It's 1880's, the era of gunslingers. This is the story of a young
man who wanted more than anything to be the fastest and most respected gunslinger in the west. The place was Tombstone, Arizona,
the Boot Hill Saloon.
The young man walked into the saloon and, to his surprise, saw Doc
Holliday sitting at a table playing poker. The young man walked up to Doc and said, "Doctor Holliday, I would like to be a
gunfighter just like you. Could you give me some tips?"
Holliday 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, for you I'll make an exception.
Step back and let me take a look at you."
The boy stepped back. Holliday looked him over and said, "Son, you
look good. You're wearing black, you've got two pearl handled guns with waxed holsters, and you look like a gunfighter. But
what's more important son, 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. Holliday said, "That's good
shooting son, but can you shoot with your left hand?"
Before Doc 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. The young man proudly blew the smoke
away from his six shooter and holstered his gun.
"How was that?" the boy asked.
Holliday smiled, looked up at 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," Holliday replied, "I suggest that you go to the kitchen
and ask the cook for a large can of lard. Then take both of your guns and stick them down deep in the lard."
Puzzled the young gunslinger asked why he should do that.
Doc
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 where the sun don't shine!"