The thrill-packed story of a hero whose bullets spoke for justice on a frontier that flamed with Civil War, Indian uprisings and brawling bad men. It is a story of one of the most turbulent periods in American history, when men of courage fought to establish law and order and when a six-shooter was the only understandable language.

Most fearless of these men was Wild Bill Hickok, stage driver for the great Santa Fe freight caravans, Overland Stage boss, Indian fighter. During the Civil War he joined the Union forces as dispatch rider and scout and was highly acclaimed by General Freeman for this reckless bravery. He thrived on danger and learned at an early age, when he helped his father hide runaway slaves, that liberty and freedom were man's most prized possessions, and for these he was willing to fight and die. But he believed also in justice and law and order, and when he was made Marshall of Hayes and Abilene, two of the toughest towns on the frontier, outlaws, derelicts, big-time gamblers learned to respect this man of iron will who fought them with courage and honor.

Here is the gaudy, garish frontier in all its gun-smoked violence and glory, and here are Wild Bill's friends, Kit Carson, General Custer, Buffalo Bill and Black Nell, the great-hearted horse who carried Bill from one perilous adventure to another.

Bill Hickok's greatest love was America. This is the story of that passion that helped to free the West.

From the dust jacket