The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-17
STORIES OF BILLY THE KID.
TWO MEETINGS WITH THE NOTED
MAN-6ILLER OF NEW. MEXICO.


bering an AII-around BAD Man
with Gratitude-A Cowboys Fun
with a TenderfOOt-TwO Instances
OF the Kids ReekIessness.
From the New York sun.
1T was in Lincoln county, New Mexico.
that first saw Billy the Kid" said Amos
Pendlet0n. a catJleman Of the Pecos. at
was shortly after the Lincoln county war.
IN which. at the age of IS years. he had
made his reputation as "a killer and all
round bad man. 1 was then a tenderfoot,
employed as instrument man in party
surveying public lands east Of the Rio
Grande. One night we were encamped by
Rosario Creek, and I was keeping camp
alone, all the other boys having gone over
10 a Mexican plazita. some miles away. to
attend a bailie There was little fire
smouldering al the camp and / was sit
ting by it amusing myself by twanging at
d guitar.
the edge of the thickly wooded bank that
siOped down TO the creek. Three men came
out of the bushes near by, walked up 10
the camp, and sat down. They We're stran-
gers 10 me. but the one who plainly was
the leader knew by description TO be Bill
~ 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 gui-
tar, played and sang little. and then AZ
Ter talking a short time longer the three
men said good night 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
Ifteen or twenty men had been waiting in
COncealment while their leader talked with
me. They We're on their way 10 rob the
United States paymaster as he came to
Fort Stanton, and as he had a military es-
oOrt they were prepared for lighting. But
ne took an unexpected route 10 the fort
and they missed him.
BILLY, at that time about 20 years old,
was not bad-lookng youngster, but the
expression of his face was a rather cruel
one, owing in part perhaps TO his two
front upper teeth, which were longer
than the others. He was dressed on this
occasion in cowboy garb, but ii was OF
finer material with more gold and silver
ornament than is usually worn by riders
on the range. He carried a pair of heavy
Tevolvers at his hips. His manner was Off
hand and pleasant When l met him
again, some months later, l had cause to
remember him and the occasion.
1T was at Iulerosa, then half-MeXi-
can village. where ranchmen came for
supplies. One of its features was a gem
eral merchandise store with a saloon at
tachment. AS I was standing i'm the
store, a cowboy, just drunk enough TO
De thoroughly mean, came in from the
saloon and after fourishing his pistol
about ana cursing things in general, So
lected me as his particular victim. He
said some uncomplmentary things to me
and then ordered me to dance When 1
tried TO explain TO him my objections to
dancing under compulsiOn, he pointed his
pistol at my feet.
Dance. damn YOU he commanded.
growing his words out between his teeth
with a nasty, grating drawl. Get yer
feet ter goin' damned quick. Dye hear?'
4 vas unarmed and / saw that he
Ie09t to shoot if / refused but / would
not have moved at his bidding to save
ny life He gave me one look, grinned
with his teeth shut together and fred
into the door close to my feet
Now damn you will you dance? he
My temper had come up with the fir
~. =" No I said. and no cowardly bully
like you can make me-
Dancer he repeated and fired two
more shots into the floor at my feet The
second shot knocked boot heel off and
nearly threw me to the floor. But 1 would
nor sur step. BY this time a little crowd
had gathered in the store, running in from
the street and the adjoining saloon and
We're standing round the wall and counters
keeping out Of the range of the glanc.ng
bullets. Had l weakened the most Of them
would nave voted ii funny performance;
put now that Il was plain that / would
not be bullied. / could see that the sym
pathy OF the bystanders. was with me
But against a cowboy playing bad man.
with smoking pistol in his hand and
ABOUT 70 shoot again, none seemed ready
"Dancel he commanded once more.
and his pistol hammer clicked back /
knew that any shot he made might wound
me palnfully, perhaps MAIN me for life
! looked him straight in the eye and saw
that he was uncomfortable He had reck-
oned that would weaken easily, and now
that / would not he realized that he had
gone TOO FAR. He meant 10 carry II
through, though, now that he had started
IN, and l saw that he had braced himself
TO shoot again But the hammer did not
came from the doorway in the partition
DetMeen the store and saloon.
Put up that gun it said. A young
IeIoW, scarcely more than a bow stood
IN the doorway, with revolver IN his
hand, and i was he who had spoken. 1t
was Billy the Kid. The cowboy did not
seem to know him, but the bystanders did,
ana there was the hush of suspense that
comes upon a frontier crowd when If IL
understood that killing is about to begin
Inc cowboy felt it, and l could see the
coward look come into his eyes. But he
What in hell are you meddling with
my shooting forp he blurted out dehantly
al the young man who had spoken. His
cooked pistol was still pointed at my feet
Drop that pistol came the command
again IN the same smooth, even voice The
cowboys arm dropped by his side but he
Aept his hold of the pistol. Billy's revolver
cracked from, the doorway and the cow
boys pistol changed among the shelves a
lhe end OF the store shot clean through the
hand. With a yell of pain and fear the
cowboy jerked up his hand and looked at
and torn by the shock and bullet, but were
all there. The fellow was thoroughly COW
ed and in terror for his life
Now you Dance said Billy and tho
cowboy struck up double shuttle as if he
We're thankful for the chance to do so
RASTER came the command, and the
crowd laughed and jeered the cowboy al
his feet clattered like the roll of a drum
Pray was the sudden order and down the
fellow went on his knees, and rolled ont
such a prayer he could find words 10
say; but il was something he was unused
TO-. and with the best intentions he tripped
and sWore.
:" Here. no blasphemyr exclaimed Billy.
and fired shot close by his ear as a pious
reminder
He kept the bad man performing antics
Tor half hour or so, until the fellow beg
sed for mercy.
You shot the heel from that gentle
mans boot said Billy. Take off your
own boots Now git
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 go. The crowd came
about me and some Of the men in their
fouSh way congratulated me on what they
called the sand had shown, and on the
punishment that had come to my tOrmen-
tor. OF course, L thanked Billy, who look
ed az me with cold stare in which was a
CLEAN Of recognition.