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The Crooked Trail to Holbrook (Arizon-I-O) 
The Crooked Trail to Holbrook (Arizon-I-O) 
Come all you jolly cowboys, who follow the bronco steer I'll sing to you a verse or two your spirits for to cheer I'll tell you all about a trip that I did undergo On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o.
 On February the seventeenth our herd it started out. It would have made you shudder to hear them bawl and shout. As wild as any buffalo that ever roamed the Platte, The cattle we were driving, and every one was fat.
 We crossed the Mescal Mountains and how the wind did blow. A blizzard was ii-raging and the pass was deep in snow. But the pointers kept'em headed and the drag men pushed'em On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o.
 One night we hiid a stampede -Lord, how the cattle run! We made it to our borses, but boys it was no fun. Over prickly peir and catclaw brush we quickly made our way, We thought of'our long joumey and the girls we left one day.
 When we got to Gilson Flats, tbe wind did surely blow. It blew so hard and blew so fierce, we knew not where to go. But our spirits never failed us an onward we did go On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o. 
It's along by Sombrero we slowly punched along While each and every puncher would sing a hearty song To cheer up all his comrades as onward we did go On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o. 
We crossed the rugged Mogollon where tall pine forests grow The grass was in abundance and rippling streams did flow Our packs were always turning, of course our gait was slow On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o. 
At last we got to Holbrook and a little breeze did blow It blew up sand and pebbles and it didn't blow them slow, We had to drink the water from that muddy little stream And swallowed a peck of gravel when we trid to eat a bean 
And when the herd was sold and shipped and homeward we were bound 
With as tired a string of horses as ever could be found Across the reservation, no danger did we fear, We thought of wives and sweethearts, the ones we loved so dear. 
We're now back in Globe City, our friendships there to share Here's luck to every puncher who follows the bronco steer 
My best advice to you, boys,is try and never go 
On the crooked trail to Holbrook, in Arizon-i-o. 
Note: a descendant of Buffalo Skinners and Canada-i-o. Lomax collected it in 1907; Thorp also printed it. No clear attribution. RG 
From He was Singing this Song, Tinsley 
DT #377 
Laws B10