| “ | What's the use of looking on the gloomy side of everything?
— Billy the Kid
|
” |
Henry McCarty, also known as William H. Bonney, and known popularly as Billy the Kid, was born in New York City in 1859. His family would continuously move from place to place before eventually ending up at Silver City, New Mexico.
Shortly after his mother died McCarty turned to a life of crime. His first misdeed was stealing food. Ten days after committing his first crime McCarty robbed a Chinese laundry but was caught and sentenced to jail, though escaped and became a fugitive.
Having made his way to the Arizona Territory, he was hired as a ranch hand and became acquainted with John R. Mackie, a Scottish-born criminal and former U.S. Cavalry private with whom he soon began to steal horses from local soldiers. After getting into an argument with a blacksmith which soon turned violent ending in McCarty shooting and mortally wounding him. He was apprehended, but stole a horse and escaped the law once again.
After losing his horse to a group of Apaches, and almost near death due to starvation, McCarty ended up at the home of his friend and fellow criminal John Jones whose mother nursed him back to health. After regaining his health, McCarty went to Apache Tejo, a former army post, where he joined a band of rustlers who raided herds. Around this time he began to use the name William Bonney.
Bonney would continue to be involved in crime, even joining the Lincoln County War, a conflict between rival gangs. Bonney would continuously evade death, though he was captured and imprisoned several times. On July 14, 1881, Bonney finally met his end by Sheriff Pat Garrett who shot him two times in the chest, killing him.
Battle vs. Çerçiz Topulli (by Ethandabomb)[]
BK=Billy the Kid=5/ CT=Çerçiz Topulli=5
Four Albanian Revolutionists and Çerçiz Topulli walk through a stable door on the fringes of a Wild West desert, hoping to happen upon Turks who were rumored to be hiding in the area. Çerçiz sends one of his men, brandishing a Remington, into the stable interior. Çerçiz, feeling unsettled yells to his comrade to come back, when suddenly one of Billy's outlaws springs out of a pile of hay and slits the Albanian's throat.
CT=4
Çerçiz quickly draws his Colt and shoots the outlaw square in the forehead.
BK=4
Çerçiz and his gang advance further into the stable, and sensing a movement one of Çerçiz's men fires his Lebel into another hay pile, and an outlaw flops out, dead.
BK=3
Billy himself jumps out of a haystack, and whips Çerçiz in the back of his head with his Peacemaker. Çerçiz crumples, but one of his men shoots at and grazes Billy on the arm. Billy then runs out the back door of the stable, clutching his arm. One of the Revolutionaries follows him out into the square. As the one of Çerçiz's men helps him to his feet, the second Revolutionary fires two Lebel rounds into a closed closet, and two shotgun blasts are fired back through the door, missing Çerçiz and his men. Then the outlaw crashes through the broken door, bleeding heavily from the neck. The outlaw squirms on the floor for a moment, and then is silent.
BK=2
Hearing his friend fall, another of Billy's men bursts in through the front entrance, and empties his Winchester into the Albanian.
CT=3
Çerçiz and his comrade then draw their pocketknives as the outlaw reloads. The Revolutionary feigns an attack, and Çerçiz steps in and jabs the knife into the outlaw's neck.
BK=1
Çerçiz and the other Albanian then exit the stable and cross the dusty square, only to find one of their men bleeding out on the ground. Çerçiz leans down on the ground and the Albanian whispers "Mbrojtur atdheun." Protect the Motherland. Then the man stiffens, and Çerçiz shuts the man's eyes.
CT=2
Then Çerçiz and the Revolutionary venture into a nearby barn searching for Billy. Çerçiz and the Revolutionary stalk into the red barn, and suddenly Billy pounces down from a rafter onto Çerçiz. The other Albanian pulls Billy off of Çerçiz, and the two engage in a heated knife-fight. Finally Billy breaks the Albanian's defense and slashes him across his shoulder. Billy then lifts his Bowie to finish the Revolutionary, when he hears Çerçiz say "Shihemi në ferr." See you in hell. Billy looks at Çerçiz, not understanding the meaning of his words, but hearing the grave undertone. Billy the Kid knew he was a dead man. He knew it from the time the bullet left Çerçiz's M1878 until the round punctured his heart.
BK=0
Çerçiz runs to his downed comrade, and helps him up. The Revolutionary puts his arm around Çerçiz's shoulder, and whispers "Kemi fituar?" Have we won? Çerçiz smiles and says "Po, atdheu është i sigurt, tani për tani dhe përjetë." Yes, the homeland is safe, for now and forever.
Winner: Çerçiz Topulli
Expert's Opinion[]
Çerçiz ended up winning due to more advanced weaponry, more battlefield experience and the ability to think under fire.
To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.
Battle vs. Henry Lightfoot (by Killermoves)[]
Billy the Kid: 
Henry Lightfoot: 
It was the late 19th century, and as a new century rises over humanity, civilization has tamed the rough and wild world of the old generation. Technology and education are pushing the old ways of criminality out, and many former outlaws are forced to seek refuge in the small dwindling havens that they can find. Gone are the ways of pirates, ronins, bushrangers, hajduks, gunfighters and sloggers in the coming new century.
A small town in Ontario, Canada houses some of the few remaining outlaws from around the world. Its slums and wild countryside still appealed to those who still cling to the glory days of crime, where one can ride out and strike at authority like a true bandit, rather than having to adapt and conduct hidden “organized crimes” like those new criminals in the cities.
Billy the Kid, the famous Old West gunfighter, was one of those who rode into town seeking sanctuary. He brought with him 4 other outlaws of his Regulator band, together with their sombreros, Stetsons and blue jeans. They spot an old saloon and decided to stay in there for a while. As they rode, Billy saw a wanted poster from England that said:
“Wanted: Dead or Alive. On the orders of his Majesty’s Government the notorious thug named Henry Lightfoot. A dangerous peaky blinder of known ill-repute. Wanted for the assault of numerous police officers and his own wife. Known to have escaped to Canada. Reward: 500 Pounds.”
The Kid know much from his former English employer John Tunstall how much a pound is worth, and while that reward money is small for his gang, it would at least make decent coffee money for them. He dismounts from his horse afterwards, went to the bar and sat down.
Moments later another group of outlaws came riding into town. Fashionably dressed with flat caps and long overcoats, these men too decided to head out to the saloon to pass the time. It was Henry Lightfoot, who brought with him 4 other Peaky Blinders into Canada. He saw his wanted poster stuck on the wall, and laughed at the reward money that’s given to his capture. But then he saw a wanted poster with an even bigger reward:
“Wanted: Dead or Alive. By the United States Marshalls. Henry Antrim, aka William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid. Wanted for the murder of Deputy James Bell and Bob Ollinger in New Mexico, USA. Assumed to be riding with a different alias. Use caution as the outlaw is armed and extremely dangerous. Reward: $7000.”
Henry Lightfoot was impressed. Everyone knew who Billy the Kid is and he can’t believe that the outlaw still eluded capture to this day. If he meets that Billy the Kid, that would really seal the deal for his future. He and his gang wouldn’t have to haul ass and ride away anymore. However, it won’t be easy, as the tales Henry have heard on the Kid don’t end well for those who try to capture him.
Fortunately for him he’s about to find out, as Lady Luck was on his side the moment he went inside the saloon, and saw a young man who looks exactly like the picture in the wanted poster.
As the peaky blinders settled in, Henry approached the bar where Billy was sitting. He ordered a pint of beer and sat near the Kid. “Good morning there, guv’nor,” Henry greeted.
“Well howdy to you too, mister,” Billy replied. The Kid recognized the Englishman as the man on the poster, and he too become anxious for his own reward.
After sipping his beer, Henry turned to Billy and continued talking, “You know, it’s an honor to meet you really. I was excited to finally see a real cowboy like what I’ve read in those small yankee novels. But bloody hell, never knew I would meet the real deal himself…”
Billy turned his head to Henry with suspicion in his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about sir. I ain’t no cowboy. Just some friendly American walkin’…”
“There’s no use hiding mate. I know who you are. You’re a real legend you know. Young Billy the Kid, killer of 21 men and the most notorious outlaw in the West…”
“And I know of you too Mr. Lightfoot,” Billy argued. “Some shit you are. At least what I fought for in Lincoln County was of bold cause against corruption. But you? You’re nothing more than a wife beater and a bastard.”
Henry laughed at what Billy said, and after finishing his drink, he picked Billy up before the Kid can pull his revolver. He then kicked Billy in the abdomen with his metal-tipped boots which made him crash to a table.
The rest of the saloon went mad. The Regulators and Peaky Blinders grabbed their guns and started shooting at each other. The coach guns of the Regulators proved to be the more effective weapon inside the saloon however, and one blast managed to almost cut a Peaky Blinder in half.
Although down on the ground, Billy managed to draw his colt peacemaker and started firing. Henry manage to get behind the bar to avoid getting hit, but one of his Peaky Blinders was shot in the head. As the Regulators came to assist Billy, Henry suddenly popped from his cover and fired with his Lee-Metford carbine, hitting one Regulator in the chest. As a Regulator tried to fired back at Henry, he is son riddled with webley bullets from an unsuspecting Peaky Blinder.
Billy and the others fired back, but Henry managed to escape through a window. The rest of the Peaky Blinders followed as well. Billy and the Regulators gave chase. One wounded Peaky Blinder was struggling to keep up but a Regulator shot him with a well-placed shot in the liver.
The streets of the Canadian town were empty when Billy and his gang got out. They started walking cautiously, with weapons drawn, in search of those Peaky Blinders. Suddenly, Henry and the others surprised them again behind buildings and corners. From a longer range they fired using their carbines and hunting shotguns. One Regulator was hit with a barrage of rifle round and fell bleeding on the dusty ground. Another Regulator got a bunch of buckshot in his head, bursting it like a melon.
Billy took cover behind a post, and with his Winchester rifle, manage to get a direct hit on a Peaky Blinder. The young thug fell with blood squirting from his neck, and died squirming and struggling in pain.
Only Henry and Billy remained, and they continued shooting each other with their rifles. “I have to get out of here,” Billy said to himself. He then got out of his cover but kept firing his rifle to make sure Henry is still pinned down.
Seeing his quarry escaping, Henry rolled from his cover, dodging bullets, and started chasing Billy yelling, “You’re not going anywhere you dirty toerag!”
At the same time, both outlaws finally ran out of rifle bullets. Time slowed down as the two eyed each other, dropped their rifles and started drawing their revolvers. Billy manage to draw first and fired, hitting Henry in the leg. The young Brit fell on the ground pissed off and in pain, but manage to get his pistol just in time. Sadly for Billy, his single-action revolver had to be recocked, and Henry’s Webley revolver could fire faster. Several bullets hit Billy in the abdomen, and as he fell he continued firing at Henry, hitting the Brit twice more on his side.
The two criminals laid down in the ground, tired and bleeding, and their revolvers empty. The young Billy clutched his body and writhed in pain, but the tough Britishman just coughed and laughed like a maniac. Withstanding the pain, Henry got up and started limping towards Billy, pulling his metal belt.
“Like I said, it’s a great honor,” Henry said.
“Go to hell!” Billy replied.
As Henry raised his buckle to smash it on Billy's head, the young bandit then pulled out a bowie knife and shanked it at Henry's kidney. The Englishman fell to the ground, clutching his kidney, and yelled in pain. He soon bled out, and Billy the Kid got up and ran towards the nearest horse. A smile on his face can be seen.
Winner: Billy the Kid
Expert’s Opinion[]
The battle was really close to the point that I have to put up a tiebreaker. Henry is a military-trained veteran and had the slightly better rifle, but Billy proved to be the better gunman of the two, since his cunning during the Battle of Lincoln and his escape while taking out two lawmen, was something that Henry Lightfoot has never done in his whole life.