W. P. Webb writes in Publications of the Texas Folklore Society II, (1923), p. 44:

"The following [song was] obtained from a man who lives at Uvalde. He had been a cowboy, but as ranching has about passed out, he has turned his attention to the moving picture business instead. He had in his possession a home talent production of wild west life produced by himself in the rough mountainous country of Uvalde, which he carried from town to town in automobile [sic] and showed for one or two nights at local theaters.

                         BOGGUS CREEK

As I rode in the town of Fort Griffin in the spring of '83
An old Texas cowman came riding up to me,
Saying, "How do you do, young fellow, and how would you like to go
And spend one summer season in the hills of Mexico?"

"It's being out of employment," to the drover I did say,
"For me to go to New Mexico depends upon the pay,
But if you pay good wages and transportation too,
I wouldn't mind to go along and spend a month or two."

"Oh, yes, we pay good wages, free transportation too,
But if you grow homesick, Fort Griffin bound to go,
I'll never loan you a horse to ride from the hills of Mexico."

"O listen to that old driver's talk, O listen what a gag."
It's ten or twenty cowboys, all stout able-bodied men,
Our trip it was a pleasant one
Until we reached old Boggus Creek out in old Mexico.

Now our pleasures have all ended and our troubles have begun
The first hail storm we had on us, Gosh, how those cattle run.
They run through thorns and thickets, our lives we had no show,
For there's no worse hell on earth than the hills of Mexico.

Go home to wives and sweethearts, tell others not to go
To the God-forsaken country of old New Mexico.


Fuller than Holcomb's text, but still missing words.

Juergen Kloss has a splendid essay in the whole "Buffalo Skinners" family here. (Highly recommended):


https://justanothertune.com/html/buffaloskinners.html