Wild Bill's Last Trail

Diamond Dick Library, No. 192: "Wild Bill's Last Trail" by Ned Buntline

This serial installment introduces J. B. "Wild Bill" Hickok arriving by train at Laramie, confiding to old scout Sam Chichester that he senses his death is imminent. He reveals a haunting memory: killing a red-haired Texan at Abilene whose dying word—"Sister!"—has tormented him ever since. Hickok plans to join Chichester's Black Hills expedition with Captain Jack Crawford and California Joe.

The narrative then shifts to a vengeful auburn-haired young man who has overheard this conversation and vows to avenge the Texan's death, declaring himself Hickok's "avenger." In a German restaurant, this mysterious figure encounters a well-dressed, bearded traveler named Willie Pond. Their dialogue reveals that Pond knows Hickok is newly married and has traveled from the East. The auburn-haired man, calling himself "Jack," agrees to guide Pond to the Black Hills separately from Hickok's party, accepting five hundred dollars for provisions.