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corral. I knew him well and he and I had been friendly, he had frequently stopped at my place on the Ruidoso; and we said 'Hello' and shook hands. Then we went around the house and sat down in a side door to talk.
"'We've got a warrant for you, Bill,' I said.
"'The hell you have,' said Bill.
"'Yes, and I'm glad you rode up because now we won't have the trouble of hunting for you. You better come on in the house and see Brewer and surrender.'
"'Me surrender?' said Bill.
"'Why, of course. There ain't any way out of it now.'
"'Well, we'll see about that.'
"'There are thirteen in the gang, Bill," I said, 'and if you don't surrender peaceable, it means simply they'll kill you. You wouldn't have a chance on earth.'
"'As long as I've got a load in old Betsy here,' replied Roberts, patting the butt of his Winchester, 'there ain't nobody going to arrest me, least of all this gang.'
"'Now, don't be foolish, Bill," I argued. 'There ain't no sense in resisting and getting yourself killed.'
"'I'd be killed if I surrendered.'
"'What makes you think that?'
"'Didn't I try to kill Billy the Kid and Charlie Bowdre last week? If those two fellows got their hands on me now, they'd kill me sure.'
"'No, they wouldn't. You surrender and nobody will hurt you.'
"'Yes,' said Bill, 'that's what they told Morton and Baker. I know this gang.'
"Well, I must have talked to Roberts nearly half an hour, trying to persuade him to surrender, but I might as well have talked to his mule; there wasn't any surrender in that fellow. I knew if he didn't give up what the fel-