A silent movie
Out in God's country where men are men
the terror of Red Gap used to ride
on his Arizona roan.
He was called Goddam Higgins
and was said to have faith only in his gun,
his horse and Denver Nan,

which is where he made his mistake
for it turned out she was in cahoots
with Gentleman Joe
and one day the two of them cleaned
the poor sucker out of his last red cent

but it was the last time
Gentleman Joe hung his thumb
into the armpit of his vest
and snickered
behind his nibbled toothpick
because a masked stranger
showed up in the barroom that night
with his hand on his hip pocket.

Years later the Reverend Marcus Whitney
pitched his tent in town
and Denver Nan had her only chance
to go straight
and made good
and married Good Deed Higgins!