Cactus Charlie's Obituary

Old Cactus Charlie passed on yesterday

Way up in the mountains in his hide away

He’d gotten his name from his poor riding skill

And a fall into cactus that bothered him still

He wasn’t a bad guy, just a little bit slow

The law didn’t want him, but he didn’t know

You see Charlie had lifted from old Marshal Tim

A bright silver clip with some money within

He feared he’d be hung for a crime big as that

So he hid in the mountains with his mule and his cat

But the marshal just thought he had lost that old clip

And over the years from his memory it slipped

Some years ago, he had even left town

If Charlie had known, well, he could have come down

But he found him a place with a jaw-dropping view

And them that knew of it just numbered a few

And he had some “buddies” that kept him well hid

Could have told him, “No problem,” but they never did

He worked and slaved for his “buddies” up there

He’d have left them if told and so they didn’t dare

So dim-witted Charlie, this “thought he was” thief

Died all alone with his dreadful belief

As for his ‘buddies” – now don’t get me started

You see I’m a kin to the newly departed

I’ll hunt them and trap them and when I am through

There won’t be nothing up there but the jaw dropping view