Tom Sherman's bar room
As I passed by Tom Sherman’s barroom
Tom Sherman’s barroom so early one morn
I spied a young cowboy all dressed in buckskins
all dressed in his buckskins nor fit for the grave
Oh! beat your drum lowly and play your fife slowly
Keep up a dead march as you bear me along
Take me out on the prairie and fire a volley oer me
for I’m a young cowboy and I know I’ve done wrong
Oh! once in the saddle I used to go dashing
Oh! once on the prairie I used to ride gay
But I took to drinking and then to card playing
got shot by a gambler
I’m dying today
Will ya please write me a letter to my gray-headed mother
and state the sad news to my sister so dear?
But there is another that’s dearer than mother
who bitterly would weep if she knew I was here
Oh! bury beside me my knife and six-shooter
with my spurs on my heels and my rifle by my side
and on my coffin put a bottle of brandy
Let the cowboys drink as merrily they ride
Will ya bring me a cup of cold water?
A cup of cool water! the dying boy said
I brought him water
Some words he did mutter.
A gasp and the dying cowboy lay dead
https://home.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/riddletom1259.html