"Well, what can I tell y'all 'bout Billy The Kid? I ardy said he were young. His momma died from T.B. when he was only fourteen and he had to be raised by his neighbors. Nobody knows who that boy's father was and I ain't even think ol' Billy knows who he was. Them neighbors that raised him said he was a good kid when he was with them and they ain't know what happened to him. Most people that peacefully crossed his path said they mostly liked him. He was a pretty good people person I suppose."
Rex arrives to an undisclosed location around Fort Sumner, New Mexico and finds Billy outside saddling up his horse.
"Hello, Billy. May I have a word with you?"
"Sure, what's it for?"
"Well, I'm collectin' interviews from various outlaw folk like yerself and I'm plannin' on releasing a book to maker y'all even more famous than you already are and I'll make a little money for myself.
"Alright I guess, but if you are plannin' on turnin' me in for reward or you're workin' with the law then I'll find you and make you suffer."
"Okay, that's fair enough I suppose. I really just want you to tell me a story. Just somethin' interesting from your life."
"I think I got one fer you. About three months ago I escaped from jail in Lincoln. Will that work?"
"Yeah, I think so. Go on."
"Alright, so I was caught in this very area and then they transported me to Las Vegas."
"Caught for what?"
"That's another story. Come find me again after you sell this book and I'll tell you another story. So I was in Vegas and I was talkin' to you interviewin' folk all the time. I guess you ain't the only one that thinks I'm great. Then I got transferred to Santa Fe where I was tryin' to get the governor to grant me some mercy. He ain't done it. So they held my trial in Mesilla and found me guilty of murder."
"Well, who'd you murder?"
"Many! The only one they pinned on me was that slob Sheriff Brady. He had it comin', I say. So they sentenced me to hang."
"Well, you ain't been hanged."
"Of course I ain't, you dummy! I already told you before the story I escaped. So I was sayin' that they was gonna hang me. They moved me again to Lincoln and put me at the top floor of the courthouse. With only two people watchin' me I kind of laughed to myself but didn't say nothin'. So Garrett's deputies was watchin' me 'cause he were out of town and I grabbed one of their guns and shot him. I used his keys to free myself while he limped out into the street to die. I got his shotgun and waited for the other man to come back."
"I thought you said they were both watchin' you."
"They was, but I wasn't the only prisoner. Sometimes they had to check on the others. So when he came back I yelled, 'Hello Bob!' because his name was Bob. Then I shot him dead too! The town was generous to give me an hour to get away. They said it was 'cause of the work I did with the Regulators."
"Who are they?"
"Do some research 'cause I ain't got time to tell you. I got my ankle chains off, though, and stole a horse to leave town. Since they was so nice and all, I returned the horse later."
"Well, ain't that somethin'? At least you was kind enough to return the horse."
Author's Note:
Billy The Kid was one of the youngest outlaws known. He died when he was only 21 years of age. He was a good kid and was well liked by grown-ups. Some reports say that he began reading dime novels and found the life of an outlaw kind of glamorous. He had many aliases. These include Henry McCarthy, Henry Antrim, and William H. Bonney. It is true that his mother died of tuberculosis when he was only fourteen. There is a rumor that Billy killed at least twenty-one people but many believe that he actually only killed about half that number. Billy was said to be a nice dresser, had nice blue eyes, and a smooth complexion. In addition to his young age, these attributes helped him gain the name of Billy The Kid. In my story I did not have to fabricate much. He would have died soon after the interview if it had been real. During the escape, it is unclear how he got a gun to shoot the first deputy. Some sources believe he was given a gun by an outsider and some believe he got it off the deputy somehow. He did yell, "Hello Bob!" and shoot Bob Ollinger with his own shotgun. The town really gave him an hour to escape and he did return the horse. It is unclear whether or not he was given the horse or stole it. The Regulators whom Billy The Kid mentioned were a posse that Billy ran with in his earlier days. The Regulators were formed to combart a corrupt sherrif's office and this is why they were well liked.
Bibliography
History and Story
Wikipedia
Image Info
Portrait of Billy The Kid. Found at Chronicle of the Old West.
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Introduction
Story 1 (Black Bart)
Story 3 (Jesse James)