Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
By Adam Maillet

Of all the stories of the Wild West, there is one legendary battle that stands out above all. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The fight took place between the Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan, and Virgil, along with their good friend Doc Holliday - quick at the draw, sick with tuberculoses, and drunk from whiskey. Cattle rustlers in the town calling themselves cowboys were constantly causing trouble in the town of Tombstone, and on the morning of October 26, it exploded in a flurry of gunfire forever taking a place in American History.

Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury, and Frank McClaury started trouble on the 25th of October. Fights were exchanged between the two groups and Wyatt and the other offered to settle the score in the street more than once, however each time the cowboys ran away. More threatening words were exchanged, and it was clear that a fight was about to occur. On the Morning of the 26th word came that the cowboys were carrying guns - a crime in Tombstone for anyone that wasn�t a lawman - and Sheriff Behan said he would go disarm the criminals. Word soon came that the criminals were waiting for them in an alley outside the O.K. Corral on Fermont Street. The Earps set out, along with Doc Holliday. �Doc, this is our fight. There�s no call for you to mix in.� Wyatt said over his shoulder.

�That�s a hell of a thing for you to say to me.� Wyatt was Doc�s best friend in the world, and he would not leave his friend�s side. Wyatt nodded and swore Doc in on the site. Vigil gave Doc his shotgun, telling him to hide it under his duster, and the four marched down the road.

When they reached the Clanton�s and McLaury�s the Sheriff tried to stop them, but they pressed on determined to arrest the criminals. They stood as they faced the surprised brothers, Doc�s shotgun �clearly visible as his coat flapped in the breeze.� . The cowboys were boxed in, but showed no sighs of giving up. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury cocked and holstered their guns. Vigil Earp called out that they wanted their guns, someone called out �son-of-a-bitch!� and a flurry of shots were exchanged. Billy Clanton aimed at Wyatt, Wyatt ignored him and drew his six-shooter shooting Frank McClaury who staggered towards the street, shot in the stomach. Billy missed and Wyatt stood unharmed. Tom McLaury claimed he was unarmed, then jumped behind his horse and grabbed his rifle. Morgan shot twice at Billy, got him once in the wrist, and once in the chest. Billy fell down against the building, though continued to fire unsteadily. Ike Clanton had other motive, he threw himself at Wyatt, who saw he was unarmed. Wyatt then threw the boy on the ground and said �Go to fighting or get away� Ike ran into a nearby building, Doc fired a shotgun blast at him, but missed. Ike ran out the back door and did not stop running until he was a block away. Tom McLaury�s horse ran away and his protection was gone, a blast from Doc sent him sprawling as it tore threw his chest. He crawled to the end of the street and collapsed dead. Billy fired a shot and nailed Vigil in the calf. Frank was not dead either and drew his gun, only to find Doc staring down at him. The two men fired and so did Morgan. Frank died, shot twice, and Doc was hot in the hip. � �Doc, it was said, would never make an easy target, for he was so wasted by tuberculosis and whiskey that if he turned sideways he could hardly be seen.� Frank McClaury disproved this theory� Billy fired the last of the cowboys shots and managed to hit Morgan in the shoulder, shots from Morgan and Wyatt out an end to his firings though. Less that a minute had gone by and the street was still. Gun smoke filled the air. The duel had left three men dead, three wounded. Ike suffered nothing as he ran away, and legendary Wyatt stood unscathed.

Later, Morgan would be shot in the back and killed during a game of billiards with his brother Virgil. While he lay dying he remarked, �This is the last game of pool I�ll ever play.� Virgil moved to California with his wife and eventually became a lawman again. Wyatt and Doc went on a Crusade killing and arresting members of the cowboy gang until none remained. Doc later died of tuberculosis. Wyatt Earp found a new wife, and ironically enough lived happily, ever after.

-2001

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws