Notorious Old West gunmen John Wesley Hardin and James Butler Hickok, also known as “Wild Bill,” began as friends. Against the bloody backdrop of the uniquely volatile point in history, both killers earned a reputation for viciousness. Unsurprisingly, the two gunslingers found much to relate to in one another when they crossed paths in 1871 and were thrust into a face-off, albeit one that never turned deadly.

Hickok, who was the marshal of Abilene, Kansas, confronted Hardin at a saloon for wearing pistols amid the city’s ban on carrying firearms, but the young gunman refused to relinquish his weapons. Per History Net, Hardin claimed that Hickok pulled a gun on him and demanded that he turn over his pair of revolvers. The young killer responded by presenting Hickok with the handles, but when the marshal reached for the weapons, Hardin spun the pistols around and had him staring down the barrels of death. The tense encounter paved the way for drinks at the saloon and a short-lived friendship.

Hardin eventually left town to protect his life

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