Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-05-02

\ BILLY THE KID
A Tale Of tho Border
written for this paper)
BY w. w. Williams

OF the tough characters who infest-
~ ed the southwest in the early days
none attracted more attention or com
mitted more desperate deeds than
"Bllly the Kidd" lie was a young boy
ish-looking fellow. with reireaiing
chin and hooked nose-nct OF the ko-
man order. but more like the beak Of
parrot. A stranger would never pick
him out for desperate man. but he was
all that the name implies. For reckless
aredeviltry. hardness with u gun aud
bravery almost supernatural. he never
had an equal among the many of his
class who made things lively on the
border in New Mexico and helped TO fill
the graveyards. Hundreds of times be
looked death in the face with that steel
blue. cold eye OF his. which did not
seem to know how TO finch. When oc-
casion seemed to demand II he shot his
enemy dead In his tracks and turned
upon his heel with a cool indifference.
or fed to one of his strongholds. as oc-
cnsion seemed to require. The shots
that were fed at him by good marks
men were Without number. but for
years he appeared to have charmed
life. which no bullet, be il never so we'll
aimed, could cut short. The chances
which he took to escape punishment
for his crimes are almost incredible
when related. No Jail could hold him
nor could any number of guards keep
him in their charge. He always found
some way to escape. and in doing so
usually left q trail OF blood behind him.
The incident in the career Of Billy
the Kid, which am about TO relate was
given to me by Mr.. w. II. Sammons. Of
Lake City, Col. Mr. Sammons part In
the affair will appear in the narrative.
He said:
"In the spring OF 1881 the com
mnnder Of the government pest at Fort
Craig, y. NJ. received word from Fort
Cummings. near Cooks Peak. that a
gang of White Mountain Apaches were
Off the reservation. and that they were
plunderng and killing the settlers by
way of diversion; that they were sup
posed TO have crossed the Rio Grande
and to be making their way towards
the Organ or San Andree mountains
in New Mexico. 4 call for troops was
made TO go out and intercept them
Dispatches were 10 be carried TO Fort
Stanton, near the pecos river to thi.
effect. Capt Jack Crawford, the poet
scout" was then in the employ Of the
post as dispatch carrier. He was mott
feel TO leave at daybreak with the wore
that would alarm and warn the settler
in the Pecos valley and enable the oil
GERS at Fort Stanton to put cavalry II
the field and drive the Indians back Il
their reservation west Of the ri,
Grande. beyond The Black Range noun
tains. l was stopping at the post for {
few days on n visit to Capt. Jack, being
an old friend and acquaintance of hi
years before in the Black Hills. vol
unteered TO accompany him upon hi
hard and perilous trip. We left For
Craig shortly after day break. carrying
our saddles and blankets across the Ri
! Grande in a boat and swimming on
animals, which consisted Of two saddl
horses and a government pack mule.
very nimble-footed animal that wa
trained 10 follow and could be depende,
! upon to be at our heels whenever cam
was made. We were soon In our sad
dies after the river was crossed. am
made for the Tucson ranch. The onl
! place where water was TO be had for
distance Of rs miles, having TO eros
what was known as the Dry Tornado
a desert. sand and alkali waste. bein
about 125 miles long and from 60 to 8
wide. 1t lies just east OF the ri
Grande river. We arrivednt the ranc
about nine o'clock that evening. yer
much fatigued from the hot and dust
ride. Remaining there until aybreal
we once more hit the trail for what
known as Dripping Springs where tn
r last water was TO be had until "
! reached some of the tributaries Of "a
PecOs river TO the east of the moui
tains. which we must cross that da
and which lay between the Pecos va
ley and the Rio Grande.
I'VE arrived at the springs abol
! noon. having covered about so mil,
+ since daybreak. Capt. Jack advised tai
{ ing a siesta of two hours. Our cour;
8 from Fort Craig had been in soutl
a easterly direction to the Tucson rancl
where we intercepted the old trail rul
ming from Fort Stanton to Silver Cit
our course to the springs having bee
about due east. After looSening OF
! cinches and watering and feeding OF
= horses, we partOok Of our scanty dill
n ner of hardtack and canned horse al
. lay down to rest We had flushed OF
= siesta. and had started 10 get reudy
+ renew our Journey when east my ey'
Il to the southeast and beheld what v
o supposed to be band of Indians abol
!, a mile away coming toward us. TX
i lndos.' was my only remark. as by
y wave of the hand called the uttentiC
of Capt Jack to them There wi
s mighty quic, work. tightening oil
cinches and a hurried departure fro
the spot The Indians. apparently. d
not see us until we were in the saddl
: they then being about half mile ava
and coming along on our trail. We pr
/ spurs TO our hors cs and started for q
pass. touching the ground only in his
f,1acae nc Cnnf Inak afterwards q