He came from out of know where
Ridin’ in the heat of the day.
The man Kept riding
Until he got to my barn.
Neither the horse or he,
Would drink from the well.
The desert was empty for miles,
No water or shade anywhere.
Who could survive out there,
Why had they come here?
Their appearance had caused me to guess.
Were they going or coming from hell?
The silence was broke as the man spoke,
"I came in reply to your need,
"I’m known as the best”.
I still can’t explain why,
I hiring a man I couldn’t pay.
But I said "you’ve a job and a bed,
unpack, and stay".
He worked steers and cows
Through the long hot days
And into the night.
The small ranchers knew that only
had each other to protect their land.
Brandon had started this town
And now he wanted all the land.
Brandon said, "Fencing must go"
"Or else a range war will be fought".
I called for a meeting to decide
If we’d fight or sell out and just leave.
The ranchers met at my house in hopes,
That an alternate plan could be conceived.
Reluctantly I had invited the stranger.
I was surprised that he came.
After an hour or two planning in vain,
It seemed that there wasn’t any other way out.
Then the stranger stood up and he said,
“Let’s all kneel and each of us pray”.
The meeting was ended and all had been decided.
We’d go into town just as planned,
And stand up for what we all
Had worked so hard for.
That night as I prayed, I asked for God’s help
To protect us and our land.
The next day as we rode into town,
There they stood,
Brandon and thirteen hired guns.
The stranger rode ahead,
Until he got beside Brandon and the men.
As he dismounted he said,
"Men don’t make a move,
In the Church steeple there are three angels,
And they have a bead on you".
I looked around to see,
But saw nothing in the steeple.
Yet Brandon and the men somehow agreed.
The stranger told Brandon and the men,
To lay down their guns,
But several had already started to draw.
Guns flashin',
Bullets flyin’all around.
I couldn’t believe what I saw,
The Stranger fired six shots,
Straight from the hip,
The six shots hit six guns.
Then quickly the stranger spun,
He emptied his guns,
All had found their mark.
Now twelve men and Brandon were unarmed,
The men reached for the sky.
I couldn’t believe what I just saw,
The stranger never got hit.
I stood there in awe,
And finally I saw,
Drops of his blood on the ground.
He mounted his horse and began to explain,
He hadn’t been sent there to stop the wrong.
He said he’d been just the friend,
To help God accomplish His Will.
The blood left a trail as he rode out of town.
All that took place,
Was now in my mind,
Leavin’ me in a daze.
I never saw angels up in the steeple.
But just maybe,
The stranger was one.