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: Webb was delivered to a jail cell in Fort Smith but was later released on a high bond. True to his outlaw nature, Webb skipped bail and disappeared back into the territory, leading to a new warrant and a second, final pursuit. The Final Showdown: The 500-Yard Duel
The song focuses on the psychological toll. It doesn't just celebrate the arrests; it mourns the loneliness. Webb imagines Reeves riding through the Choctaw nation at midnight, wondering if the next man he has to bring in—or kill—will be a friend.
Knowing Webb’s reputation as a dangerous gunman with eleven "notches" on his pistol, Reeves initially used deception to apprehend him.
The rivalry began in 1883 in the Chickasaw Nation. Jim Webb, who served as a ranch foreman, became embroiled in a dispute with a neighbor, the Reverend William Steward. The conflict arose after a brush fire on Steward’s land accidentally spread to Webb's ranch, destroying a significant amount of grass. In the ensuing quarrel, Webb shot and killed the preacher, prompting a warrant for his arrest that was handed to Bass Reeves. The First Arrest: Guile and Disguise
If you are a fan of Jim Webb’s work, seek out his live recordings of "Bass Reeves." It is proof that even a songwriter famous for "cake left out in the rain" can handle the raw, bloody soil of the American frontier.
"He carried the law in a worn-out sack / And a warrant for a son he ain't never comin' back."