when the mist had cleared away the ghostly form was ^Agone

^AI turned my horse around, headed ^Dback to Deadmans ^Adraw ^AI knowed the kids in trouble I could feel it in my ^Ecrawl From^A the trail of broken cedars and the ^Ddeep tracks in the ^Asand ^AThe gray was usin all his tricks the ^Ekid had made a ^Ahand ^DBut up beneath a cutbank where the trail is slick and steep ^AThe gray lay thrashin on his side the kid lay ^Eunderneath ^DHis foot run thru the stirrup, holdin to the horses head ^AHe knew that if the gray got up he'd soon be drug to ^Edeath

The kid ^Awas tired and gettin weak, the ^Dhorse was gainin ^Aground ^AI slipped my gutline round his neck, the kid got turned ^Earound So's he ^Awas in the saddle when the ^Dhorse got to his ^Afeet ^AThen we rode out together but we ^Edidn't hardly s^Apeak ^DA dozen times I've ridden out along the canyon rim ^AThere ain't no tracks and I ain't seen that ghostly form ^Eagain ^Dand I don't really care if you believe a word I say ^AA cowboy guardian angel helped me save the kid that ^Eday

It was ^Amisty in the canyon, ^A7the light was kinda dim ^DThru the mist I saw a ghostly rider on the rim ^EIf I live to be a hundred I will not forget the day ^Dwhen a cowboy guardian angel taught two punchers how to^A pray.............. (Slowing) ^AHow to pray......... ^EHow to pr^Aay...............