Brawl At the Buckskin Joe Saloon

The poker game wuz progressin' purty well 'til Iron Mike started a ruckus! Seems he had some spare aces up his sleeve, that dirty, sneaky cuss! One-Eyed Pete didn't cotton to them shenanigans and drew his forty-four! Iron Mike jumped up, toppled chairs and tables a-skedaddlin' fer the door! That started the biggest brawl that the town uv Buckskin Joe had ever seen! The mob wuz yellin' fer Iron Mike's head but he had prudently fled the scene! One-Eared Earl, the barkeep, fired his rods a-tryin' to restore some order. Meanwhile, Iron Mike wuz racin' on a stolen hoss fer the Mexican border! The pianner player kept playin', "A Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight!" ('Twas Three-Fingered Clyde who tickled the keys fer free booze ever' night!) Big Nell, who belted out bawdy songs each night, wuz involved, fists a-flyin'! She busted some noses and shattered some teeth, and I ain't a-lyin'! A dozen er so uv Madam Rosita's soiled doves joined in the fray as well, A-kickin' and a-scratchin' and pullin' hair and generally raisin' 'ell! There wuz so many shots fired that night, it seemed like war had started. Many drunks awoke the next day to find that thar hair had been parted! Studs Flanigan, the bouncer, wuz trampled as the fight spilled out on the street. This sensitive affair caused a deeper rift between the rabble and the town's elite! So as not to hear the fussin' and cussin', moms covered their kids tender ears. Old-timers claimed they hadn't enjoyed sech a show in Buckskin Joe fer years! Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired © All Rights Reserved