BEST SHOT

IN THE WEST
the adventures of Nat Love
By Patricia C. McKissack
& Fredrick L. McKissack Jr.
Illustrated by Randy DuBurke

Text 2012 by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack Jr.

Illustrations 2012 by Randy DuBurke.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McKissack, Pat, 1944
Best shot in the West : the adventures of Nat Love / by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L.
McKissack, Jr. ; illustrated by Randy DuBurke.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8118-5749-9
1. Love, Nat, 18541921Comic books, strips, etc. 2. African American cowboysWest (U.S.)
BiographyComic books, strips, etc. 3. CowboysWest (U.S.)BiographyComic books,
strips, etc. 4. West (U.S.)BiographyComic books, strips, etc. I. McKissack, Fredrick, Jr.
II. DuBurke, Randy. III. Title.
F594.L892M34 2011
978.02092dc22
[B]
2007021419
Book design by Amelia Mack, Izzy Langridge, Mai Ogiya, and Lauren Smith.
Typeset in Crimefighter.
Narration and speech panels drawn by Anthony Wu.
The illustrations in this book were rendered in acrylic and pen.
Manufactured by Toppan Leefung, Da Ling Shan Town, Dongguan, China, in October 2011.
1357910 864 2
This product conforms to CPSIA 2008.
Chronicle Books LLC.
680 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclebooks.com/teen

To the Kummers. Thank you.

F. L. M.

To my wife, our two boys, and my publisher and editor

who stuck with me through the hard times.
R. D.

denver, colorado, 1902.

hurry up with
my bags.
I want to settle in
before the train
pulls away.

Boy!

Yes, sir.

Follow me, and

please watch
your step.

10

Help!

Hey, wait!
My bags!

Someone
help me!

My baby!

11

Grab
the boy!

12

GRAB
HIM!

WHOA N OW!

Come on
now!

Easy, boy...

13

Ease up
Now.

Gracias a Dios!
Y gracias, senor.
<Thank God.
And thank
you, sir.>

Estas
bien?
<Are you
all right?>

Si. Si,
estoy bien.
<Yes. Yes,
I am fine.>

14

QuiEn es
usted?
<Who are
you?>

Thats
Deadwood Dick!

Deadwood
Dicks dead.

15

16

Boooo-ard!

17

Watch those
bags, boy!
Youre not
wrestling a
steer.
Yes,
sir.

18

This is the rest

of my life?
Porter! Get
me a glass of
water. Ive
got to take
my pills.

Can you get

another glass?
This ones dirty.

Deadwood!
Deadwood Dick!
I knew it was you.

Its Nat Love now! Oh,

my goodness, Bugler.
Aint you a sight.

I was just telling someone about the

time you were trying to outrun a flash
flood on that slow horse of yours.
And with some of Ol Man Pennimans
cattle in tow, if I recall correctly.

Porter!
Porter!

Im...

Im tired.

Hey, those cows were

following me. Ive gone
all soft now, anyhow. Ive
got a couple hotels, and
a newspaper in Kansas
City. How are you doing?

19

according to company rules, a porter should be

constantly on his feet, serving the passengers.

20

when the day is done

id just run
away from St.
Louis. youd just
come out of
Davidson County.
We tried to act
tough, but we
were just boys
fresh out of
short pants tryin
to be men.

Yeah, we were
something back
then. Worlds
best shooter and
worlds best
scout...

Hey, old-timer,
mind if I sit for
a while?

How old were

we back then?

21

...Now look at us. Look

at me. Worlds best
shooter turned into
worlds best...porter.

You still
telling
stories?
Huh?

You know, stories about cowboys and such.

My son is running my paper in Kansas City. Hes
convinced me to publish some stories about the
Old West. Were going to do the real West, Nat.
Youre as real as the rest of em: Bat
Masterson, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, the Earps.

22

I dont
need your
money.
Youve got stories,
Nat. Deadwood Dick
stories. Stories
people want to hear.
And Ill pay you.

I know, I know. But

if Im buying stories
from other people,
Im sure as hellfire
going to pay the
man who saved me
from getting a butt
full of buckshot
down in Waco.
Oh, yeah, I
remember that
night. It was you,
me, and Collins
and that snake...

the two friends

reminisced for a while
before bugler turned
in for the night and nat
went about his night
duties: shining shoes,
answering calls
23

It sure was
good seeing
you again.

Spelling?
Thats for
editors to fix.

24

Take care now.

and think about
my offer.

If I can do
anything for you...
well, you know.

Thanks, but I dont

have time for writing,
and spelling aint my
strong suit.

Porter!
Porter!

Yes, sir.
Get my bags
off now, or
Ill be late.

25

two months later.

er),

es?
stori
y
ou.
le
ar m warn y
e
g
u
h
t
to
r. B
idn ica.
ant
d
rM
w
I
a
r
u
e
o
D
that in Ame
ys y
d
a
i
s
sa
e
er
it be rent tim
fath
t
r
e
u
l
o
ffe
So, y ut never
a di
g
b
n
,
duri
Fine
p
u
ew
I gr
e
r (th

26

g
Youn

I first saw the light of day

in June 1854 in a log cabin on a
plantation in Davidson County,
Tennessee. I dont know the
exact date.

27

My father was a slave foreman. My mother ran the kitchen in the big
house. She also wove cloth and made clothes for other slaves.

We were owned by
Robert Love. In his own
way, and in comparison
to other slave owners,
he was a decent
master.

I was the youngest.

I had an older sister,
Sally. She was eight
when I was born. My
brother, Jordan,
was five. With all
the duties everyone
had, I grew up
unsupervised.

28

. . . and later on, as I became

older, making raids on the garden
to satisfy my hunger, much to
the damage of the young onions,
watermelons, turnips, sweet
potatoes, and other things I could
find to eat.

My earliest recollections are

of pushing a chair in front of
me and toddling from one to the
other of my masters family to
get a mouthful to eat, like a pet
dog . . .

29

Our plantation was situated in the heart of the black belt of the south.

All around us were

thousands of slaves,
working to keep
these so-called
proud, aristocratic
Southern families
going.

30

Many overseers were

perfect devils in human
form, men who delighted
in torturing the black
human beings.

I have seen men

beaten to the
ground with the
butts of the
overseers whips.

I have seen the long, cruel

lash curl around the
shoulders of women.

I have seen the

snakelike lash draw
blood from the
tender limbs of mere
babies, hardly more
than able to toddle,
their only offense
being that their skin
was black.

31

When I was seven years old, the war broke out between the
North and the South. Master went to join Lees forces. He
took my father to help build forts.

We couldnt go to war, so we played war. Our lil regiment captured

Fort Hell held by some nasty yellowjackets.

32

Finally, Lee surrendered and

Master and Father returned
home. But like some other
masters during that time,
Robert Love did not tell us we
were free.

It was quite a while after

this that we found out we
were free!

33

The time after slavery was tough. Without food or

money and almost naked, we existed for a time on bran
and cracklins. Yet we were happy to be free.

Mother made the best of

what we had. She would
spread a batter of bran,
water or buttermilk, and
a little salt on a cabbage
leaf. She topped that with
another cabbage leaf,
then set it on the hearth
and covered it with hot
coals to bake it. This we
called ash cake.
Father taught Jordan and
me how to make brooms
and mats from straw and
chair bottoms from cane
and reeds. We sold them to
help make ends meet.

Our first crop consisted of corn, tobacco, and a few vegetables.

34

During the winter we started to try and learn

ourselves something in the educational line.
Father could read a little, and he helped us all
with our ABCs.

In the spring,
Father died.

But we did not lose

courage for long.
The crops had to be
looked after.

Just when we
dared to be
hopeful, my
brother-in-law
died, leaving my
sister, Sally,
with two small
children.
I was 14, and I
was scared. But
I told my mother
and sister, Brace
up and dont lose
your heads. Ill
look after you all.
I said this with a
bravado I was far
from feeling.

35

Its some tough work

today, brother. I wish
Father were here.

I could see no use in weeping

and worrying. Winter was
coming, and we had to keep
from starving.
We made enough to buy
books for the tykes. We
taught them how to read,
just as Father had taught
us. It was a good time, but
Sally was getting sick. We
didnt know why.

I know, but hes

gone now. Weve
got to keep the
family going.

Ma, I dont
think Sally

Hush, boy. Dont call

on bad spirits with
bad thoughts.
Sally lingered
through the winter,
but she passed on in
the spring.

36

I found jobs here and there, but it

was the Williams boys who got me
started on being a cowboy.
We had no money to buy
seed or food. It broke
my heart to see my
nieces going half naked
and barefooted. Jordan
was tending to things
at home. I resolved to
secure employment
that would permit me to
feed and clothe Mother
and the children.

I broke colts. Ten cents a colt.

37

It was easy enough work. Then came

Black Highwayman.

Not for TEN

cents, I wont.
How bout FIFTY
cents?

Fifty cents?
Kinda steep.

Can you break

im, Nat?

Thats the
price.

How about
FIFTEEN
cents?

Nah. Aint
worth it.

38

Meet you
halfway?

Sold. I want
my quarter
up front.

Done. Now, lets get im

down to the barn.

39

40

41

Oh, no!

42

43

I thought that horse wouldnt stop

until we got to Kentucky.

44

45

Just when I thought I was

going to have to jump, the
horse started to break.

46

Whos that rider?

he must be the
Best rider in
Davidson County.

Best rider in
Tennessee.

Thats Nat Loves boy.

His father sure would
be proud. He aint but
FOURTEEN years old.

I broke that
horse. You
owe me.

Im sorry.

Yes, and I
already
paid you.

but i lost
my quarter
breaking that
horse.

I lost it.
Cant you
spare it?

47

ng o

lo
to be

sed
s rai
a
w
s. He
m
t
a
i
l
abou
Wil
ion.
s
s
l
s
l
a
i
a
e
id
tB
mp
first
n co
ad a
g.
o
y
m
t
r
m
o
t
nkin
to
ho
e
i
s
t
g
h

t
d
n
o
n
s
pt
dt
o
I wa s sense a
d ke
arte
n
t
s
a
t int
s
e
I
g
e
k
t
c
n
n
i
i
a
i
th
rk
tt
bus
t wo
-cen
ime
t
p
0
e
5
s
i
k
back e.
a
I
th
e
d
s
.
t
e
r
n
u
o
n
o
rs
y ow
s ab
he h ed a ho
I tur
t
a
m
.
t
w
e
n
l
h
g
ff
It
e
to
ed
se ra affle bou an I ne
raffl
g ou
r
n
o
e
i
h
h
v
t
h
a
n
mo
er
ink
ore t
I wo
y on
g th
m
k
n
d
I th
c
s
i
r
n
u
n
.
l
s
a
a
n
l
r
t
,
l
u
r
in
go
lla
do
aga
0 do
man
d 50
ally
5
f
e
n
e
f
i
d
r
o
f
h
e
o
T
t
f
I
i
ne
e
s.
affle the hors
ollar
ng I
r
i
d
r
o
0
t
u
10
ed
fig
ht
g.
me,
e tri lse boug
H
thin
m
d
.
e
o
t
e
m
h
fr
o
s
st an
dy
rig
e
e
o
s
w
b
m
a
e
ll
go
ook
He w and som
to te
d to
.It
s
e
g
t
g
n
,
n
i
n
i
in
wa
try
I
aga
winn
at I
was
y
h
d
t
m
hes.
r
t
r
o
f
o
l
e
l
L
a
c
h
ot
w
rh
the
f ne
o
old M gave he
t
t
d my
e
n
d
s
a
n
t
s
I
a
e
an
fir
fe.
d my
my
Jord
i
t hom ay in li
t
.
a
o
s
n
h
g
I
.I
ma
w
oug
set
ther
ea
nd b
o
k
e my
i
a
l
nI
k
M
f
e
t
l
a
f
l
h
o
a
e
m
T
f
re
s.
rh
.I
were
e ca
race
othe
s
k
b
man
g
a
m
t
a
n
e
the
i
e
to
st
th
d lik
ome
y la
ood
e
h
g
m
k
t
o
t
d
o
a
r
l
ou
ea
re
1869.
d h
gave
e we
y
I
l
r
c
d
.
s
a
n
n
u
sa
bru
sa
Kan
s Fe
-bye
d
a
d
r
o
w
a
o
g
at
ow
est, t
e. Th
r
w
e
t
h
ou
gt
enin
p
p
ha
48

I walked some.

I rode some.

I was
determined
to get to
Dodge City,
the cowboy
capital.

49