# The Affair of Skeleton Canyon explained — Tombstone

> Chapter companion for Tombstone by Walter Noble Burns.

## What happens

This chapter recounts the brutal massacre of a Mexican smuggler train led by Don Miguel Garcia in Skeleton Canyon, orchestrated by Curly Bill and his outlaw gang. The narrative sets the scene with the canyon's haunted atmosphere and history of violence, then details the ambush, the killing of nineteen men, the theft of $75,000 in silver, and the subsequent squandering of the loot. The chapter also touches on the canyon's ghostly legends and the lingering physical remains of the dead.

## Themes in this chapter

### Violence and Death

The chapter graphically describes the murder of nineteen Mexican smugglers, the aftermath of unburied bones, and the haunting silence of the canyon.

### Law and Lawlessness

The massacre exemplifies the complete absence of legal authority in the borderlands, where outlaws like Curly Bill operated with impunity.

### Boom and Bust

The stolen silver is squandered in the saloons of Galeyville and Charleston, reflecting the boomtown economy of quick wealth and reckless spending.

## Character check-ins

### Curly Bill

Leader of the outlaw gang; orchestrates and participates in the Skeleton Canyon massacre.

### Old Man Clanton

Listed among those who shared in the massacre with Curly Bill.

### Ike Clanton

Listed among the participants in the massacre.

### Billy Clanton

Listed among the participants in the massacre.

### Frank McLowery

Listed among the participants in the massacre.

### Tom McLowery

Listed among the participants in the massacre.

### John Ringo

Listed among the participants; later wins stolen silver at poker at Roofless Dobe ranch.

### Don Miguel Garcia

Leader of the smuggler train; killed in the massacre.

## Key lines

> Ghosts? Well, why not? But you don’t believe in them? Then you are unfortunate and may miss some delicious thrills. If you believe in ghosts, Skeleton Canyon is haunted; if you don’t, it’s not.

The narrator suggests that belief in ghosts is a matter of perspective, but Skeleton Canyon's violent history makes it a place where spirits might linger regardless.

_Sets the eerie, romantic tone for the chapter's recounting of the massacre._

> Down into the pit of death, the outlaws swarmed on their horses, picking their way along the steep declivities. Curly Bill rode out among them, a smile of triumph on his round, dark face. He had never seen a trick turned in handsomer style. Nothing had gone amiss.

After the ambush, Curly Bill and his gang descended into the canyon, and Curly Bill felt proud of how flawlessly the massacre had been executed.

_Highlights Curly Bill's cold-blooded satisfaction with the murderous ambush._

> For riotous weeks, the outlaws squandered their spoils among the bars of Galeyville and Charleston. What they had left at the end of their debauch was won from them at poker at Roofless Dobe ranch by John Ringo and Joe Hill, reputed the most expert card sharks in the lawless crew.

The outlaws spent their stolen silver wildly in saloons, and the remainder was taken by John Ringo and Joe Hill in poker games.

_Illustrates the boom-and-bust cycle and the shifting of wealth among outlaws._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tombstone_se/chapters/vi-the-affair-of-skeleton-canyon
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tombstone_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tombstone_se/chapters