Tombstone by Walter Noble Burns

Author:Walter Noble Burns [Burns, Walter Noble]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Frontier and pioneer life--Arizona, Frontier and pioneer life--Arizona--Tombstone, Outlaws--Arizona--Tombstone--History--19th century, Tombstone (Ariz.), Tombstone (Ariz.)--Biography, Tombstone (Ariz.)--History--19th century
Publisher: Standard Ebooks
Published: 2023-01-01T20:43:10+00:00

XIII

The Showdown

Dark and high the war clouds were piling. Forked hatreds snaked flamingly across the blind gloom, and vengeance threatened in rumbling thunder growls. The red deluge was about to burst. Nothing now could hold back the storm.

Swashbuckling Ike Clanton, unable to read the signs and portents of impending tragedy, drove alone into Tombstone on the afternoon of October 25th. Rash, blundering fellow, thus to venture single-handed into the stronghold of his enemies. But he believed in his soul the Earps were secretly afraid of him, would not dare to molest him, stood in awe of the banded outlaw strength that for years had been at his back. How quickly and cruelly was this proud freebooter to be stripped of his foolish illusions. So confident of his own safety was he that, as a law-abiding gesture, he left his Winchester rifle and six-shooter behind the bar at the Grand Hotel and sallied forth to tipple and take his pleasure in the saloons and gambling halls.

An hour past midnight, Ike Clanton was eating a light repast in the lunch room in the rear of the Alhambra saloon when Doc Holliday strolled in. Holliday’s face went dark.

“You’ve been lying about me to Wyatt Earp,” he flared.

“I never said anything to Wyatt Earp about you,” returned Clanton in weak denial.

“You’re a liar!” snapped Holliday with an oath. “You’ve been saying a lot of other things about me lately. Don’t deny it. I’ve got the goods on you.”

Holliday was in a cold fury. He called Clanton a drunken blatherskite, a yellow cur, a braggart, a coward. The doctor had a scurrilous and blackguard tongue when his dander was up, and he exhausted upon Clanton a full and rich vocabulary of opprobrium.

“Moreover,” said Holliday, “you’ve been making your threats to kill me. Now’s a good time to do it. We are all alone, man to man. Get out your gun and get to work.”

Out flashed the doctor’s own six-shooter.

“I’ve got no gun on me,” cried Clanton.

“Don’t tell me that, you lying whelp,” said Holliday. “You’ve got a gun. You wouldn’t have the nerve to be knocking around Tombstone at midnight without one. Go to fighting.”

“No,” responded Clanton, “I’m unarmed.”

“Then, if you are not heeled,” shot back the doctor, “go and heel yourself. And when you come back, come a-smoking.”

Morgan Earp walked into the restaurant.

“Leave him alone, Doc,” said Morgan, and he took Holliday by the arm and led him outside. Clanton followed him out on the sidewalk. There Clanton attempted vain explanations, while Holliday, still boiling with wrath, continued to abuse him. While the heated colloquy was in progress, Wyatt and Virgil Earp walked up, and Virgil ended the argument by threatening to put both men in jail.

“Don’t shoot me in the back, Holliday,” said Clanton as he walked away.

“You heel yourself,” warned Holliday, “and stay heeled. Don’t have any excuses the next time I see you.”

Clanton found Wyatt Earp in the Oriental saloon a half-hour later.

“I wasn’t heeled when Doc Holliday was abusing me,” said Clanton.

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