"For the Eagle.

                         UTAH CARL.

And so you ask, my little friend,
   Why I'm silent, sad and still --
Why my brow is always clouded,
   Like the darkness on the hill.
Pull in your pony closer,
   And I'll tell a simple tale,
Of Utah Carl, my pardner, once,
   And his last ride on the trail.

Midst the cactus and muscall
   Of the Mexican's fair land,
Where the cattle roamed in thousands,
   In many a bunch and band,
Is a grave without a headstone,
unmarked by date or name,
There my pardner sleeps in silence; that's the place from whence I    came.

Every cowboy on the range knows how brave that Utah died,
And they pass his grave in silence, and they speak his name with pride.
For he died as a cowboy should, without a flinch or fear,
When he saw the cattle comin' and the rush of death was near.

Long we roamed the range together, for we've ridden side by side;
I loved him like a brother and I wept when Utah died.
Side by side we rode the roundup, roped, cut out, and burned the brand;
Through storm and weary darkness we joined the night herd's weary stand.

We was roundin' up one mornin' and our work was almost done
When the cattle started onward in a wild and maddened run.
And The Boss' little daughter was ridin' on that side,
She started in to turn the cattle, and that's where my pardner died.

On the saddle of the pony which the Boss' daughter sat
Carl that very morning had thrown a blanket red,
So the saddle might be easy for Lenore, his little friend,
And the blanket which he put there brought my pardner to his end.

When the stampede came so sudden and the cowboys form the mill,
There's a ringing voice that is silent- Utah Carl lies cold and still.
Once his voice controlled the stampede as it rang out loud and clear,
And when the cattle heard, it overcame their maddened fear.

As Lenore rushed her pony into the cattle on the right
The blanket slipped beneath her and caught the stirrup tight.
When the cowboys saw the blanket, all held their breath
If now the pony should fail here, none could save Lenore from death.

There's nothin' on the cow range that will cause the cows to fight
Than some red object, when it's waved within their sight.
When the cattle saw the blanket draggin' on the ground,
They were maddened in an instant and chased it with a bound.

When Lenore saw the comin' cattle, quickly turned her pony's face,
As she leaned from out her saddle; tied the blanket in its place,
But in leanin' lost her balance, fell in front of that wild tide,
"Lie still!" "I'm comin'!" were the words my pardner cried.

About fifty yards behind her Utah Carl came ridin' fast,
Though he never thought that moment, the ride would be his last.
Many times from out his saddle, he had caught a trailin' rope,
Now to catch Lenore at full speed, was he saw his only hope.

As his hoss approached the maiden, sure on foot with steady bound,
Low he leaned from out his saddle to catch the child from the ground.
Low he leaned as swift he passed her and caught her in his arm,
And I thought he was successful, and was safe from further harm.

But such weight upon his cinches never had been felt before,
And the hind cone snapped asunder, and he fell behind Lenore.
When Lenore fell from her pony, she had dragged the blanket down,
And it fell close down beside her as she lay upon the ground.

Utah Carl picked up the blanket and again, "Lie still!" he said,
And he ran across the prairie, waved the blanket o'er his head.
As he ran across the prairie, every cowboy gave a cry;
He had saved the Boss' daughter, but we knew he had to die.

He had turned the cattle from Lenore, his little friend,
And now they rushed upon him, and he turned to meet his end.
Quickly then from out his scabbard Utah Carl, his pistol drew,
He was bound to die a-fightin', like a cowboy bold and true.

And his pistol flashed like lightnin', the report rang loud and clear,
But still the herd kept rushin'; Utah dropped the leadin' steer.
Soon the cattle was upon him and my pardner had to fall
No more will he cinch a bronco, no more give the cattle call.

Soon we broke into the circle; on the ground my pardner lay,
From the dust and wounds and bruises, his life slipped away.
As I knelt there beside him, Oh! I knew his life was o'er
As I heard him whisper faintly, "I will come, lie still Lenore."

These were Utah Carl's last words, he had gone the endless trail,
And he closed his eyes in reverence and his face turned ashy pale.
Yes, he died upon the range, and it seemed so awful hard,
But I couldn't make the distance in time to save my pard.

So we closed the final roundup, at my mistress' dread command,
And my tears run down in silence as I clasped my pardner's hand.
We had rode those ranges over, we had rode them side by side,
I loved him like a brother, and I wept when Utah died.

There is somewhere a bright future,I've heard the preacher say,
And I think my young pardner won't be left out on that day.
He was but an unknown cowboy, he was ready though to die.
And I think that my young pardner has a home beyond the sky.