After all the noise and smoke and killings of 1881, Tombstone, Arizona began attracting scribes the way a buffalo corpse attracts vultures and flies. It seemed as if every newspaper back East had to have an eyewitness account of the big shootout between the Earps and the Clantons. These overly romantic seekers of Truth and Beauty inevitably ended up sitting across from Big Minnie, buying her drink after drink at the Bird Cage Theater and scribbling furiously in their journals. Minnie had a way with words and the fine wines at the Bird Cage agreed with her, so it was a mutually beneficial arrangement for newspapermen. The scribes liked Minnie because oftentimes they could file their accounts without having to spend a lot of effort and creative capital embellishing on her stories. Minnie was just that good at spinning yarns, and the more she drank the more she enjoyed relating her boozy history of the wild early days of Tombstone.

Minnie had found her herself in Tombstone quite by accident, invited there by a small group of whores who had set out for Cochise County on the first rumors of a rich silver strike and found their services increasingly in demand. Two of the whores had worked for Minnie previously and they longed for the sense of security that Minnie provided. A large, muscular woman, with a boisterous laugh that masked a ferocious temperament, Minnie ran her house without the aid of a bouncer. Minnie kept order and disciplined her customers, when the need arose, all on her own. Several trips to nearby Mexico resulted in four more whores, a nice mixture of young and old, fresh or seasoned. Minnie selected them for temperament first and beauty second; drunk men rarely held a whore’s looks as a high priority.

With so much quick wealth concentrated in the growing boom town, it was inevitable that bars and whore houses would spring up. At its height, history records that Tombstone had 110 saloons, 14 gambling halls, and a dozen whorehouses of varying size. Minnie ran a high class whore house, decorated with dark red curtains and lurid paintings that set a fitting tone for such an enterprise. She would tolerate drunken behavior up to a point, and often joined the customers in tilting a few back in the utilitarian waiting room of the two story whorehouse. Minnie charged a premium for her girls, in order to draw a higher class of clientele.

According to Minnie, it had been Josie Marcus who sought out Minnie for employment after Josie landed in Tombstone. She had taken a room at the respectable Silver Nugget, one of the newer boarding houses. Minnie was impressed with Josie’s beauty and demeanor, but was surprised when Josie proposed the terms of her employment. Normally Minnie would have shown such a headstrong girl to the door, but Josie’s looks and demeanor won Minnie over, and so a deal was struck. Josie negotiated an arrangement with Minnie that let Josie have the right to refuse a client if she chose, as long as the refusal was made politely and didn’t embarrass the customer. Josie would simply feign a condition of womanly ailments, complaining of terrible cramping or bloody discharges. Upon hearing of her woes, all but the most inebriated of men would leave the attractive young courtesan alone. New found wealth from the silver claims sprung up like prairie flowers after a spring rain, and the girl could have made a nice fortune had she worked harder, but the girl lacked ambition, Big Minnie thought. The simple truth of it was that Josie was looking for bigger fish.

Josie Marcus would later compare her first encounter with her Mr. Earp to the first time she had laid eyes on Johnny Behan. Behan was darkly handsome, with deep brown eyes. When Behan became the newly appointed Deputy Sheriff of Tombstone, he wore his badge prominently displayed on his finest jacket, with his pistol uselessly holstered underneath his coat. Josie had learned in her teen years to judge a man not by his finery, nor his gold, nor even by the size or breadth of his shoulders, but by his eyes. Two types of men appealed to her; those who carried the unmistakable air of authority, and those who harbored kindness. Rarely had she ever seen a man who exhibited both traits. Josie thought that Johnny Behan might be the handsomest of the big fish in the territory. He wasn’t the most skilled of lovers, but with enough liquor in her, Josie made do with him. It wasn’t long before Johnny Behan and Josie Marcus shared Josie’s room at the Silver Nugget.

# # #

It was during a performance of “The Two Orphans” that Josie spotted Wyatt Earp for the first time. Big Minnie would later tell folks that Minnie herself had seen the look on Josie’s face when Josie first laid eyes on the handsome lawman, and it is certainly true that Josie herself recounted later on that she was accompanied by Big Minnie that night, but of course it is nearly impossible to know for sure. What is certain is that Wyatt was in attendance with his brothers Morgan and Virgil and their wives, for Virgil’s wife kept a meticulous diary and that night is noted in that record. Wyatt was sporting a wide handle bar moustache, which Josie remarked to Minnie she thought made the wearer look vain and pretentious. According to Minnie’s account, it was soon after that Wyatt noticed Josie, for his eyes grew wide before narrowing into a squint as he looked at Josie.

# # #

“When he looked at me, I had the oddest reaction to him….I wanted to withdraw and hide from him. Those eyes of his seemed to be reading me like a book, with complete concentration and without the least bit of decorum. He seemed not to care if the company he was with noted his scrutiny of me. Nor did the fact that he was married render him the least bit circumspect in his attentions to me. His eyes were a light blue, complimented nicely by sandy blond hair, which he wore neatly trimmed. His visage looked as if it had seen terrible things, things which had left their mark on him. He was a tall man, and thin, but his body projected a wiry grace and what they call “frontier strength”. I felt my insides ripple, as if my heart and stomach were a still pond in which he had thrown a large rock. He seemed to study me, as if I were some odd or beautiful thing that he had never seen the likes of before. I tried to meet his gaze, but I could not sustain eye contact with him without blushing. I grew flustered, which I rarely do, and felt as if I were a schoolgirl in San Francisco again. It was not a pleasant sensation to me at all. I have grown used to being the object of men’s stares, and using men to my advantage, but Mr. Earp seems a different kind of man to me, one I am unfamiliar with.”

# # #

“I saw Mr. Earp again on Friday night last, at the Bird Cage. He has a gambling table there that he runs, along with his brother, Morgan. I had seen Morgan at this self same table prior to this, but I do not recall seeing Wyatt at the table before. Perhaps I simply did not notice him, although I doubt that. I do not believe that Mr. Earp is a man that I would soon forget encountering. He is a man who always seems to be the central figure in a room, with all other men in his orbit, revolving around him. I was accompanying Johnny and, as is my custom, I held onto Johnny’s hand or arm, in order to signal other men that I was not available to their attentions. We were engaged in some meaningless conversation with some ranchers at the long bar, and I had the oddest feeling overcome me, as if I were being hunted. I glanced about and saw Mr. Earp looking directly at me, with that selfsame expression on his face as when I first saw him at the theater. This time I was able to compose myself and smile at him, nodding my head to him. His lips drew back but a little, as if they were not at all comfortable with the act of smiling. His eyes never left mine until the man beside him reminded him that he had a play to make on the cards. He ignored the man while he held my gaze for a few seconds more, before returning his attention to the game he was engaged in.”

# # #

The Earps first arrived in Tombstone in 1879, drawn by the rumors of silver and fortune that had drawn so many others. Some say that Wyatt and his brother Virgil returned to law enforcement because they arrived too late to fully benefit from the silver bonanza. What is certain is that the trouble with the cowboys started in earnest in the spring of 1881, when Wyatt was among the posse who pursued some cowboys who had robbed a Tombstone stage coach, killing the driver. Tensions rose quickly between the rambunctious cowboys and the Earps, who had been joined by a gambler friend of Wyatt’s named “Doc” Holliday, most recently from Wichita. The cowboys were partnered up with Ike and Billy Clanton and were fond of travelling the short distance to Mexico and returning with rustled horses or cattle, bolstering the livestock count of the Clanton ranch in return for payment in money and liquor. The cowboys were virtually unchallenged in their rowdiness in Tombstone until the Earp brothers got appointed as peacekeepers.

# # #

“It was Ike Clanton and Curly Bill who started the row in the Bird Cage in that hot summer of 1881. I was accompanied that night by Johnny, who was soon busy gambling at the Faro table. As the evening progressed, I was at the piano carrying on with one of the actors from a travelling troupe from Kansas City, when I gradually became aware that Ike Clanton was staring at me openly and lewdly. Due to the heat that night, I was wearing my fine yellow dress, which was made of a light cotton weave and open at the bosom, and Ike Clanton had positioned himself so that he could see me quite clearly while also surveying the rest of the bar. I remember that Ike had to petition an elderly couple so that he could claim just that spot at the bar that he and Curly Bill occupied. Each time I glanced in his direction it appeared to me that Ike and Curly Bill were having a contest to see who could look at my tits the longest. There were loud whispers between the men that I could tell were inspired by me. I am used to men being enthralled by my figure, for I have indeed been blessed, but that night the two men were so obvious that I grew offended. Both men were scruffily dressed and dirty, and their swarthy complexions threw me off that night. I do not like unkempt men, or lewd behavior. I looked to the table where Johnny was gambling and it was then I noticed Mr. Earp standing behind Johnny, observing me. He appeared to be aware of my distress. Once again our eyes met and for the first time I thought I saw a caring solicitousness to Mr. Earp. A raucous laugh came from the two ruffians at the bar, and without even a glance in that direction, Wyatt moved quickly through the bar to stand between myself and the two drunken cowboys. I could not hear what was said, but Wyatt spoke to them in a quietly authoritative voice for several minutes before the men grudgingly got up and left the bar. Wyatt returned to the Faro table without glancing my way again.

Johnny was drinking heavily that night and despite his drunkenness he was winning. It was after midnight when I decided to retire for the night. I tried to persuade Johnny to leave with me but he would have none of that, not while his pile of Faro chips was growing. Mildly irritated, I began to take my leave of the Bird Cage when I felt a hand on my arm from behind me. It was Mr. Earp. He said that the streets were rather rowdy that night, possibly due to the full moon, and that he would be honored to walk me to my hotel. I glanced at Johnny, but he had eyes only for his game, and I told Mr. Earp that he was most welcome to escort me. After we left the Bird Cage, I put my arm in Mr. Earp’s, and as we strolled down the boardwalk I could not resist the urge to hug my bosom against Mr. Earp’s arm. A tingle ran through me as I touched Mr. Earp, a thrill that I had not felt in some time. I could feel the strength in him then, and I felt Mr. Earp tense up, as if he were embarrassed or perhaps merely shy. I distracted him by noting the brightness of the moon and how the moonlight made the streets of Tombstone look almost romantic, quite a feat given the ramshackle appearance of the town. He grinned a bit in agreement, and turned and caught my eye. I tried to hold his gaze, and was mildly surprised to see him drop his eyes to my bosom, the top half of which were quite visible. I realized that I did not mind at all if Mr. Earp chose to survey my bosom. In fact, I will admit to straightening my posture just a bit, in order to better afford my companion a view of my bounty.

I kept my eyes on Mr. Earp’s and when he looked back up into them I gave him my most accommodating smile. I’ve known enough men to know what effect my smile has on them. He appeared not in the least bit embarrassed then, but rather he smiled in return, and his eyes twinkled a bit as he stole yet another glance at my tits. 
“Why, Mr. Earp, you are as bold as your reputation maintains,” I giggled at him, hugging his arm tighter.

He thought for a moment, looking straight ahead now, before turning to me again with his eyes boring into mine.

“It must be the moonlight, it seems to have gone to my head,” he countered. “Pardon me, but what shall I call you? It occurs to me that we have yet to be properly introduced.”

“Why, you must call me Josie or Josephine, if you wish to be more formal,” I said, “although from you I believe that I should greatly prefer informality, sir.”

“Oh? And why would that be, Josie?” I liked the way his mouth fit around my name. I determined then and there that I should never grow tired of that.

I stopped and disengaged my arm from his and faced him. I felt a blush redden my cheeks as he stopped, somewhat surprised, and looked at me again with that direct way that he had. I could not read the expression on his face at that moment; he must be quite good at bluffing at cards, I thought.

“Because, Mr. Earp, I find you most intriguing. You seem a gentleman, you dress as a gentleman, and you have a sterling reputation, as far as I know. And yet you look at me in a way that seems to lay me bare to you. You took to my defense quickly just now when those cowboys were making me …uncomfortable… and yet you……”

It was then that he reached and grabbed me by the arm and drew me to him, interrupting me. I barely had time to contemplate what he was doing before his lips covered mine and he was kissing me, kissing me with abandon right there on the street. I suppose I should have tried to be ladylike and put up at least a show of resistance, but I saw the determination in his eyes as he drew me to him and I welcomed it. Just like that, upon receiving his first kiss, I felt an attraction unlike anything I’d ever felt for a man. His moustache tickled me and I giggled a little into his mouth, but that only seemed to inflame his ardor and he renewed his assault, which I eagerly received. He seemed determined to kiss me there on that boardwalk forever, and it wasn’t until we heard the sound of boots on the sidewalk across the street that he stopped. Glancing across the street, I saw two men disappear into the alleyway next to the Bonhomie restaurant, and I thought that one of the men looked like Ike Clanton. Wyatt looked into the shadows and then took my hand and continued walking me to my hotel. I noticed that Wyatt’s gait was longer than mine as he walked with purpose now and I scampered next to him to keep up with him. My wicked thoughts came and I realized that with Johnny so involved in his Faro game I could steal time with this handsome man beside me. There were some people about, though not many, and I removed my hand from Wyatt’s, cognizant of his marriage and not wishing to give the rumor-mongers grist for their trouble-making. Wyatt glanced at me and I shook my head at him in a conspiratorial way and I saw again the desire in his eyes that made my heart beat faster. He kept up a brisk pace and soon we were within sight of my hotel and he stopped. He turned and faced me.

“I’m sorry that I kissed you, Josie,” he said, not looking directly into my face. “You’re with Johnny Behan, and I am afraid that I will have only made trouble for you.” I would have none of it and I stared at his eyes until he looked back at me. I knew if I could engage his eyes with mine that I could get another kiss, and I wanted that, and more.

“Don’t you worry about me, Wyatt,” I said. “I don’t regret it…..but I will, if it doesn’t happen again soon.” I was feeling wanton and willful and I had a feeling of ardor that surely must have shown in my face, for he glanced quickly about and then pulled me into the shadows and kissed me again.

Our mouths couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. I opened myself to him and he accepted my invitation and our tongues met and began a wonderfully intoxicating dance together, and when I whimpered into his mouth he grew more bold and began pulling my body against his. Matching his boldness, I moved my hand from his broad shoulders to his stomach, feeling his muscles as he held me.

We must have kissed each other like that for ten minutes, without saying another word, two would-be lovers exploring each other. He kissed my lips and cheeks and then the side of my neck, and I craned my head upward to give him better access to my throat. His hands moved to my breasts and he squeezed them firmly as he returned to kissing me on my mouth. I moaned then and suggested to him that he accompany me to my room.

Almost reluctantly he stopped kissing me and pushed me away and looked at me. His eyes searched into mine, looking for the purpose behind my invitation. Feeling as wanton as I felt then, I’m sure there was no doubt what kind of disposition I was in. He looked pleased but then resignation settled on him. I saw then that he was not going to be an easy man to get into my bed.

“I won’t go to your room with you. It’s not my way to bed another man’s woman in the same bed they share, Josie. It’s just not my way.”

I began to reply but thought the better of it. Searching his eyes again, I took him by the hand and pulled him alongside me as I walked. He didn’t ask me where I was leading him as we passed my hotel but I think he knew. A few blocks later we were close to Big Minnie’s place and I left him in the shadows while I went inside and made arrangements with Minnie. I told her that if it was not in use I needed the room at the rear of the house, the one that had a door to the outside. This room was ideal for gentlemen who required some discretion and I am not ashamed to admit that it would not be the first time I had need of it. I was lucky that it was not in use, and I could tell that Minnie was curious as to whom the other occupant of the room was, but I shushed her and giggled and she shook her head with a lewd smile and handed me the key.

I went back and told Wyatt to give me a few minutes to compose myself and how to access the room without being seen. Once back in the room I disrobed completely and blew out all save one lamp, to provide a subdued atmosphere for us. I have always had a flair for the dramatic when it comes to lovemaking, and I like to get the setting and the lighting just right, to set a proper mood. I found a long shawl that must have belonged to one of Minnie’s whores and I draped it around my shoulders. Then I sat on the edge of the bed and waited.

I did not wait long before there was a light tap on the door. Giggling, I said, “Come in, sir,” and in walked Wyatt Earp. He saw my nakedness and his eyes grew wide, one of the few times that I saw him register surprise. I stood up then and posed for him, demurely covering my breasts with the shawl, while brazenly showing him my kitty. I was several months shy of turning twenty-one and I was in the full flush of youth, with an ample bosom, thin waist, and wide hips. Men had admired my figure since my teen years, as I developed early, and I was unashamed of what nature bestowed on me and learned early on to use it to full advantage.

Wyatt didn’t say a word as he crossed the room. He simply looked at me with a most welcome desire in his eyes. I admit to growing damp looking at him look at me. I let fall the shawl just before he reached me and then his hands and mouth were on me again, and the world slipped quickly away as we embraced. I allowed him to kiss me for several minutes and then I stopped him and unbuttoned his shirt and removed it. Then I felt those magnificent shoulders of his. He was a thin man with not a bit of extra flesh on him and his stomach was flat. He had some light hair on his chest but his stomach was smooth and hairless. His body was muscular and strength emanated from him. I pushed him onto the bed and helped him take his boots off. It was then that I noticed the prominent bulge in his pants and I could not resist putting my hand on it to take its full measure. He pushed my hand away after a few seconds, urging me to finish taking off his boots, and I readily complied, giggling like a schoolgirl. I had a good enough feel of his cock that I was favorably impressed with the length and girth of it. He stood up then and removed his pants, and then stood naked before me.

His manhood was fully erect and I fell in love with it at first sight. He was circumcised and he was very stiff, poking straight up, and his helmet was swollen and rather darkly purplish in color. I reached out and touched it, feigning inexperience in such matters, for I had learned that men did not care for overly whorish behavior, but I could not resist touching him. The tip of his cock was moist and I had a sudden urge to kiss it, which I did, dropping to my knees. Looking up at him, I was thrilled to see an expression of pure joy on his face. I licked at the tip of his cock, maintaining eye contact with him, and he shuddered and sighed heavily. Encouraged, I ministered to him orally then, taking more and more of him into my eager mouth. I bobbed up and down on his cock, sucking him in and slowly drawing my lips tighter around him, producing a pleasantly salty emission as well as a series of moans from him. I delighted in pleasing him and I could not help but reach down and touch my womanly parts as well, to partially relieve the yielding sensations he was causing in me. He entwined his hands in my hair, and began to move his hips back and forth slightly, and I enjoyed the feeling of powerful strength in him as I allowed him to slowly fuck at my mouth. Now it was my turn to moan, and it was a most delicious sensation to know the pleasure I was obviously giving him.

I felt his lust building and I was prepared to take his essence down my throat if he could not control his discharge, but he suddenly withdrew and pulled me up off my knees, guiding me onto the bed and laying me down gently. I watched as he climbed in beside me and we embraced again, kissing each other deeply and with lusty abandon. I wanted him inside me, and told him so. Without a word he positioned himself so that he was between my legs, which I spread wide open for him. My kitty was wet and hot for him and I urged him to fuck me. He was quite a bit taller than I am and he held himself up off the bed with his arms as I reached down and guided his manhood into my quim. He entered me slowly and we both moaned at the heavenly sensations as we consummated our ardor. Slowly, ever so slowly at first, he began a series of movements in and out of my sopping wetness, and we settled into a nice rocking poke. Back and forth we went, making the bedsprings squeak, with my hips rising up to meet his thrusts. All the while, his eyes looked into my eyes and we never broke that contact, a technique of lovemaking new to me and most cherished. Love was in his eyes for me, and I am sure in mine as well. Gradually he increased his pace, his hips gently but forcefully driving his cock into me, and our breathing grew more rapid. His manhood filled me fully, producing in me paroxysms of pure pleasure. Finally, I could take no more of it, and I put my hands around his shoulders and pulled him down to my lips, kissing him deeply as my legs encircled him, drawing him into me fully. I felt a most wondrous churning wave of pleasure originate inside me, as he encouraged me to quicken our pace, and as he tensed and shot his essence into my womb it felt as if the heavens opened up and poured forth pure waves of pleasure on us both. Our cries grew loud in intensity, as we invoked the lord’s name over and over, and our bodies writhed together in what seemed a delightful form of madness. I felt my insides grow liquid and warm and I whispered into his ear to fuck me forever, that I had never known such bliss from a man, and I was telling him the truth. It was one of the most joyous moments of my life.

Afterward, we lay sweating together profusely, recovering from our vigorous exercise. He told me a little about his first wife, whom he had loved dearly, he said. She had died after an all too brief marriage, along with their child, of the typhus. I thought he was going to cry a little and I held him and stroked his hair as he lay next to me. My heart went out to him then and there and I determined that this man would somehow, someday, be my own.

He waited until we were fully recovered and then he quietly got up and dressed and left me after giving me a long, lovely kiss of farewell. We did not exchange parting words, nor did we have to. I think we both of us knew that we would soon see each other again, and we did.

# # #

Tensions grew between the Earps and the Clantons and the cowboys over the next few months. The final clash between the two factions occurred in October of 1881 and became legendary in Western lore. A bloody history ensued. Josie left Johnny Behan and Wyatt’s second wife, Mattie, ran off with a gambler. Josie and Wyatt left Tombstone together in a fine Studebaker wagon and travelled together throughout the West, having one adventure after another, through flush times and thin. Wyatt died in Los Angeles in 1929. Josie died in 1944.