Three Fine, Well-Tended Graves Poem by David Welch

Rudolph Sperry was a ranch-owner's son,
and rode hard for his Circle-S brand,
helping punchers herd cattle 'cross the plains,
in Nebraska's western Sand Hill lands,
he wasn't that bad for a young man,
but even though he daily risked his neck,
it seemed the cowboys gave him no respect.

He suspected it was because of his pa,
they though Rudy a spoiled, rich man's son,
that he was only here because of that,
and a true cowboy? He would never be one,
one hard fall and he would be done.
They weren't fool 'nuff to say it to his face,
but Rudy heard the whispers around the place.

While he caught some snickers from the men,
the worst was Jack Campbell's piecing stare,
the man rarely spoke, but all the cow-punchers
withered under the older man's cold glare,
it could fill the toughest of men with despair,
even old Barnes, foreman of the crew
said, "Don't push him, if you know what's good for you."

But Rudy figured that if he could impress
this stern rider with the eyes of stone,
then the others would give him respect,
and not treat him like a kid half-grown,
Rudy would make his grit and skills known.
But three months of riding at Jack's side
did nothing to lift him in their eyes.

Then old Barnes took him aside to explain
that it did no good trying to impress Jack,
"See the man saw his wife and daughter shot down,
from that kinda thing a man don't come back,
he don't care if'n you try or you slack.
I just know last time he was pushed too far
he broke three jaws in a single bar."

Rudy was frustrated by this reveal,
but luckily riding was not his entire life,
he had taken sweet to the cook, Graciella,
courted this raven beauty for three fortnights,
she rapturously agreed to be his wife,
a little one soon was well on the way,
and Rudy stopped caring much about puncher's praise.

Come the next spring, the little bundle arrived,
a daughter that they named Annaliese,
his father was proud, and his mother overjoyed
to help Graceilla with baby-sitting duties,
Rudy did not know how he became so lucky.
Even Jack Campbell, with face cut from wood,
said, "Rudy, this time, you really did good."

And great as that summer was for the ranch,
rumors of trouble soon came riding in,
coaches were robbed by a bandit gang,
led by the wanted soul, Andrew McGin,
a killer who'd been long-steeped in sin.
Marshal's rode out but could never find
the bandit or his rapacious kind.

It was early fall when the trouble came
to the Sperry's and the Circle-S Ranch,
a dozen bandits came riding in hard,
shooting their guns in an entrance grand,
they thought none would dare make a stand,
but the punchers pulled iron for hard deeds,
and Rudy shot a bandit clear off his steed.

The ranch descended into swirling chaos,
as lead and fire shot from both sides,
out in the open four bandits were caught,
pitching off of their mounts as they died,
four more, sensing defeat, turned to ride,
but Andrew McGin was game for the fight,
shot up two good cowboys, put out their lights.

Then young Rudy, shooting from the corral,
saw a sight that chilled his every nerve,
out in the open, caught up in the mess,
were Graciella and their little girl,
the two pillars that held up his world,
McGin pointed at his wife with his six-gun,
said, "Sorry there's not time to have some ‘fun.'"

Rudy hurled himself forwards to get in range,
but it was useless, the three were not near,
he had no thought, just frantic fury,
never had Rudy ever known such fear,
but then Jack Campbell suddenly appeared,
he dove before Rudy's child and wife,
the bullet punched deep, all roared at the sight…

Before McGin could realize what had happened,
Rudy's gun unleashed six rapids shots,
the first two went high, but all of the rest,
struck hard into the target they sought,
McGin slammed hard to the ground in that spot,
He was dead before he managed to hit the ground,
Rudy ran to Jack's side, and by him crouched down.

The cowboy was breathing with ragged gasps,
nothing could be done for the poor man,
he spat up blood, and then said to Rudy,
"I just could not let it happen again."
From his eyes the last bits of life ran,
Jack Campbell went limp right there in his arms,
off came the hats of the punchers and Barnes.

Rudy straightened up, and looked to the men,
"We have to find where his wife and child rest.
Clean up here, Barnes, then sent riders out,
I think four of them probably is best,
Find out if you have to search half the west."
Barnes nodded sadly, then turned to the cow-hands,
"You heard the boss, we do right by our man! "

The Circle-S went on after that dark day,
Rudy's ranch became semi-legendary,
A local hero 'til nineteen twenty-six,
when he was laid in the family cemetery,
but nearby, among the stones marked ‘Sperry, '
is the name of ‘Campbell' chiselled on three graves,
each fine and well-tended to this very day.