hich he had heard.

There are living three eye-witnesses of what happened at that time:
Frank and George Coe, ranchers on the Ruidoso to-day, and Johnnie
Patten, cook on Carrizzo ranch. Patten was an ex-soldier of H Troop,
Third Cavalry, and was mustered out at Fort Stanton in 1869. At the time
of the Roberts fight, he was running the sawmill for Dr. Blazer. Frank
Coe says that he himself was attempting to act as peacemaker, and that
he tried to get Roberts to give up his arms and not make any fight.
Patten says that he himself, at the peril of his life, had warned
Roberts that Dick Brewer, the Kid, and his gang intended to kill him. It
is certain that when Roberts came riding up on a mule, still wet from
the fording of the Tularosa river, he met there Dick Brewer, Billy the
Kid, George Coe, Frank Coe, Charlie Bowdre, Doc Middleton, one
Scroggins, and Dirty Steve (Stephen Stevens), with others, to the number
of thirteen in all. These men still claimed to be a posse, and were
under Dick Brewer, "special constable."

The Brewer party withdrew to the rear of the house. Frank Coe parleyed
with Roberts at one side. Kate Godfroy, daughter of Major Godfroy,
protested at what she knew was the purpose of Brewer and his gang. Dick
Brewer said to his men, "Don't do anything to him now. Coax him up the
road a way."

Roberts declined to give up his weapons to Frank Coe. He stood near the
door, outside the house. Then, as it is told by Johnnie Patten, who saw
it all, there suddenly came around upon him from behind the house the
gang of the Kid, all gun fighters, each opening fire as he came. The
gritty little man gave back not a step toward the open door. Crippled by
his old wounds so that he could not raise his rifle to his shoulder, he
worked the lever from his hip. Here were a dozen men, the best fighting
men of all that wild country, shooting at him at a distance of not a
dozen feet; yet he shot Jack Middleton through the lungs, though failing
to kill him. He shot a finger off the hand of George Coe, who then left
the fight. Roberts then half stepped forward and pushed his gun against
the stomach of Billy the Kid. For some reason the piece failed to fire,
and the Kid was saved by the narrowest escape he ever had in his life.
Charlie Bowdre now appeared around the corner of the house, and Roberts
fired at him next. His bullet struck Bowdre in the belt, and cut the
belt off from him. Almost at the same time, Bowdre fired at him a