Usually wearing light-brown trousers, a blue or red shirt, a black vest and hat - this half-white, half-Kiowa Indian rode with his fellow postriders for the Pony Express.
Raised with his 'red' relatives in a Kiowa (though the script originally said Paiute!) village, Running Buck was taught how to use bow and arrow, a huge knife and later also the kind of weapon a white man uses - a shotgun. The knife, however, followed him through life attached to his left boot, since he was left-handed. Other memories from his native heritage was the ear-ring in his left ear and the black medicine pouch around his neck.
When a teenager, Running Buck's wife-to-be was 'kidnapped' back to the white world she first came from, and all the other women, children and elders in the village were killed - by trap hunters. Fortunately for the men of the village, they were out on a big hunt, therefor survived the tragedy.
Because of running Buck's half-white side, his brother - Red Bear - told him it was time he left the village to learn about this other side. We assume he was not thrilled about these words from his relative, but left anyway. He ended up in a Chatolic Mission school, where he met his new best friend - only friend. As Buck was beaten by some drunk men, young Ike McSwain threw himself into the fight, desperately trying to save perhaps the only one who would ever understand the loneliness he felt, being both bald and mute. Now, Ike's efforts didn't help all that much, but the fact that he tried was enough for Buck, who from that day after called him his best friend.
Buck helped Ike communicate with people through Indian sign language, which brought them if possible even closer to one another. When old enough to live their own lives, they together moved from the Mission to Sweetwater - the town where they had been stationed in their new job, working for the Pony Express.
Together with four other riders (and later a fifth) they threw themselves without a doubt into one adventure after another, several times surviving by a thread.
When Ike, almost a year later, died trying to save his true love, Buck Cross was depressed and sad beyond imagination. But he soon came to his senses, picking up the pieces of his life once again.
When the Pony Express had cancelled another year later, Buck was left to his own, and we can only hope he lived long and happily after that. We don't know where the name Cross actually came from, but there is some speculation in the matter. Got a new theory?
If Running Buck Cross ever married, had children, settled down or just moved on from town to town, perhaps returned to his Native family, we don't know, but the truly terrific writers who dedicate hours and hours to write The Young Riders fan fiction each have an answer of their own. What do you think?