The homesteaders in the Big Horn Basin in central Wyoming were known as outlaws and friends of outlaws.

It was one of the most remote and isolated regions in the Wyoming Territory where a person could easily disappear.

Early ranchers along the Bridger Creek — the Picard and Hayes families — once stabled fresh horses for Butch Cassidy and others of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang. The family had even been known to hide outlaws in their cellar .

Years later, their neighbor, Walt Punteny , a former member of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang, had a ranch known as a safe haven for outlaws.

While the gun battles and horse rustling in the region have inspired movies and books, one story that has been told around the campfire has sent chills down the backs of cowhands for generations.

It’s a sto

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