The Ballad Of Jake Mccool Poem by Richard Anders

The day was hot and dusty
as Jake rode into town
a mean look in his ice-blue eyes
his dark hair hid a frown

Two pearl handled pistols
not used for many years
their message spelled out leaden death
in many Tombstone bars.

His eyes picked out the alley ways
where men could hide with ease
the rooftops and the balconys
did not escape his gaze.

He`d come in search of Killer Kane
and vowed he would not leave
`til Kane and all his theiving gang
were dead and in their grave.

Kane heard that Jake was here in town
and he hatched a deadly Plan
he`d lure him into Billy`s Bar
and there he`d gun him down.

Billy`s Bar it must be said
was home to theives and drunks
no ladies ever went there
not even lady skunks.

The plot was hatched the trap was set
then Jake was lured to Billy`s
there fifteen men would gun him down
and stuff him in a gully.

A shout went up the gang spread out
as Jake walked in the door
all Hell broke loose then Kane lay dead
his murd`ring days no more.

Some cowards fled and some lay dead
and some were mesmerised
the speed of Texas Ranger Jake
had caught them by surprise.

The years have flown and Jake has gone
and Billy`s Bar`s no more
but folk still come to Abilene
to hear the tales of yore.

But one man did survive the fight
his name was Henry Farr
'`Twas me and Kane who hatched the plot
that night in Billy`s Bar.

I said to Kane 'Big Jake is fast'
said Kane 'I know that well,
with fifteen men and thirty guns
we`ll blow him straight to Hell! '

'But Jake walked into Billy`s Bar
and took us by surprise
we thought we had the drop on him
the man with the ice-blue eyes.

'The lighting draw, the nerves of steel
we didn`t have a hope
some men died and some men fled
and some men faced the rope'

'I fled that night 'I`m `shamed to say
I really was a fool
to think that I could match the draw
of Ranger Jake McCool! '

'Oh I aint proud of what I`d done
and I won`t tell no lies
and I shudder when I thihk about
the man with the ice-blue eyes! '


Richard Price
.
AKA ANDERS.