The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
TOLDOF BILLY THEKID'
A CattIeman's Reasons for Gratitude
foot-The KIDS Recklessness.


that first saw Billy the Kid said Amos
Pendleton, cattieman of Pecos. 1T was
shortly after the lincoln county war, in
which. at the age of eighteen years. he had
made his reputation as a killer and all
round bad man. I was then a tenderfoot,
employed as instrument man In a party sur
veying public lands east of the Rio Grande
One night we were encamped by Rosario
creek, and 1 was keeping camp alone. all
the other boys having gone over to Mex
lean plazita some miles away. to attend a
bailie. There was a little fire smoldering at
the camp. and was sitting by it amusing
myself by twanging at guitar.
Our camp was in the open prairie at the
edge Of the tllickly wooded bank that sioped
down to the creek. Three men came out Of
the bushes near by. walked up to the camp
and sat down. They were strangers to me,
but the one who plainly was the leader
knew by description to be Billy the KID
They asked me some questions about the
surveying outfit and whether had seen any
party going toward Fort Stanton that day.
Billy picked UP the guitar, played and sang
little, and then, after talking a short time
longer, the three men said goodnight and
went down the bank out of sight The next
morning / could see where. just over the
bank among the bushes the rest Of the
Kids band of fifteen or twenty men had
been waiting in concealment while their
leader talked with me. They were on their
way TO rob the United States paymaster as
he came to Fort Stanton, and, as he had a
military escort, they were prepared for
fighting But he took an unexpected route
10 the fort, and they missed him.
BILLY at that time about twenty years old,
was not bad-looking youngster. but the ex-
preston of his face was rather cruel one,
owing in part. perhaps. to his two front up
per teeth, which were longer than the others.
earb. but it was Of finer material. with more
gold and silver ornament than IL usually
worn by riders on the range. He carried a
ner was on-hand and pleasant. When l met
him again, some months later, / had cause
to remember him and the occasion.
A TIMELY INTERRUPTION.
cit was at Tulerosa, then a half Mexican
village, where ranchmen came for supplies.
One of its features was general merchan-
disc store with saloon attachment. As
was standing in the store a cowboy, just
drunk enough to be thoroughly mean, came
in from the saloon. and after iourishing his
pistol about and cursing things in general,
selected me as his particular victim. He
said some uncomplimentary things to me
and then ordered me to dance. When tried
to explain to him my objections to dancing
under compulsion he pointed his pistol at
Dance. damn YOU he commanded
growing his words out between his teeth
ter goin' damned quick. Dye hear?'
81 was unarmed, and ! saw that he meant
to shoot II l refused. but I would not have
gave me one look, grinned with his teeth
shut together and fired into the floor close to
my l feet; damn vou will YOU dancer he
said.
" No. SAID and no cowardly bully like
you can make me-
:" 'Dancer ne repeated. and fired two more
shots into the floor at my feet. The second
bullet knocked boot heel on and nearly
a step. By this time little crowd had gain
cred in the store, running in from the street
ana the es ans
range of the glancing bullets. Had j weak
ened the most of them would have voted 1t
plain that / would not be bullied. could see
that the sympathy of the bystanders was
with me. But against a cowboy playing bad
man, with smoking pistol IN nand and
about to shoot again, none seemed ready
Dancer he commanded once more, and
his pistol hammer clicked PACK, o,,,,5 kn 1s
painfully perhaps MAIN me Tor life. 1
looked him straight In the eye and saw that
he was uncomfortable. He had reckoned
that 1 would weaken easily and now that
would not he realized that he had gone too
far. He meant to carry 1t through, though,
now that he had started in. and | saw that
the hammer did not fall. A slow, even
voice, almost a drawl, came from the door,
way in the partition between the store and
put up that gum 1t said. A young fell
low, scarcely more than boy, stood in the
was he who had spoken. 1t was Billy the
Kid The cowboy did not seem to know him,
but the bystanders did, and there was the
crowd when it is understood that killing, is
about to begin. The COWBOY felt II, and
could see the coward look come into his
eyes But he tried a bluff.
:" what in hell are you meddling with my
shooting for?' ne blurted out defiantly at
the young man who had spoken. His cooked
drop that pistol came the command
again in the same smooth, even voice. The
cowboys arm dropped by his side, but he
kept his hold of the pistol. Biliys revolver
end of the store. shot clean from his hand.
With yell Of pain and do fear the e., COWBOY S,nG
ing fingers. They were barked and torn by
the shock and bullet, but were all there.
The fellow was thoroughly cowed and in
TURNING THE TABLES.
Now you Dance said Billy. and the
cowboy struck UP doubleshuffle as If he
were thankful for the chance to do so. Fast
err came the command. and the crowd
laughed and jesred the cowboy as his feet
clattered like the roll of a drum. Pray.
was the sudden order, and down the fellow
went on his knees, and rolled out such a
prayer as he could find words to say, but
1t was something he was unused to, and with
tho best intentions he tripped and swore-
Here, no b,asphemyv exclaimed Billy,
and fired shot close by his ear as pious
You shot the heel from that gentleman
| boot said Billy. Take off your own boots
"The fellow in his stocking feet rushed for
| the door where his horse was tied, jumped
| to his back and got, glad enough OF the
| chance to do so. The crowd came about me
| and some of the men, In their rough way
| congratulated me on what they called the
| sand l had shown, and on the punishment
| that had come 10 my tormentor. OF course
thanked Billy, who looked at me with
| cold stare in which was CLEAN OF recognf
ton
the Rosario You needn't take the trouble &c
| thank me- He smiled slightly, showing q
| CLEAN of the two large front upper teeth thai
| gave a savage expression TO his smile.