As the scars of the Civil War slowly healed and the railroad and cattle industries began to take solid hold in the West, the economic recession begun by the Panic of 1873 began to abate and the nation became optimistic. New industry and innovation were making life easier, and the Gilded Age was beginning to roll.[1]

After enjoying a very civilized winter in Denver with old and new friends,[2] Bret and Bart Maverick traveled together to St. Louis to visit their Pappy. Though the Maverick Brothers had hoped to spend some time with old Beauregard, he had plans to take the Lady Gida up the Ohio to take a floating production of "HMS Pinnafore" to Eastern audiences, where he could still find lucrative pockets to mine at the showboat's poker tables.[3] By his tradition, as was his old pappy's before him, he left his boys a $1,000 bill apiece and some old chestnuts of wisdom.[3]

Bart lingered in St. Louis while Bret traveled south, ending up in New Orleans. They were soon together again in the French Quarter, each having lost Pappy's latest gift to them. From New Orleans, they traveled back again to St. Louis,[4]  and then back to Denver.[5][2]

After a time in Colorado, they traveled to Abilene[3] and there decided to part ways and tossed a coin.[3] Bret stayed in the Plains[6] while Bart turned to the Southwest.[7][8][9] The end of summer would find them both in Memphis,[10] and another chance to visit their aging Pappy aboard the Lady Gida.[3]

With much of the family together again, stories of past exploits were shared,[3] but one story resurfaced in which Bret and Bart had differing stories about a little town, a redhead and an eight-year-old debt of a thousand dollars. Each claimed the other owed him.[11] The next day, before they could settle the matter, Bart had apparently left town.[3]