The Ballad Of Pacos Pete Poem by Alan Gilbert

It was a slow dog day
At the end of May
In the silver star saloon
The place was as bleak
As a dried up creek
And the lazy clock said noon

The barkeep stood
As a barkeep should
Waiting to pour a drink
But things were slow
It was long ago
Since he heard a dollar clink

There was a poker game
That was pretty lame
Just the usual bar room flies
The Savana kid
With Pecos Pete
And Sam with the shifty eyes

At the back of the room
Near the brass spittoon
A lazy hound dog lay
He looked like dead
Till he moved his head
First thing he'd done all day

Bout as wide awake
As a booze soaked snake
He opened a weary eye
The room was aghast
That he moved that fast
And they kinda wondered why

Then they heard the sound
Of hoof on ground
A horse out on in the dust
With a rush like that
When the beer was flat
You can bet that barkeep cussed

Then those no good curs
Heard the clang of spurs
And their eyes was open wide
When a bat wing door
Hit the bar room floor
And a stranger stepped inside

He were six feet tall
In his boots an all,
As wide as a piebald mare.
He had a scarred up face
And his guns in place
With a shock of coal black hair

He stood a while
Then gave a smile
In an aunry kind of way
He said, 'Pecos Pete
Get on yer feet
I'm the law an yer gonna pay'

'For the things you done
While on the run
With The Sundance Kid and crew.
I got papers here
And they make it clear
There's a bounty out on you'

Well Pecos drew
And the bullet flew,
The worst darn shot in town
Took a ricochet
Off the barkeeps tray
And the stranger’s pants fell down

Well you can't look tough
When you're in the buff
So the stranger turned and ran
Guess he won't get far
In the desert thar
But he'll sure get a real good tan