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Ridin' Down the Slide

Ridin' Down The Slide

Now I'm not wild as cowboys go -
I drink some now an' then.
I play poker come Friday night
But that's about the end.

So how was I to know back then
The Devil'd come see me?
It came about in '32
I'm shore as I can be.

It happened at our brandin' camp
As we was burnin' hide
Here come the Devil big as life
Just ridin' down the slide

Now I'd heard 'bout the Devil's tricks,
His trades to win yore soul -
I was ready when he rode up
An' walked up to him bold.

He smelt like sulfur an' cow pies
An' looked like he was mad
Well, he'd been ridin' down that slide
An' slippery stuff is bad.

I said, "Howdy do, you ol' goat.
You lookin' fer a trade?"
He said, "I'll promise you a lot -
Let's sit there in that shade."

I said, "Now lookey here, ol' man,
Yore in the cowboy world.
You ain't gettin' my respect 'til
You give that bronc a whirl."

I pointed to that black mustang
That never has been rode.
The meanest hoss I ever saw,
He just won't tote no load.

Well the Devil laughed, spit some fire,
An' said , “Child's play, my son.
Saddle him up and step away
Your soul's as good as won."

He swung up in the saddle just
As easy as could be
He gave a grin an' touched his horns
An' turned the mustang free.

Hoss blew up like he always does
An' gave a mighty spin
Then he bucked hard just like he knew
He was carryin' Sin

Weren't very long at all it seems
Devil was on his back
Ol' hoss jumped up an' down on him
Like some potato sack

We drug him out an' piled him on
The hoss that he came on
He headed back across the slide

His fire was out an' barely smoked
We heard him mumblin' well
"Damn cowboys sure ain’t welcome
Down in my burnin' Hell"

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