To fight the good fight: A Johnny Ringo Story: all rights to the characters and backgrounds of this story belong to its creators. Ringo is now on the run from vengeful family members. It also happens prior to the TV series.

Sig Able and his two sons were on the trail of Johnny Ringo. Ringo shot and killed Sig's one son in a gunfight. The fact that Steve Able had provoked the fight did not matter to his father or brothers. They rode on into the night.

Ringo knew that he was being followed. He figured that the boy's family was chasing after him. So he did what he usually did under the circumstances. Leading the pursuers around in circles for a while. Ringo had a cold camp on the ridge and waited for the dawn to come.

The Abel's woke with the dawn. Sig looked around. His two boys were up and getting

ready to move.

"How far do you think he is, Henry?" Sig asked. Henry looked to the west. "Maybe three four hours, Pa. at the rate he's pushing that horse we should run him down by noon."

Sig nodded grimly. "When we do boys. Come at his shooting. Don't you take any chances?"

"Sounds like good advice." A voice said. The three men whirled around to the east Ringo was standing with the sun at his back. "Drop the guns, Now!" James Abel went for his rifle and Ringo shot him in the right arm. He dropped to the ground.

"Last time asking." Ringo said "Drop the guns!" Sig turned to his boys and nodded. They dropped their holsters. "Now back away." Ringo ordered. He walked quickly toward the Abel's horses and fired shots at them to send them running into the brush. Ringo walked back to the three men.

"That arm bad?" he asked James.

James glared to Ringo. "You got your own worries, mister." He said. Ringo whistled to the wind and his horse came round the corner. He took the rifles and pistols and threw them into the small water hole.

"Mister." Sig snarled at him. "You are a dead man!"

Ringo shrugged "Yeah I've heard that before, friend"

"You didn't have drawn on Steve like that!" Henry said.

Ringo smiled at Henry "Sure son, I should have let him shoot me." Pointing to the east, "Move!" he gestured with the gun. The three men started to move slowly, and fired a few shot at them to make them move faster. They started to run.

Ringo mounted his horse and started back down the trail back toward Dodge City.

The Abel's had doubled back to the waterhole to retrieve their guns. They looked down the trail and made out Ringo's outline on the trail.

"Yep, he's heading for Dodge." Henry said. Sig looked round. "Well, the Bar EZ ranch is about 10 miles to the west there. We can get us some horses there and then ride to Dodge."

He looked to James "Can you ride, Boy?"

James looked to Sig "I can manage Pa." Sig nodded "Ok, then lets get to walking." The three men started on their way.

Down the trail Ringo rode on toward Dodge. "I wonder if the Long Branch is open?" he thought to himself. "Matt's going to be beside himself."

To be continued: