Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 8: Sir Galahad and Flour Tortillas "From the moment I laid eyes on him, Doc Holliday's appearance haunted me. It does to this day." - Wyatt Earp Masterson had worried for Webb and Thompson unduly. Both men were back in camp minutes before Masterson and Holliday …
Chapter 9: Admissions and Arrogance
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 9: Admissions and Arrogance "No people ever prospered by being protected from life. It is the struggle that makes them strong. It is the struggle, too, that is the reward in life." --James H. Kyner. End of Track. It was well after midnight and Masterson was …
Chapter 10: Arresting Developments
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 10: Arresting Developments “...the South's Victorian 'Code of Honor' which posited that the preservation of one's honor was more important than life itself -- yours or anybody else's." -- Bill Neal: Getting Away with Murder on the Texas Frontier As Masterson had bragged to Holliday, every …
Chapter 11: Collecting Shells at the Drowning
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 11: Collecting Shells at the Drowning "To pursue Doc is to pilot largely in the dark." - Bruce Olds Surprisingly, Holliday complied with Masterson's request, too lost in thought to consider further resistance. He didn't remove his hat but he unbuttoned his waistcoat and his shirt …
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Chapter 12: Visual Acuity
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 12: Visual Acuity "You may hear of a killing if everything works right... but it may be some time yet." -- Texas Ranger Ira Aten to Capt. L. P. Sieker in 1888 Holliday did not die. Not yet, at any rate. Fox could not account for …
Chapter 13: Hell and Gone to Prescott
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 13: Hell and Gone to Prescott "He had the calm confidence of a Christian with four aces." --Mark Twain Holliday managed to sleep deeply once Masterson and his bunch had left the tent. So deeply sometimes that Kate had checked to make certain he was still …
Chapter 14: Nicotine and Cutthroat Dominoes
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 14: Nicotine and Cutthroat Dominoes “How, unless you drink as I do, could you hope to understand the beauty of an old Indian woman playing dominoes with a chicken?” -- Malcolm Lowry It was the third day and sunlight had finally capped the timbered hill on …
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Chapter 15: Falls and Follies
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 15: Falls and Follies “Holliday seemed to be absolutely unable to keep out of trouble for any great length of time. He would no sooner be out of one scrape before he was in another, and the strange part of it is he was more often …
Chapter 16: Payroll, Powder and Pillage
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 16: Payroll, Powder and Pillage "This thing of being a hero, about the main thing to it is to know when to die. Prolonged life has ruined more men than it ever made." -- Will Rogers. Before Masterson left camp, he sent a telegraph to the …
Chapter 17: Silver Strike
Parables of the Beautiful Country by Jack E'Dalgo Chapter 17: Silver Strike "Have you any idea of what a man must endure who leads such a life? No, you cannot. No one can unless he lives it for himself." -- Frank James Holliday's tent was still dark when Shanssey went to get water for his …