I told you pardners about Lonesome Dove and the Lakotas and the Governor. But there is more to the story - much more! You see, It was the Governor who organized the territory when there was nothing out there but dust storms. He created irrigation ditches and made the desert bloom and settled folk in the new land. There were trees and flowers and crops. It was all so wonderful, He called it "Colorful", but over time it came to be called "Calla-rada." But He didn't mind. He just wanted to walk the streets, visit with the territory folk, and enjoy all that they were doing. And He did. Oh He also gave the territory ordinances to govern itself by. They were to make the land fruitful and multiply its population. They could enjoy themselves and play about any card game they wanted. Except one - Poker. He told them straight up, "You can play any card game you want but not poker, for on the day you play it, you shall surely lose."
All went well, but wouldn't you know, the Governor's own first lieutenant got jealous of what the Governor had done. He was pretty sure that he could do just as well if not better. It was inevitable, but when the showdown came, the lieutenant was no match for the Governor he was thrown out of the territory and all the way across the Mississippi. Now the Lieutenant stopped being jealous and wanted revenge. If he could not beat the Governor, then he would wreck everything He made.
Well, one day in the town of Love-land, a stranger came to town, or so it seemed because you couldn't see him - just his shadow. So they called him Shadow Man. He mosied on over to the sasparilla emporium and game room, walked in, sat down at the card table and took out a deck of cards and dealt a hand of... Poker! He called out, "Who said you can't win at this game? There's always a winner to every hand. Try it." And who should sit down across from him but Adam, the town's number one citizen. He held a full house but Shadow Man had five aces. It was then he realized he had been cheated and what was worse, he had bet the deed for the whole county. Now it belonged to Shadow Man. All of a sudden things started going haywire. First the telegraph line to the Governor was cut. Then the sun parched all the crops. Then the Indians took back all their beads and moccasins. And then the Governor shows up. He asks the crowd, "Who played poker?" Everyone points to Adam. The Governor says, "You lost more than you think, son. All this was yours and you gave it away. But I will get it back for you. Just you wait. I'm going to take care of it all now." And he left. And they waited.
Everyone once and a while a Pony Express rider would show up with a letter from the Governor. Sometimes he gave them instructions to follow. Sometimes he warned them about danger. Sometimes the cavalry would come charging to the rescue when it looked like outlaws were going to take over the town. They kept waiting for the promise. Some thought it would be a tall masked stranger wearing a white hat and riding a silver horse who could ride like lightning. Others thought someone would be appointed sheriff who could throw the Shadow Man out of the territory. But they hoped it would happen soon because all of Shadow Mans mayors robbed the people and imprisoned them. People were getting sick with no cure, broken-hearted because they no better than prisoners, blinded from the glaring sun, and growing hopeless for lack of any good news. They hoped the one who wore a White Hat would come soon.
And then one day something did happen.
One of the miners from up in the hills came to town by the name of Jesse Josephson. He wore a white hat and went about telling people that the day of the Governor had arrived. He didn't wear a badge or carry a gun or own a horse, but wherever he went, people were being healed, getting out of jail, getting their sight back, and hearing the news about the Governor. He even told Shadow Man's henchmen to get out of town or else - and they did.
But not everyone liked this newcomer. They would say, Who ever heard of any law-abiding citizen from a mining camp? Certainly White Hat would not come from there! So, the townfolk were of two minds about what to think of this new stranger and were just like a herd of hunger longhorns bellowing for their feed. I mean, what would you think iffen some gringo came along spouting words like, "I'm the corn bread that gives life - chow down on me and you'll live forever!" or "Me and my paw are closer than two peas in a pod - in fact iffen ya seen me, ya seen him." and "Whatever I do pleases my paw, cuz I only do what I sees him a'doin. but y'all are doin the same things your paw does, and he's an outlaw. Iffen you were a ranch hand for my paw, you'd do what I tell ya, but instead, you all jist wanna string me up!" In fact, he went to far as to let it be known that the Governor was his Pa!