Prairie Fire

While drivin' a herd of cattle out in old Nebraska way

Headin' east at Broken Bow one hot September day

Tryin' to get to Omaha we hoped to find a buyer

We never counted in the odds of a western prairie fire

A hot south wind was blowin' and the air was gettin' dry

Somethin' far away was spellin' trouble in the sky

Comin' closer was a sound that topped the devil's choir

Then we knew we had to race a raging prairie fire

When all at once a flame is seen a lickin' at the sky

And every heart is quicker and there's fear in every eye

We'd just one chance to get away for there's no place to hide

Gotta reach the river Platte one inch deep and one mile wide

The herd is gettin' tired but we've got no time to rest

I try to clear the red dust that is gatherin' in my chest

From ridin' tail on a thousand head with the weather gettin' dry

The black cloud in the west is warning ride ride ride

The roarin' heat is closer ashes fallin' by our side

And every breeze is burnin' singin' with its warnin' cry

We've got to reach the river but it's still ten miles or more

And close behind us we can hear that wind infernal roar

But fate had other plans for we lost that fatal race

We lost for neither man nor beast could long keep up the pace

The mighty Platte subdued its rage but none were there to rest

We did our best to get away but only I am left

Now on the blackened prairie far as the eye can see

The grim remains are there to show that God rules you and me

Just one he left to tell the tale just one was his desire

We lost our herd and thirty men to a raging prairie fire