Red ghost.

Desert...

Across the desert plain

Pa with Ma Rode the covered wagon carrying little Jane

Jane didn't like one eyed jack

Sitting on his dusty mule glaring as she sat in the wagons back

Not one bit

He smelt bad and gleefully

scared her as she sit

"Red ghost is gonna getcha!"

"Red ghost will trap yeah!"

"He's been seeing riding in these parts."

"For people with black hearts."

"If you be bad girl."

"He can tell."

"He will chase you into the fires of hell."

Then he lifted the eye patch with his ugly dead white eye

She'd just look away and cry

Pa said we needed one eyed jack

He knows this desert track

Without

chances none to slim

Ma said she just didn't trust him

And she was right

Comancheros attacked them that night

Pa was tortured, staked and killed

Ma

what was left of her

was tied up for later

"Those females will fetch a good price across the border."

Smiles one eyed jack the traitor

"A high price for the daughter!"

"You got paid well!"

The Comanchero leader said

"Get going before you wind up dead."

"I'm a going -I'm no fool!"

He laughed climbing onto his mule.

"Red ghost is gonna getcha!"

He turned and saw Jane standing

there

Child's eyes cold

a dead stare

"Red ghost will trap yeah!"

"You have been bad."

"A black heart."

"He can tell."

"He's going to chase you into the fires of hell."

Then she sat by her mother and another word she never did utter.

Her words stayed and played

Afraid

As he rode alone into the black desert night

Every noise made him jump for fright

He felt hairs on the back of his neck

He turned and check

fears rising

A lone rider following

From the dark horizon

Red ghost?

Really?

Scout for a possie more likely

Morning sun rising

Deadly plot forming

Mule last longer

than your horse

pardner

Needs less water

Breed much stronger

"Lead him to his death mule!"

So hot

So cruel

All day under burning sun

slow chase

Shade on horizon kept

same pace

His pursuer

No closer

no further

To far to make out his

head

But the rider seemed to be colored

Red

After 3 blistering days

the red shade kept pace

But how?

His horse should have collapsed by now

No matter follow me shade and be a dead fool

Your horse can't outlast my steady mule

On the fourth day jack drank his last drop

The shade shemmered and continued its slow trot

On the fifth day his mule collapsed

Throwing jack 

Breaking his back

All went black.

His skin was burning

Pain building

Mouth to dry for screaming

Hells fire consuming?

Eyes opening

No

still laying

not moving

Not fire burning

Worse

fire ants biting

Burning

Stinging

Every inch

Paralyzed on the desert floor

He was done for

The red shade moved closer

Red ghost

You have lost

Comfort knowing I will see you in

hell

Five days from nearest

well

No man, horse or mule alive

Without water can survive

Then the shade came into focus

One eyed Jack

Spied the fur hump on its back

The red camel grunted a defiant sound

To the soon be corpse on the ground

As the ants greedily poured

Out of their mound.