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world to World War II. Just visit historyhit.com slash subscribe to bring the past alive. Lincoln County Jail, in the New Mexico Territory, April 28, 1881.

The prisoner swats a fly from his sweating forehead, glancing to the door.

Slightly built and barely barely in his 20s,

this man has been chained and shackled here

on the second floor of the jail for two weeks.

By rights, it should be his final home before the news.

But while he's been waiting, he's been watching

for an opportunity, one that's about to arrive.

At 5 p.m. each day day he has brought his plate of food.

At the same time, one of his two guards escorts the other prisoners in the jail across the street for their nightly vittles.

But this evening will go differently.

At 5, the guard will exit the building as usual, but he won't return.

This evening, he and his fellow guard will exit the building as usual, but he won't return.

This evening, he and his fellow guard will have been shot dead.

And the killer who did the shooting?

Our prisoner?

He'll be riding a stolen horse into the sunset, still alive, and still known by his now famous name, Billy the Kid.

George R. Matthews is an historian and author of Billy the Kid, The Life Behind the Legend, published just last year.

George Matthews, sir, glad to meet you.

Thank you. Nice to be here.

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