Stephen Baldwin portrayed William F. Cody, a flirtatious and mischievous fellow who always seemed to be looking for a fight. Although it was never mentioned in the show, his character was loosely based on the historical outlaw Buffalo Bill. James Butler Hickok, a very hotheaded and determined guy, who would later become (although again, not mentioned on the show) the outlaw Wild Bill Hickok, was played by Josh Brolin. Travis Fine played Ike McSwain, a shy mute who grew up in an orphanage along with his friend Buck Cross, a half white/half Kiowa (Gregg Rainwater.) The character of The Kid, a naive Southerner, was played by Ty Miller and Lou(ise) McCloud (Yvonne Suhor) was the girl posing as a boy that Kid fell in love with and later married. Emma Shannon (Melissa Leo) was the first cook/housekeeper/"mother" but left the show after the first season when her character married Marshall Sam Kain (Brett Cullen.) Emma was soon replaced with Rachel Dunne (Clare Wren) a sexy, but compassionate and motherly woman, and Aloysius Teaspoon Hunter (Anthony Zerbe) who was the Pony Express Station Master became the new Marshall. Two late additions to the show were Noah Dixon (Don Franklin), a free black man, and a young Jesse James (Christopher Pettiet.)
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