The Outlaw And The Boy(Ed DeRousse) The deputy delivered the boy to the Giddings, Texas jail. The outlaw in the cell had requested to see him. That man was William Langley. A man with a reputation for killing many men, just because he could.
Langley didn’t know what to expect when he confronted the boy. They had never met.
The deputy pointed the boy to the outlaw’s cell.
“Langley, the boy’s here. And so am I. I’ll be watchin’!”
The boy, standing as tall as he could stretch his nine-year-old frame, took up a stance squarely in front of the outlaw. His arms were folded across his chest with his feet slightly spread apart and firmly planted on the floor. The boy looked straight up into the outlaw’s eyes.
Langley could tell the boy was scared but yet determined not to let the him know it. Perhaps it was an act of defiance or maybe youthful ego?
Langley studied the boy and determined Lizzy was keeping a secret from him. There had to be a reason, Langley thought, why Lizzy hadn’t told ‘em yet. The boy needs to know. He can’t grow up like me!
After a deafening silence, he spoke.
“What’s ya name boy?”
“John Smith.”
“Your Lizzy Smith’s boy, Ain’t cha?”
“Yes I am.”

For the boy, everything about the visit was unexpected. All nine-year-old boys have an active imagination, but no make-believe world would have concocted what happened next.
The boy thought he saw a small drop of moisture in the outlaw’s right eye. Is that a tear? he thought.
“Son, you have sure grown up straight and tall. Your Ma must be very proud of you. I am too."
Suddenly the boy’s head was spinning. “What? Did he just tell me he knows my Ma? How could that be?"
"I'm gonna hang in a couple days, son. I can't go to dyin’ without lettin’ you know. I'm not sure your Ma will tell you. But you need to know. Son, your name is William Preston Langley, Jr. You're my son. You're Ma’s was my wife. She was the love of my life. I've been watchin’ you and your Ma. I'm appreciative of how you turned out. Both of you. I wish it could have been different. Now go back to your ma and tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I never stopped lovin' her."
The outlaw turned and walked to the back of his cell.

The boy, of course, had so many questions. And he wasn’t going to get the answers from that outlaw. Hopefully, his mother would explain the outlaw’s claim.
“Come on John”, the deputy said. “Looks like the conversation’s over. It’s time to go home.”
When the boy was gone, Langley wiped away a tear.
“He looks like a fine boy. The boy, he faced me like a man!”
Langley laid down on his bunk and smiled. “Yes Sir! He’s gonna be OK. They’re both gonna be OK! My Lizzy done a fine job.”
Langley gave some thought to his past. “I just wish I…”
There was no need to finish the thought. The past can’t be changed.

The boy walked out of the Giddings jail as calmly as he could. Once safely out of sight, he ran for home.
“He he can’t be my father? He has to be lying. Ma told me my dad was killed in a bank robbery the day I was born. Why was this man telling me he’s, my father? Could it be? Is he really my father? Did he really know my Ma? They were husband and wife? How could my Ma know such an evil man?”

Mary Smith gathered her teary-eyed son up into her arms. “Honey, what’s wrong? What’s got you so upset?”
It was a few minutes before the boy could finally tell his mother about his visit with the outlaw in jail about to be hung.
His mother began to cry. "John", she started. "It's time to tell you about your dad."

The outlaw had no way of knowing that the boy would have his own earned reputation with the help of “Wild Bill” Langley’s Dance .44 revolver.

As a lawman.

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