James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. Born 1837 Troy Grove, Illinois. Lawman of Kansas cowtowns, 1866-1871. Gentlemanly, undaunted by danger, and fantastically deadly with his silver-plated Colts? |
"You met Hickok?" Billy Thompson said that in a way that implied "liar." "Did certainly so," replied Jack, his face dancing with firelight. "Sold him two horses. Has them Colt navies sittin' butts-forward in his holsters just like they say. Well, we jawed for a time, and it came around to shootin'-talk. And old Jeffords was standin' there, and he says, 'I've been wanting a new shingle up, and I'll give you cartridge money for shooting my old one down, from here.'" "Now old Jeffords' signpost is about sixty paces away. Hickok looks at it and says, 'I'll do you better.' He pulls out both his pistols and takes ten nice steady shots, first one, then the next. Then he puts them away and smiles. Well, the sign don't fall down. But Sam, he notices first that daylight is showin' right through the 'O' in 'Jeffords.'" "Heh, Old Jeffords, he bought Hickok a whole box of shells. And he gets more business now than ever. Everyone wants to see that shot-up shingle..." |
