{"id":29992,"date":"2020-09-01T23:04:39","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T03:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=29992"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:39:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:39:00","slug":"broken-ballad-the-last-gunfight-by-ac1830","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=29992","title":{"rendered":"Broken Ballad &#8211; The Last Gunfight (by AC1830)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summary: What if the final gunfight that killed Ed Payson took a different turn and set the main players on different paths? A WHI for Broken Ballad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Rating: T, Word Count: 2676<\/p>\n<p>Read More<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Broken Ballad &#8211; The Last Gunfight<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a man takes a gun in his hand<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He becomes like a scourge on the land<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether wrong, whether right\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He e\u2019en knows that he must fight<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soon will die, everyone, by the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When he\u2019s young he\u2019s as cool as a stream<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And he draws like a man in a dream<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Face him down if you dare<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a curse or a prayer<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will die, mother\u2019s son, by the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though his name may strike fear where he goes<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019s a stranger that nobody knows<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call him out, make your play<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here it comes, Judgement Day<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you die, in the sun, by the gun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a man takes a gun in his hand<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He becomes like a scourge on the land<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For they end as they must<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lying dead in the dust<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone who would live by the gun.*<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d just finished buckling my gunbelt when Pa grabbed my arm and spun me around. His eyes were black as coal and full of fear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou cannot do this, Adam. He\u2019s not after you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I shoved down my temper, despite my desire to hotly debate this with him. \u201cIsn\u2019t he? I\u2019m the one who shot him and yet it didn\u2019t stop him. He\u2019s out to clean up all the loose ends.\u201d I took a deep breath and calmed my rising voice. \u201cPlease try to understand, Pa, I have no choice. It\u2019s now or never. He\u2019s left a trail of death and must be stopped. It\u2019s what I signed up to do and it has to end here\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I exchanged looks with each of my brothers who\u2019d come to stand behind Pa, then my eyes settled back on Pa. I knew he would never accept what I chose to do but his slight nod at least confirmed that he understood the why of it. That brought an amount of comfort as I slid my hat on and left the house. \u201cI should be home by tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was early this morning and a lifetime ago. Now here I sit, staring at nothing, oblivious to the sun setting over the mountains. The night was falling hard at the empty cabin and it was getting colder by the minute, but I was numb to it. I couldn\u2019t even feel the rickety porch beneath me, and certainly, there was nothing inside of me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m not really sure why I came here after the events of this morning; I should have just ridden home. As I walked my horse into the yard, it shocked me to see the condition of the cabin. The structure had returned to the dilapidated condition it was in when Ed Payson first returned. All the work we\u2019d done to make it livable, now gone. Well, it has been more than a year since I\u2019ve been out here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting off Sport was no small task with my injured arm and now it\u2019s really hurting. Guess I should have let Paul have a look, but all I wanted was to leave the madness behind. Can\u2019t believe I\u2019ve been here all afternoon, but I can\u2019t make myself leave. I\u2019ve too many memories, too many regrets to try to move on. A deep shiver just ran through me making me wish I had my jacket but I\u2019ve no strength left to move.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sound of a lone rider coming in brought me back to my senses. I raised my head to see who it might be and couldn\u2019t help the smirk when I recognized the silhouette. It figured. I know they\u2019re all worried about me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He dismounted and dropped his large frame down beside me making the rotting porch shake and creak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHey.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I sighed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI went lookin\u2019 for ya in town an\u2019 saw Roy. He told me what happened. Paul also gave me some stuff to patch you up if you like. How\u2019s your arm?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I shrugged.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLook Adam&#8211;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I raised a finger to quiet my brother. \u201cDon\u2019t say it, Hoss. I\u2019ve heard it enough times in my head. There wasn\u2019t anything I could have done differently. I couldn\u2019t have stopped Billy either of those times. It\u2019s not my fault. It\u2019s just what happened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo, do you believe any of that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I angled my head to glare at him. Damn, he\u2019s good. Just cut to the chase.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I sighed again and propped my chin on my good hand. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I guess I do. It\u2019s just hard to let it all go.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After sitting beside his mute brother for several minutes, Hoss took the cue and went to tend to the horses. He returned with my jacket, laying it across my back. He also lit a lantern he\u2019d found and reached over to patch up my arm. His gentle ministrations belied his big hands as he cleaned my arm. Knowing his work was causing me a lot of pain he offered a distraction. \u201cWanna tell me \u2018bout it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I rolled my eyes to look at him again. What was it about this big guy that made it seem like he was the big brother?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHell, why not?\u201d I shifted to get more comfortable, cradling my now bandaged arm in my lap. If Hoss heard the hiss of air that escaped my lips he didn\u2019t let on. I stared off into the darkness, watching the ghostly figures take up their places in the yard&#8230;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You pretty much know what happened here. The growing anger between Billy Buckley and Ed Payson came to a head that night. It didn\u2019t take long for Billy to push the confrontation right there, not five feet from us.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I did my best to talk them both down but Billy had blood in his eyes and Ed had finally given up on a peaceful life. Mentally I blamed Will Cass for spreading his poison over both of them and I said so. But Ed denied it.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo Adam,\u201d Ed responded in his slow drawl, \u201cit\u2019s not about Cass, is it Billy? It\u2019s about Sally.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Billy, keeping his eyes on Ed, barely nodded his agreement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou see Adam, I have to fight.\u00a0 It\u2019s him or me, kill or be killed.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo Ed, you\u2019re wrong.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to fight him. You\u2019ve got Sally already.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAdam, if it\u2019s not Billy, it\u2019ll be someone else.\u201d Ed raised his chin. \u201cI have to fight him.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pleased at how things were progressing, Billy tossed Ed the gun he\u2019d brought from town. Ed strapped the belt around his hips and checked the pistol.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as the two men squared off, Sally drove her buggy wildly into the yard. She cried out as she jumped from the rig running between Ed and Billy.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was too far away to stop her so I yelled out, \u201cNo Sally!\u00a0 Get back!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With tears streaming down her cheeks, Sally pleaded for them to stop.\u00a0 \u201cWhy can\u2019t you just leave Ed in peace, Billy?\u201d\u00a0 She backed up toward Ed trying to protect him. \u201cGo home, please! I don\u2019t love you, Billy. It\u2019s Ed that I want, not you!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ed inching toward Sally but I also saw Billy\u2019s eyes squint.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGet down!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startled into action Ed dove for Sally just as I bent low, drew my gun, and fired.\u00a0 Billy fell backward when my bullet burned through his lower right arm. The boy\u2019s gun never cleared leather.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Screaming and shaking Sally clung to Ed as he rose from the ground and pulled her into his arms. With my pistol leveled at Billy\u2019s chest, I edged toward him. Seeing the boy grabbing at his right arm with his left hand as blood spurted through his fingers, I quickly removed Billy\u2019s gun from the holster and tossed it away, then slammed my own gun into its holster.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bullet had gone through but a bone was protruding so I worked to straighten it as best I could and wrapped the arm tight with his scarf to slow the bleeding.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDon\u2019t think you\u2019ll be using that arm for a long time boy, if ever again.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anger and hatred filled Billy\u2019s eyes at those words. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna pay, Adam. You ruined everything.\u201d He looked over my shoulder toward Ed and Sally.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I wiped down my hands with my bandana, I followed his gaze. Sally had calmed down and the two were sitting silently on the porch step staring numbly into the night.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019ve lost her, Billy. Just let them be.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still smoldering, Billy sank into himself as he sat on the ground. I knew he hadn\u2019t heard a word I said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After I shot Billy in the arm to keep him from killing Ed, I thought, no I hoped, that everyone\u2019s lives would go back to some semblance of order. Maybe Ed would finally get the peaceful life he sought, and Billy\u2019s gunfighting days were over before they\u2019d even begun.\u00a0 A year later I was proven wrong about everything related to Ed and Billy.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was heading home from Fort Churchill with some wranglers after delivering a herd of horses when we came across a man who\u2019d been shot in the back. His beard and long hair couldn\u2019t hide his identity from me.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDear God, Billy!\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding him barely alive, I removed the bullet, then we got him to Dayton. I sent the wranglers home and stayed with Billy until he recovered. That\u2019s when I learned an awful truth.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One day after he\u2019d recovered I found him practicing his left-handed shooting, his right arm hanging uselessly by his side as I\u2019d predicted that night at Ed\u2019s cabin. That\u2019s when he told me he was no longer Billy Buckley, but Ringo, the deadly gunslinger I\u2019d been hearing about. My worst fears had been realized and I went cold inside. He had taken to living by the gun, and no amount of my talking would turn him around.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That night he disappeared. I wanted to go after him but I reluctantly headed home. However, I followed his bloody trail through news reports and saloon stories. Sadness for a life wasted and guilt for not being able to stop him the two times I had the chance made me join a Marshal\u2019s posse to hunt him down, to stop him with words or a gun. After trailing him from town to town, I began to see a pattern. I was pretty sure he was heading back to where it all began to settle one final score. I headed home to await his return.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This morning was unusually quiet and the saloon that Ed and I favorited was nearly empty. Rumors said Ringo was in the area so I waited, nursing a mug of beer, well more holding it than drinking from it. Memories from a year ago, the last few weeks, and Pa\u2019s final words fought each other in my thoughts. I pushed them down, determined to be ready when he arrived. However, hearing him call me out still made my blood run cold. I knew my draw was fast but would it match the lightning draw of Ringo?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the empty street we squared off. A hot breeze burned my sweaty neck and whipped Billy\u2019s long hair around his hat.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhere are Ed and Sally?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t know. They left without a trace one night after you tried to kill Ed.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He stiffened then dropped his shoulders down.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I slowed my breathing, the sun glinted off my badge and my hand hovered near my gun. I locked eyes with him. \u201cBilly, it\u2019s time all this ended. Drop your gun now.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He barely flexed his left hand as my words fell to the dirt.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBilly\u2019s dead! I\u2019m Ringo now! Besides, I owe you!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before I could process what he owed me, I saw his eyes change to narrow slits. We both crouched and drew together. I felt the sting in my wrist making my gun fire wide. His smile was sinister as he spoke, \u201cNow we\u2019re even, Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I grasped my bleeding arm as a flicker of hope filled me that he might still have some good in him. That hope died as he straightened his body and took aim at my chest. A loud report split the air and Ringo fell forward. His body made a muffled thud in the hot, dry dirt, and a red stain blossomed across his back. A few feet behind him I spied the angry face of a bent and broken Will Cass as the shotgun fell from his hands.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There would be no court, no funeral. Only cheers for the death of Ringo. Amid the noise I barely heard Cass&#8217; forlorned words, \u201cHe failed to kill Ed. I\u2019ve lost my Sally. I\u2019ve lost it all.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suddenly everything came rushing at me and I had to get out of there. So many lives ruined and all the crowd could do was cheer. After managing a makeshift bandage on my arm, I climbed into the saddle and raced out of town. There was only one place I could think of going.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last words of my story drifted away and silence filled the night air. Hoss fiddled with a chunk of wood, and I fingered the badge resting on my hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo I came here, where it all began. Somehow hoping I could leave it all here, and move on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMaybe this will help.\u201d\u00a0 Hoss slipped an envelope from his vest, opened it, and held the letter out for me to take.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After reading it twice I looked at my brother. \u201cWhere did you see him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen I was in Stockton. They ain\u2019t livin\u2019 there, just buyin\u2019 some horses. Ed asked me to give you that letter. Reckon he needs to be told \u2018bout Billy and Cass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah.\u201d I gazed up at the moonless sky. \u201cAre they happy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe said so. Also said he won\u2019t come back here but you can go visit if you like. I can tell ya how to find \u2018em.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Knowing I was all talked out, Hoss rose and rubbed at a kink in his back. \u201cYou comin\u2019 home?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I stared at the letter, sighed again, and slowly rose to my feet, the movement making my arm hurt something fierce. As I tried to get my stiff body to straighten out, a strong arm stretched across my shoulders to steady me. Meeting his worried eyes with my tired ones, I gave him a weak smile. It was enough to get him to smile too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With his support, we walked to our horses. I handed the letter back to him and he helped me into the saddle. Side by side we made our way home. Refusing to look back at the cabin, I straightened in my saddle. Each step our horses took moved me further away from all the pain that led to that final shootout. I felt my brother\u2019s eyes on me so I turned to give him what I hoped was a reassuring look. He gave me a wink and we pressed onward. Once again I found myself grateful for my middle brother.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Days later, I left Paul\u2019s office after a check on my healing arm and headed to Roy\u2019s office to turn in my badge. On my way out of town I sought out two lonely graves to offer a moment of silence for a forgotten kid and a broken old man; regret ran deep for what they\u2019d become. Turning my back on the graves and the past, I left the ghosts where they belonged.\u00a0 It was time to move on, time to shake off the past year and look forward to wherever the road may lead. For now, that road leads home, and I\u2019m perfectly fine with that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A\/N &#8211; Song &#8220;Gunfighter&#8217;s Lament&#8221; from the episode<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Broken Ballad<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A portion of this story was inspired by the song &#8220;Ringo&#8221;, performed by Lorne Greene.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_29992\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"29992\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif?resize=16%2C16&#038;ssl=1\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summary: What if the final gunfight that killed Ed Payson took a different turn and set the main players on different paths? A WHI for Broken Ballad.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rating: T, Word Count: 2676<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8333,"featured_media":29993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1005,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-cartwright","category-whi","wpcat-1005-id","wpcat-27-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1327,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Broken-Ballad-2.jpg?fit=571%2C613&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":64091,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=64091","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":0},"title":"Face Down in the Dust &#8212; A Ballad for the Broken (by JC)","author":"JC","date":"September 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Adam's friend Ed Payson learns too late that you can hang up your gun, but it won't let you go. (A \"Broken Ballad\" recap in rhyme) Rating T Word Count 250","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=9"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/bb.jpg?fit=308%2C302&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45995,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=45995","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":1},"title":"Broken (By Miss Judy)","author":"missjudy","date":"June 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: The Broken Ballad episode ends with many unanswered questions. Life would have changed in small and huge ways following Ed's death. So ... what happened to Will Cass, whose grief pushed him to do despicable things? How does Billy explain his reason for shooting Payson in what could be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam Cartwright&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Sally-Ed.jpeg?fit=611%2C455&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Sally-Ed.jpeg?fit=611%2C455&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Adam-Sally-Ed.jpeg?fit=611%2C455&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20550,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=20550","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":2},"title":"Becoming Ben Cartwright, aka The Ballad of Lorne Greene (by JC)","author":"JC","date":"March 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 The day a balding, middle-aged, B-movie actor became a legend in the making. (Written in the style of Lorne Greene's Number One hit recording of \"Ringo\") Rating: G\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Word Count: 203","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Humor&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Ben-1.jpg?fit=234%2C234&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":48217,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=48217","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":3},"title":"BTR Sourdough Starters #03 &#8211; July 2018 (by BZTrailriders)","author":"BZTrailRiders","date":"July 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: In Tim McGraw's\u00a0Live Like You Were Dying, there are the lines\u00a0\u201cTook a good, long, hard look\/At what I'd do if I could do it all again\u201d. Rating: G, Word Count: 4013","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sourdough Starter&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sourdough Starter","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1323"},"img":{"alt_text":"Preserving Their Legacy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BTR.png?fit=442%2C255&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1984,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1984","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":4},"title":"Rattlesnake &#8212; aka After the Gunfight (by BluewindFarm)","author":"BluewindFarm","date":"November 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A gunfight and the resulting collateral damage.\u00a0 Rating:\u00a0 T \u00a0(1,845 words)","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam Cartwright&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam Cartwright","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1005"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17695,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=17695","url_meta":{"origin":29992,"position":5},"title":"A Jack of Spades (by BettyHT)","author":"BettyHT","date":"August 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"SUMMARY: This began as a Pinecone but I couldn't fit it all in there so here is the rest of the story -- Little Joe Cartwright finds that having skill with a pistol and a fast draw isn't the same as being good in a gunfight, and he has second\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Drama&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Drama","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/A-Jack-of-Spades.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8333"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}