Crazy Old Jed | You...was a Reb?! But I thought... |
Reno Jones | I know what you thought...but there was a lot more to the war than the slavery issue! It was a matter of one way of life...against another! |
Appearing in "The Thundering Herd!"
Featured Characters:
- The Gunhawks (Origin revealed)
- Reno Jones (First appearance)
- Richard "Kid" Cassidy (First appearance)
Supporting Characters:
- Crazy Old Jed
- Mr. Cassidy (Only in flashback) (Death)
- Rachel (Only in flashback)
- Confederate States Army (Only in flashback)
- Robert E. Lee (Mentioned)
Antagonists:
- Union Army (Only in flashback)
- The Dawson Gang
- Milo Dawson (Death)
Other Characters:
- Buffalo Herd
- Cassidy Tutor (Only in flashback)
- Reno's mother (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
Items:
- Buffalo Gun
Synopsis for "The Thundering Herd!"
Kid and Reno attempt to hunt some buffalo, in order to sell their hides, and raise some money. They fail horribly, and are almost trampled in a stampede. They are saved by an old man, who then threatens to kill them for poaching. However, he takes them back to his shack, and then sets and splints Kid's leg.
The two tell the old man their story over a campfire: Kid's father was a plantation owner, and Reno was one of his slaves. Mr. Cassidy never treated his slaves like slaves though. He paid them, and allowed them to come and go as they pleased. He gave Reno all the privileges that he gave his own son, and paid a tutor to teach both of them. When the War broke out, he even gave Reno the freedom to choose which side to fight for (although deciding that Kid had to fight for the South). Reno decided to stay and watch the plantation, but when the Union Army marched through, razed the farm, killed Mr. Cassidy, and kidnapped his lover, Rachel, Reno joined the Confederate Army to slaughter as many Union Soldiers as he could. After the War, Kid and Reno meet back at their former home, and team up as the Gunhawks. Their one goal: to find Rachel.
While Kid heals, the old man teaches Reno to shoot the Buffalo Gun, a weapon he designed for hunting Buffalo. He also drills into him the distinction between hunting for food, and hunting for hides or sport. Once Reno masters the gun, they go Buffalo hunting, and encounter some poachers, and kill a bunch of them, including their leader, Milo Dawson. Searching the bodies, they find that Dawson had Rachel's locket. Hoping that the surviving members of the Dawson gang knows where he got it, they gear up. The old man tells Reno to keep the Buffalo gun.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- The old man never gives the Gunhawks his name. The first mention of a name for him is spoken by the Dawson Gang. As far as we know, they don't know his name either, and just call him Jed to have something to call him.
- This series was later retconned to be tales from a dime novel, with the real facts being embellezed.[1]. In the new story, Mr. Cassidy treated his slaves like slaves, and Reno did not join the Confederate Army. Reno still showed contempt for the Union army and was an ally of Kid Cassidy.
- Indicia page