I’M YOUR HUCKLEBERRY

As the lore and legend goes, a few days after the OK Corral gunfight, an inebriated Johnnie Ringo meets the Earp brothers on the streets of Tombstone, Arizona, in front of the barbershop and challenges them to another fight. The Earps refuse, tell him to go home and sober up, and begin to walk away.  Ringo continues to taunt them by yelling, “Don’t any of you have the guts to play for blood?”  Then, slyly from the shadows in front of the barbershop, Doc Holiday call out,  “I’m your huckleberry – That’s just my game”. Being an educated and well read man, in those rough frontier times; Doc was referring back to the ancient tales of King Arthur.  When a knight came into the service of a local Lord, king or damsel, he would lower his lance and receive a huckleberry garland from whomever he was offering to defend, thereby pledging his loyalty, honor and blood.  This quote was recognized to mean, “I am your man for this job”. Doc was letting them all understand he would defend Wyatt and the Earp brothers against all threats, with his blood.