On the eve of the Civil War, on the sole street of Julesburg in the northeastern corner of what would become Colorado, two antagonists faced off for the first time. One was longhaired Jules Beni, the namesake hamlet's hulking, swaggering French-Canadian boss. Old Jules was suspected of tampering with the mails and stealing horses from the Central Overland stagecoach line and its famous offshoot, the Pony Express. His younger, shorter opponent was the red-haired company agent who had arrived to replace him.
According to legend—for no stenographers or reporters were present to record the meeting—Beni glared at the smaller man and growled, “Your name Jack Slade?”
His adversary quietly answered, “Captain Slade.”
“Going to work for the Pony?” Beni pressed.
“That's the idea,” said Slade.
“You won't last long.”
“Maybe not,” replied Slade. “But while I do, the mails are going out on time.”
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