Getting Up to Speed

He was back in the Gulch but no one knew

He missed Lean and Kae, and of course, Rue

The others still there brought a swell to his heart

He was glad to be back and not apart

Some problems, he saw, were still unsolved

But in fairness they could be absolved

And hopefully he could help restart

He had stared hard from the shadow

At the new Tent City tableau

It was just as he'd expected

The smell gold greed infected

The Deputy had done herself proud

Controlling the scene without getting loud

Misgivings and complaints all corrected

He'd been gone a long time, left without sayin'

Wondered if they would forgive his strayin'

He was relieved when he discovered

CrazyGoose had recovered

Lorne had arrived for the girls and his sister

Learned she turned singer after 3Gun dismissed her

And with someone named AJ she became enamored

CrazyGoose had designed a notice

That made new arrivals grimace

But Deputy Darkly made it clear

Do as it said and there was nothing to fear

He saw AJ, making muffins by the stack

While keeping a watchful eye on her back

Plus Crooked Smile and Raven were always near

A saloon fight had broken out with muffins tossed

And Loren slipped away, not gonna be bossed

CrazyGoose stopped the fight by firing her gun

It was a victory lost with a battle won

The Marshall insisted that CG be arrested

The Deputy's authority was being tested

And CG's house arrest was no fun

Why didn't she tell them, he made her exempt to the rule?

If he stepped in now, the Deputy would look like a fool.

Lorne could leave with the girls, his demeanor chilly

Any more fuss would just make him look silly

But as Marshall he always had to be right

A lesson learned when he found AJ could fight

And in all this a question remained, where was Billy?

3gun went to his hotel room without being seen

This was no time for him to intervene

He'd watch to assure Lorne made no more trouble

Or he'd be out there on the double

Right now he was in need of rest

Get a lot of stuff off his chest

He had the feeling his life was on the bubble