Ballad of Coyote Pass

I'd been five long years in the Civil War

Spent my last five nights with an Injun squaw

Covered in dirt and my body stank

From stem to stern and my hair was lank

But that Injun squaw was pure lust

You ever seen an Injun bite the dust?

Returning to my story for I've a story to tell

I'm in a saloon, I'm hot and I smell

In burst the blacksmith this is what he said

"Some stranger filled the marshal full o lead"

The others were frightened looked for somewhere to hide

But I'm a man, I took a walk outside

The marshal was lyin' in a pool of mud and

Sure enough he was covered in blood

I said "Heh Marshal is there something I can do?"

He said "No son, but there's something I'll do for you"

I could see there was a word on the tip of his tongue

But he was shot pretty bad through the heart and lung

But he managed to say as he breathed his last

"You'll find it buried at Coyote Pass"

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

Now rumour had it that the marshal had been

Acquainted with Jesse James and his men

Old timers say they was in cahoots and

It was up to the marshal to stash the loot

Well the Law caught up with Jess and his men

'Cept for one of the original ten

Opportunely away in Cripple Creek

He was cunning and quick with a scar on his cheek

Now the blackie didn't rightly recall

Much about the stranger who shot the marshal

But Miss Eliie Oats whose door was ajar

Said he was cunning and quick and on his cheek was a scar.

I had a hunch but I couldn't be sure

The man Miss Eliie seen through her open door

Was probably the man opportunely away

From Jessie's gang on that final day

So he'd come back just to get rid

Of the marshal who knew where the loot was hid

He was very successful he'd cut by half

The numbers who knew about Coyote Pass ... or so he thought.

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

I got myself a map and a Colt 44

Paid one last visit to the Injun squaw

Then it was off through the territory of Cheyenne and Sioux

I didn't like the chances that I'd get through.

I'd been with Custer at Wounded Knee

There was one survivor and that was me

At the Alamo I got clean away

Though Crocket and Bowie elected to stay.

No, I'm not a coward, they'd a come too

If their Spanish'd been as good as you know who

I suppose you only go when your number's up

So far I'd had a run of good luck

But you never know how long that luck'll last

Especially when you're headed up to Coyote Pass.

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

For two long weeks I was glued to my saddle

Cross mountain and gully then had to paddle

Through treacherous rapids in my birch canoe

Observed I suspected by Cheyenne and Sioux

Then one day while crossing a plain

I saw dust in the distance from a wagon train

They were being chased by Commanche braves

And making for the cover of some nearby caves

I knew they had no chance unless I intervened

‘Cause Commanches fight dirty and settlers fight clean

But it was getting late, the sun was starting to set,

So I turned my horse, bowed my head in respect,

I made good time with them Injuns occupied

And thanked the Lord for the break he'd supplied

That night I made camp in the long tall grass

Tomorrow I would reach Coyote Pass

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

During the evening I awoke from my sleep

When I heard a Redskin trying to creep, up on me.

He didn't break no twigs but he forgot one thing

You can smell a redskin like you can smell a Ding

I slit his throat, didn't make no sound,

Sent him off to that happy hunting ground

Got up bright and early rustled up a stew

Despite the odds I'd made it through

Then just as I was turning into Coyote Pass

My horse reared up threw me on my ass

I tried to move but my leg was broke

I passed out in pain but suddenly awoke

To the sound a cowboy never forgets

The hiss of a rattler, some call it death.

That instant it became patently clear

What the occurrence had been that made my horse rear

I'd come a long way but I seemed alas

I was doomed to die of snakebite this side of Coyote Pass.

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

The snake reared back ready to bite

My gun had come off in the fall, rolled clean out of sight

Sweat glistened on my brow, there was a thump in my head

A shot, a jerk, and the snake fell dead - Glory be.

I raised my eyes in homage to the Lord

But it wasn't Him behind that Colt 44

Not unless he wears a Stetson raised to a peak

And is cunning and quick with a scar on his cheek.

He didn't speak for a while, just cocked back the hammer

And when he finally said something, it was with a slight stammer.

He said "My friend I been a wwwwwwwatching yyou,

Along with the Ccccccccccommacjes, Cheyenne and Sioux

I shshshshot the rrrrattler to see my aim was tttttrue

Befffffrore I ffffffffinally fffinished you"

I said " grant a dying man one last request"

He said "I ain't ppppromissing but I'll do my bbbest"

I said "Is it true …"

He stopped me and laughed

"Don't tell me - "Is there ttttreasure at Coyote Pass?"

"I suppppose there's a treasure of a kind.

It's the sort most men don't usually find.

It's the treasure that comes from knowing you're the bbbbest.

If you rrrrreach Coyote Pass, you pappppasss the test."

He said "That's the ppppity about you son.

See I am, and always wwwwilll be number one.

Now say your prayers and sssay em fast

'Cause you're never gonna leave Coyote Pass"

Hey ho the West needed winning

There was drinking to do

And the women were sinning

Was a pot of gold over every hill

And all you had to do was be the first to kill

He narrowed his eyes took careful aim

Pointed the muzzle in the region of my brain

But even as his finger tightened on the trigger

A shot rang out and I saw him stagger

Then running toward me came my Injun squaw

Good job she was hot with a Colt 44

I could see from my position he was as dead as a door

But she pumped two more into him just to make sure.

Well there's nothing much more left to say

‘Cept I never left this spot since that fateful day

Me and the squaw we settled here

She died in the big freeze late last year

Life goes on so does death

I'm chained here till my final breath

And should anyone ever chance to ask

If I accomplished my difficult task just

I say `Listen to the wind blowing in dry grass

The answer's buried up Coyote Pass.’