IT WAS A COLD WINTERY NIGHT

�  AS THEY DRANK BY THE LIGHT

�  OF THE FIREPLACE AT MABEL'S SALOON





�  FOUR TABLES WITH CHAIRS

�  HARDWOOD FLOORS THAT WERE BARE

�  AND IN THE CORNER SAT THE SPITTOON





�  ALL THE LOCALS WERE IN

�  DRINKING WHISKEY OR GIN

�  WITH STORIES OF HEROS AND DANGER





�  WHEN IN THROUGH THE DOOR

�  AS HE CUSSED AND HE SWORE

�  CAME A ROUGH AND SCRAGGLY STRANGER  ---> Originally played by Mr. Barclay Ridge!





�  DIDN'T BOTHER WITH "HELLO"

�  JUST SHOOK OFF THE SNOW

�  AND SAT HIMSELF DOWN AT THE BAR





�  "BARKEEPER, A BEER!"

�  THE STRANGER SAID WITH A SNEER

�  AND TOSSED A QUARTER INTO THE JAR





�  JUST THEN OL' MABEL  ---> Our own Miss Tracy Jackson!

�  LAID DOWN ON THE TABLE

�  GRINNING FROM EAR TO EAR





�  THE STRANGER JUST STARED

�  AT HER LEGS THAT WERE BARED

�  AND SAID "OFF THE TABLE, MABEL, THE QUARTER'S FOR THE BEER."  ---> 1991 Team Slogan





   SO MABEL SAT DOWN

�  SAID "WHAT BRINGS YOU TO TOWN?"

�  IN A VOICE THAT WOULD MAKE MOST MEN QUIVER





�  HE JUST LOWERED HIS EYES

�  HEAVED A BIG SIGH

�  AND SAID "I JUST CAME DOWN FROM DEVILS RIVER."





�  AND ALL TALKING STOPPED�  

�  YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP

�  EVERYONE KNEW OF THE TALES FROM THAT PLACE





�  AS HE DRANK FROM HIS BEER

�  EVERYONE SAW THE FEAR

�  HE'D BEEN TRYING TO HIDE ON HIS FACE





   "THE MEN UP THERE ARE WILD,
                               
   THEIR LEADER THE DEVIL'S OWN CHILD,

   HE'S THE ONE THEY ALL CALL 'WILD BILL'"  ---> Mr. Wild Bill Eggleston, of course!





   "THEY ALL LIVE IN A CAMP,

   WHERE IT'S DARK AND IT'S DAMP,

   IN ONE CABIN AT THE BASE OF THE HILL"





   "AND THE ANIMALS THEY SLEW

   WOULD FILL EVERY ZOO

   AND THE BLOOD TURNS THE WHOLE RIVER RED"  ---> A reference to bygone days: before the water wheel was set up to turn the spit,

                                                                                                             one of the mountains had a waterfall.  As a practical joke, every year someone

                                                                                                             always put red food coloring into the water, symbolizing the "Red River Valley"





   "THEN THEY COOK ALL THE MEAT

   BETTER THAN KINGS WOULD EAT

   AND WILD BILL WEARS A WOLF ON HIS HEAD"



   "THE WHOLE MOUNTAIN'S INDIAN LAND

   THAT BILL TOOK FOR HIS BAND

   WHEN HE CHALLENGED THE CHIEF TO A FIGHT"



   "ONE RIGHT CROSS ON THE CHIN

   DID THE WARRIOR IN

   HE DROPPED DEAD, OUT LIKE A LIGHT"



   "THAT JUST PISSED BILL OFF

   HE PUT THE DEAD CHIEF IN A LOFT

   AND COVERED HIS DRY BONES WITH SKINS"  ----> A reference to the indian burial ground at the front of our booth each year!



   "IN THE HOPES THAT, WITH LUCK,

   HIS GHOST WOULD MUSTER SOME COURAGE UP

   AND COME BACK TO FIGHT BILL AGAIN!"



   YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN 'EM ALL JUMP

   AS THE DOOR OPENED WITH A THUMP

   AND THEY FELT A STRANGE CHILL IN THE AIR



   WHEN IN FROM THE SNOW
			
   WITH HIS HEAD SLUNG LOW

   CAME A GRIZZLY WITH LONG SHAGGY HAIR  ----> The bear was portrayed by our own Joseph Hebert!



   AND FOLLOWING BEHIND

   A MAN MOST WOULD FIND

   WOULD FILL THEM WITH FEAR AND WITH DREAD



   HE WORE FURS ON HIS BACK

   HIS EYES WERE DARK AND BLACK

   AND HE WORE A DEAD WOLF ON HIS HEAD  ---> This is an actual Innuit ceremonial headdress, made from an Alaskan Gray Wolf



   THE FOLKS CLEARED A PATH

   WILD BILL JUST LAUGHED

   AND THE BEAR MADE HIS WAY TO THE BAR



   AND QUICK AS A ROCKET

   BILL REACHED IN HIS POCKET

   AND TOSSED A QUARTER INTO THE JAR



   MABEL FILLED UP A BEER

   HER HANDS SHAKING WITH FEAR

   NERVOUSLY TWISTING HER HAIR



   WILD BILL LAUGHED AGAIN

   AS HE SAID WITH A GRIN

   "UP ON THE TABLE, MABEL, THE QUARTER'S FOR THE BEAR!"  ---> 1992 Team Slogan



   "THE BEAR'S ON HIS OWN,"

   SAID MABEL WITH A MOAN

   AS SHE PULLED BILL'S RUGGED FACE TOWARD HER



   "BUT COME BACK TO THE TIPI,  ----> Again, in bygone days, a tipi was, er, erected on the top of the pit trailer

   THERE'S A BED AND I'M NOT SLEEPY

   AND I'LL MAKE SURE YOU DON'T WASTE YOUR QUARTER!"



   THEY BOTH LEFT TOGETHER

   AND BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER

   OR WAS IT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOSY



   THE TOWNSFOLK ALL STAYED

   AND A DOLLAR POT WAS PLAYED

   TO SEE WHICH OF THEIR FACES WOULD BE ROSY



   NOT FIVE MINUTES GONE BY

   BILL CAME OUT WITH A SIGH

   AND SHOUTED TO THE PEOPLE WITHIN



   "SHE'S BROUGHT OUT HER DAUGHTER!

   GET A BUCKET OF WATER!

   WET ME DOWN, BOYS, I'M GOING BACK IN!"  ---> A former (1994?) Team Slogan



   THIS STORY ENDS HERE

   CUZ' WHEN THE COAST WAS CLEAR

   THE STRANGER HEADED OUT IN THE SNOW



   BUT THE RUMOR IN THE TOWN

   IS THAT ONCE A YEAR THEY COME DOWN

   AND MAKE CAMP AT THE OLD RODEO



   SO IF YOU ARE BRAVE

   AND GOOD COOKING YOU CRAVE

   COME DOWN AND BELLY UP TO THE BAR



   BUT BEWARE OF WILD BILL

   HE'LL BE TENDING THE STILL

   AND NEVER, EVER, THROW A QUARTER IN THE JAR!