 Chugwater Chili Store |
||||
|
The white lines passed ever’ 1 point 4 Ford pick-up rollin' ‘bout 90 and more That’s where ol’ Dan first saw the store Rollin’ north t’wards the Montana line
Our pockets were empty ‘cept entry fee Entered up in Red Lodge, Dan ‘n me When just off the roadside, he did see The big Chugwater Chili sign
Well, one thing sure to get Dan’s attention Is a beefy-beany-gastro-invention It’s his sure-fire cure for road rage tension ‘Specially when it’s purt’near free
Only two-ninety-five, the sign did say Made fresh here in Chugwater ever’ day It fit just right on bronc stomper pay We’d be spurrin’ up in Red Lodge by 3
The pumps at the store, we could not pass “Empty” on the gauge said we needed gas Wipe down the windows and dump the trash At the Chugwater Chili Store
The locals like to call it a gentle breeze Comin’ ‘bout 90 through the cottonwood trees I bailed from the truck hollerin’, “Lord, please!” ‘Cause my hat sat my head no more
A Resistol scootin’ out ‘cross the ground In Northern Montana it’d likely be found Or maybe a Canadian border town In a store sellin’ well-traveled gear
Well, that sucker rolled plum out o’ sight Out into that black Wyomin’ night And out from under that gas pump light I lit out like a bat out o’ here!
That lid brushed the sage ever’ quarter-mile N’ in between, it took an airborne style Leavin’ me twice in a dusty pile On my Wyomin’ solo hat chase
“Solo, ya’ say’, now why was that? There in yer pick-up, yer ol’ pard sat In this chase here, now where’s he at? I reckon shovelin’ in the chili place!”
“You dang right, he’s stuffin’ it in While another gust flips my lid again How I’ll fix him’s gonna be a sin When my midnight hat wranglin’s done”
Well, the bitter end come up quick fer sure Boots hittin’ ground ‘til there weren’t no more Elevator droppin’ with no ground floor To a place never touched by the sun
|
I hit the floor o’ that draw real hard Cussin’ all the while, my chili-eatin’ pard Greasin’ it up like a tub o’ lard Back yonder with his face in that bowl
From my bottom back teeth, I picked the grit That settled in there from my face-first hit Cussin’ n’ swearin’ to the top o’ that pit As I climbed over the rim o’ that hole
With remnants o’ my Tom Mix upon my head Preachin’ to the moon I’d kill Dan dead N’ paint the prairie with his blood, red If I got back n’ that chili was gone
Bad enough he hadn’t come to my need As my brim rolled away like tumbleweed Leavin’ me out there fer coyote feed To fight n’ fend fer myself all alone
I entered the store n’ heard an awful sound N’ noticed my pard was nowhere to be found I saw the cook grinnin’ as I looked around He was pointin’ t’wards the door that said “MEN”
Behind that door, there raged quite a battle Sounded like a chute full o’ ol’ rank cattle The knob on the door done started to rattle When we heard that big flushin’ sound….again!
Well, that storekeep’ fixed me a big ol’ bowl As the storm in the back just rocked and rolled So, I bellied up, but that cookie, I told I ain’t ‘bout to swaller no poisoned feed
“Aw, ease yer ol’ mind there, my Cowboy pard I didn’t brew yers up to be so hard Though I did help Dan get his gizzard charred When I saw the way he left ya’ in need”
“Now I ain’t sayin’ that I did things right But pard, I wish ya’ could o’ seen that sight That bowel noose wuz gettin’ mighty tight As ol' Dan gripped the rim o’ that throne”
“I’d say the habaneras did the trick N’ changed the frame o’ mind there on ol’ slick When I took the flame and I lit the wick Ol’ Dan quit this stool and he was gone”
Well, that’s the story ol’ cookie told me ‘Bout how justice was quick n’ the cost wuz free When Dan should’ve been out there helpin’ me Cook’ lit the fire o’ remembrance in his soul
Then cookie said, “I’ll lay ya’ a bet, my friend Next time ya’ pass by and ya’ do drop in N’ yer mule kick leaves on the Wyo wind Ol’ Dan ‘ll give chase….n’ you, the first bowl!” JimHawkins© May, 2007
|
|||
|
||||
