The Lincoln County War

Chapter 12 The Battle that I couldn't win

four days after the Lincoln County War was over. the regulators and i went our own ways but a few short weeks later they all moved to Sweetwater. one day i was cleaning out my barn when a gunfighter that i had never seen before comes up to my ranch and challenges me to a gunfight. hadn't had on my guns in a year it was going on two years. i asked him his name. he said that he was one of Murphy's men and the time had come for me to pay for my crimes. i walked out of my barn and told him to leave. i sent my ranch hand and friend Joey Robbins to go get sheriff Cain. then i turned to go back into my barn when the gunfighter had yelled turn around Bonney i want you to see this coming. i turned to look at him still unarmed. he fires his gun at me the bullet hits me in the chest hard. i fall to the ground the gunfighter rides away. Joey and sheriff Cain comes back and finds me laying on the ground in front of my barn. they carry me inside mine and Dahlia's house and lay me on the bed. sheriff Cain sends my new ranch hand Rowdy Yates to go get doctor Simpson. doctor Simpson and my friend Doc Scurlock comes to my ranch they work hard to save my young life. but the damage had been done all that could be done was to keep me comfortable. everyone had gathered around my bedside. Billy your family and friends are with you now sweet doctor Simpson said. in my bright blue eyes there gleamed again that old gleam that told everyone that i was waiting to know that they were all alright. i smiled my old smile and prayed the Lord to keep them safe from harm then i went to sleep. they had my funeral at Fort Sumner my wife Dahlia was there with both of my adopted fathers Lawrence Talbot and Brushy Bill Roberts, my mamma Lillian, Chavez and his family, Doc and doctor Simpson, sheriffs Sam Cain and Pat Garrett, Charley and Dirty Steve and Tom and Hendry and Arkansas Dave, my older sister Bridget and my brother Joe, my ranch hands Joey Robbins and Rowdy Yates. my two year old son cried daddy,daddy come back please come back. sheriff Cain said " that i was a brave boy who had been through the worst and had won but this was a battle that i couldn't win." my family stayed at Talbot Hall for a short time. Doc said " Billy maybe gone from this life but his memory lives on." my new friends Severus Snape and Brisco County Jr. said " we had only known Billy for just a short time but he made our lives richer by just knowing him". my friends Calam and Jimmy vowed that they would hunt down the man that had so coldly taken my life and make him pay for what he had done. my boss and friend Teaspoon Hunter told them to let the law handle it. Dahlia told everyone that she wanted to be alone with me for a while. My sister Bridget sit by the window crying my baby.