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The Kid: A Novel About Billy the Kid's Early Years
By Ronald E. Goetz
Many books have been written about Billy the Kid’s life after he fought in the Lincoln County Wars and became an outlaw. But until now few have chronicled his early years. The Kid is a historically accurate novel that examines some of the factors influencing Billy’s decision to become an outlaw. The book follows the Kid from birth through his involvement in the Lincoln County Wars, including stories of the first man he killed in a knife fight, his escapades in Arizona, and his captures and escapes from the law.
Excerpt from Chapter 18, Escape from Camp Grant
Billy’s three-of-a-kind beat out Cahill’s two pair, so he won the pot. When he asked Cahill for the cash to cover his last raise, the blacksmith refused and shoved Billy to the ground. When the boy got up, Cahill slapped him and told him to leave before he "really got mad."
The Tucson newspaper reported that on August 17, 1877, an assailant named William Bonney, alias the Kid, or Billy the Kid, shot John Cahill, blacksmith at the 5th Cavalry outpost at Camp Grant, and "killed him dead. He was taken into custody and is being held in the civilian jail near the camp."
Praise for The Kid ‘s Realism
"This is more than a compelling interpretation of the life of Billy the Kid. Goetz wrote the book as if he were actually there recording the history ... The author’s masterful use of Wild West vernacular creates colorful, realistic characters and sets just the right tone for getting to know Billy ... A great read." –Roger Troost, Snohomish, Washington
"When I started reading The Kid, it was so good that I read over half of it before I could put it down. It is a truly good Western about the true west." –Billy Bob Deaton, Comanche, Oklahoma
"The Kid deals with the real person behind the myth. You feel as though you are right there with him as he is growing up. This is an excellent man-behind-the-myth novel." –Joe Delorme, Clay City, Indiana
Ronald E. Goetz was divisional editor of an in-house industrial magazine at a major oil company before he retired to devote more time to writing. He has published numerous short articles for Christian and sporting magazines and newspapers, and spent three years researching Billy the Kid for this book. He lives in Comanche, Oklahoma, with his wife. He has four grown children, to whom this book is dedicated.
202 pages / paperback / 6 x 9 format / 2005 copyright / $24.95 / Includes CIP Data / ISBN: 0-922993-20-3
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