The Shot

June 27, 1874

Hundreds of warriors (including Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne, Arapaho) attacked an isolated outpost known as Adobe Walls (northeast of present day Borger, Texas). The leaders of the attack included Comanche chief Quanah Parker and medicine man Coyote Dung (or Rear End of a Wolf in some accounts).

Coyote Dung had promised that his medicine would protect the attackers.

Adobe Walls was defended by a few dozen hard cases, including Bat Masterson and Billy Dixon.

The initial assault failed, and the warriors withdrew to reorganize.

Coyote Dung explained that his medicine failed because a Cheyenne warrior killed a skunk along the way to the attack.

Billy Dixon borrowed a rifle (a Sharps .50, some accounts say that it was Bat Masterson's rifle) and knocked a warrior off his horse at a range of almost a mile (1538 yards by one account).

It was known afterwards as "The Shot."

The event was interpreted as bad medicine, and the warriors called off the attack.