Ole Devil (Jackson Baines Hardin) is Dusty's uncle, known as "Ole Devil" partly because his angular features, dark beard and hair (the latter tending to form tufts that resemble horns) lend him an appearance similar to traditional depictions of Satan, and partly because his youthful adventurousness and aggression earned him the reputation of being a "real ole devil" for a fight. In his youth Hardin was involved in several adventures concerned with Texas's drive for independence from Mexico, and later he was commissioned as a general in the Confederate States Army where he was considered an extremely able commander. After the War Hardin returned to his "O.D. Connected" ranch intending to devote himself to the cattle business which he, along with a number of like-minded men, viewed as Texas's best immediate prospect for economic recovery, but he suffered an irreparable spinal injury when thrown by a horse he was considering buying and spent the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair. He continued to rule the O.D. Connected with a stern but fair hand, relying on the Floating Outfit to carry out his wishes and often sending them to the aid of friends or relatives who had need of their talents. Despite his sternness, Hardin has a soft spot for his granddaughter Betty Hardin, and occasionally shows a keen humour and generosity to the young men he normally treats severely, such as when, having scolded Red Blaze for his gaudy neckwear, Hardin rewards him for a job well done with a still more outlandish silk bandana that he had bought for himself as a young man ("Cousin Red's Big Chance" in "The Hard Riders"). Although formerly having been in arms against Mexico, Hardin retains many important friends south of the border, including even one (Don Ruiz Villaneuva, in "The Peacemakers") who fought on the Mexican side at the siege of the Alamo. His eventual death is reported at the conclusion of "Doc Leroy M. D.".