It's 1860. The decade of gunslingers and gentlemen. This is a true
story of one such young man that wanted more than anything to be the fastest and most respected gunslinger in the west.
The place was Deadman, Kansas in the Sawdust saloon.
The young man walked into the Sawdust saloon and to his surprise he
saw Bat Masterson sitting at a table playing poker. The young man
walked up to Bat and said, "Mr. Masterson, I would like to be a
gunslinger just like you. Could you give me some tips?"
Bat Masterson put his cards down, looked up at the boy and said, "Son, I don't usually give out tips like this cause it could someday be
detrimental to my health, but step back and let me take a look at
you."
The boy stepped back and Mr. Masterson said, "You look good. You're wearing black, you've got two pearl handled guns with waxed holsters, and you look like a gunslinger. But what's more important son is, can you shoot?"
The young man, happy to show how good he was, quickly drew his pistol from his right holster and without aiming shot the cuff link off of
the piano player's right sleeve.
Bat Masterson said, "That's good shooting son, but can you shoot with you left hand?" Before Masterson could even finish, the boy had
already drawn the pistol from his left holster and shot the cuff link
off of the piano player's left shirt sleeve. Very proud of himself the
young man blew the smoke away from his six shooter and holstered his
gun. "How was that?" the boy asked Masterson.
Bat Masterson smiled and looked up and the boy and said, "That was
pretty good shooting son. I couldn't do much better than that myself,
but I do have one good tip for you." "What's that?" the boy asked.
"Well," Masterson said, "I suggest that you go to the kitchen and ask
the cook for a large can of lard. Then take both guns of yours and
stick them down deep in the lard."
Puzzled the young gunslinger asked Masterson why he should do that.
Masterson put his cards down for the second time, leaned back in his
chair and said, "Well son, when Wyatt Earp gets done playing the piano over there, he's going to take those two guns of yours and stick them right up your ass!" |
