I hear the sad howling of coyotes prowling It sounds so mournful to me It brings back memories of cherished loved ones Of ones I'm longing to see I'm riding away out on the lone prairie The rangers are searching for me I'm riding away from my home in Texas A fugitive ever to be I had a good mother I had a good father They handed a warning to me The men that I ran with committed a murder And laid the blame on me Little Maggie my sweetheart I know she's lonely And longs for me to return My happiness ended the night we parted And now for her I yearn How lonely how dreary with nothing to cheer me My thoughts go stealing back home My life of sadness will never know gladness I'm branded forever to roam