Page 91 of Shadow Ticket

Where folks seldom get…

Just passin’ the day,

Me and my fiancée,

when sud-denly ev’ry bless-

-ed fire-arm in town

Starts blastin’ a-way!

[the drummer goes temporarily crazy]

[bridge]

“It’s your family!” I cried,

As she smiled and replied,

“Better both keep our heads down,

’n’ go along for the ride”—

Now the gunsmoke’s all gone,

Looks like she’s moseyin on,

When I ask about next week,

All I get’s just a yawn…

Talk about the miles, of chaparral

between a trail hand and his gal!

Things were so jake, at the O.K. Corral—

Till those Earps and Clantons came along—

Good luck to you, my femme fatale,

Yep and to that old O.K. Cor-ral…

Later in the evening, about to get back out in the wind, Ace goes over to wave so long to the band, spots Hop, and does a double take. “Well, ’at’s ’at there Hop Wingdale, ain’t it.”

“Last time I checked. You’re…”

“Ace Lomax. Recognize you from your mug shot, nice to see you’re still vertical.”

“Was I not supposed to be?”

“In fact Bruno Airmont offered me the job of seeing to it you wouldn’t be, but I said no thanks and now I’m on the run and it’s Bruno and them that’s after me. Not sure you’re the reason why exactly.”

Could also have dated back to once when, having put the arm on someone for a trifling sum grown overdue, Ace approached the boss with a gentle reminder.

Usual practice around here being to stiff his smaller creditors, Bruno got slightly annoyed. “I sent it to your last known address by trusted messenger, in a deluxe paper bag embossed with my personal monogram, you mean it didn’t get there? Well, land sakes.”

“No harm done, just look in your petty cash drawer—smaller bills if you wouldn’t mind.”