A sleeping outlaw woke up during the night to find something cold and heavy on his chest. As he stirred, he heard the whir of a rattlesnake, and in the dim moonlight he saw a blunt head with fangs bared, ready to strike. He knew that any sudden movement would be fatal. Very quietly he moved his hand toward his six-shooter, always placed within convenient reach. The snake was drawn into an "S," head erect. His hand closed on the butt of the six-shooter. He drew and fired just as the head was darting toward his face.

The outlaw paused. "What happened then?" Asked his expectant listener.

"I missed, so I went back to sleep."

This ballad was taken from Wayne Erbsen's book "OUTLAW." No portion of it may be taken from this page without prior consent from one of The Lady Riders. It is fully copyrighted to the author, and we intend no act of plagiarism, as it is posted for the enjoyment of others.