THE TRAIL TO TOMBSTONE 16

the sun was shining bright and warm when dale came around. he sat up on the edge of his bed with his head spinning still. finally he stood up and staggered to the cook stove. a bed of red embers still glowed there so he added a few sticks of stove wood and built a pot of coffee. he had to use the wall for support he was so dizzy. when the coffee was done he poured a cup and wobbled out side and sat down on a stump next to the wall.his head kept spinning. sometimes he couldnt get the cup to his lips.. when he had drank about half the cup of coffee he laid his head back against the wall behind him. he dropped the cup of coffee to the ground and closed his eyes. " dale! dale!" some one was calling his name, shakeing his shoulder. he slowley opened his eyes to slits. there before him was billy a scared look on his face. he went a head and opened his eyes,and turned his head to show the cut behind his ear. " horse theif hit me there." he pointed to the cut. billy looked at it then helped dale to his feet" we need to get you back to bed." behind billy stood a aperation, a stocky man. his denim pants were tucked into the tops of teguas, the tall apache mocoson. he wore a stripped shirt with a straw hat perched on a head with long black hair. dale looked at billy with the silent question. "thats shug.. he works for uncle billy foure.. he helped me bring the horses home. who did this?" billy was helping dale back in the house. " that surveyor did he was a fake. he was here to steal horses. he hit me while i was standing up from hobbling a horse. they were gone when i woke up. i got no idea which way they went." dale collapsed into his bed. shug had followed them in the house" ill go see if i can find a trail just rest." " he was a deputy one time for sherrif slaughter. he s a good half breed."billy explained. " if make you something to eat you think that may help your being dizzy?"billy asked. " it wouldnt hurt.. i want to get up and go get that guy!"dale was almost whispering. " your not going anywhere for a while.. your skull could be cracked. lay back and rest ill stir up some food."billy was rummaging around the pack boxed they stored food in. it was a while before shug cameback but he came in the house and found dale slowley eating a plate of food. billy handed a plate to shug. shug said" i followed the tracks a long way it looks like he maybe headed for tombstone. he didnt steal all the horses. just a little one by the tracks. i found the rest of your horses grazeing in a canyon.. i brought them in and corraled them with the ones we brought." he explained to billy. " he stole packy, he knew what he was after. that little horse waas dales match race horse.billy explained. " first thing is get him up and around, then we go after that crook." shug pointed to dale. dale looked up and nodded. "ill be ready in the morning" dale said " my head is clearing now. ill be ready" billy looked at shug and shrugged his shoulders.

THE TRAIL TO TOMBSTONE 15

the next morning billy left with a wave . the surveyor had camped on the opposite rige from the house.. dale had walked up to him when he went to bring the horses in. he had offered him supper and a bed for the night but he had declined. when billy rode out that morning dale caught the remaining horses and was leading them up the ridge to graze. he passed the surveyors camp sit. a small pile of ashes from his fire was all that was there. dale was impressed as there was no trash. he led his horses on and started hobbling them so they could graze.dale thought to himself he was starting to take these horses maybe a bit to far from the house. but they had had no problems everything seemed calm. the little race horse was the last to get hobbled. he had been ignored the past few weeks. dale checked his shoes and ran his hand down each front leg checking for any bumps or bruises. the little horse seemed to enjoy the attention. while dale was kneeling there the surveyor walked up slowley behind him. the horse snorted and took a step back before dale had the hobbles tied. " thats a pretty good little horse.. to bad he is so small."the man stated. " he earned a place here. this out fit is his earnings." dale finished tying the hobbles. " the small size is only on the outside.. that heart in there is as big as the sky. he will give you every once of it when you ask for it."as dale started to stand the surveyor brought a peice of shovel handle down on dales head right behind his ear. the blow laid dale out flat. when dale came to it was almost dark.. his head was pounding and blood had dried on his shoulder and down his neck.he slowley rolled over then sat up. the pain in his head was liveing thing. slowley he looked around, not a horse in sight. a pile of hobble rope and the survey gear lay in a pile close by. " i felt there was something fishy about that guy." dale spoke to himself. dale slowley got to his feet. he staggered trying to get his balance. his head was swimming. he slowley started staggering down the slope to the house. all the way there he was muttering to him self the things he would do to a horse theif.. but he was going nowhere until billy got back with saddle horses. but tonite he was makeing use of the bed he used, but first he washed the dried blood from his head and neck. he couldnt tell by feeling it just how bad was the cut behind his ear. he found a rag and wet it the folded it and layed over the cut then laid down with his head laying on the rag. he went to sleep.