Rustler Rope Co. - Greeting Card

Eclipse in Time - Maple Creek

Somewhere in the dead of night
In Maple Creek, between the fights
In an old hotel, the Commercial by name
This flash of inspiration came
Thrown back in time, the place the same
Forced to witness a killing game
Tough men, rough times, a gambler's call
Resulted in a bar room brawl
Torn from sleep by their shouted curses
Below me now the fray grows worse
Fired by spirits of whiskey cheap
And a poor hand dealt by a card shark cheat

Tempers raw, their fists drew blood
They rolled in the alley in the rain and the mud
Young Jess McLean had little chance
Against the card shark, Vergil Dance

Vergil, I knew well - I'd lost to him before
Seemed a perfect reason to even up the score
He'd killed my older brother, in Jackson late last spring
And I'd be damned if I'd see Jess fall to the devil in this thing
There was fear in Jess' eyes when I looked down on that sight
And he saw me raise the sash on that dark and rainy night
Into the street below, my derringer I tossed
In the moment just preceeding, it looked like all was lost

Jess claimed that pistol then just as Vergil drew his own
And the shots rang out in that dark night
that sent the card shark home
Suspended in that moment... Jess tipped his hat to me
And in that darkest hour the past had been set free

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