TRAIL TO TOMBSTONE 6

that night dale and billy were setting on the porh of the boarding house it had been the only place in town that would serve them a meal. billy looked over at dale" can i tag along with you back to gleeson? i dont think i got much futur here. i got a copper claim there and i won enough on the horse race to get supplys to work it." " sure, but do you know where wilkins ranch is? i didnt thinnk to find that out" dale asked. "i know abouut where it is, i never been down in that country much. but we will find it. we better get there soon tho knowing that bird he will be waitting for us."billy explained. " well, i didnt cheat him, he cheated himself. but if he wants to take issue with it i wont run either."dale was sipping a glass of bourbon. billy looked over at him in the dark with a measure of respect. the next morning before day light dale leading the pack horse rode out of the ok corral and turned to the north east. at the edge of town billy sat there on his horse. he could see the shadowy figures comming his way. as they came abreast of him he reined his horse out onto the trail and joined the little caravan. gleeson lay ahead it was booming, while tombstone lay dieing behind them. when dale was saddling he saw wilkins race horse standing in a stall down the line from where his horses were. the animal was covered in dry sweat, no water or feed in front of him. dale had taken the time to put a bucket of water in front of him. dales opinion of wilkins went down a couple of notches. when he told billy of this billy stated that wilkins had started the ranch a couple of years before butt as soon as the house was up and the cattle turned loose on the dragoon foot hills he had gone to tombstone. he was a natural bully a coward in billys opinon. but he thought the man might be the type to back shoot you. dale took all that in. the horses started the long climb up the ridge trail toward gleeson. early afternoon they rode into gleeson. billy stated he knew of a place to put the horse up for the night then get aq bed. the whole town was a scattering of tents with no organization. billy turned up hill to the north wand rode up to a empty rock corral they put their horses in there for the night. a good stand of grass grew in the corral.. they had watered the horses at a small spring that crossed the trail as they neared town dale told billy he didnt feel good leaving his stock there and he planned to sleep on his saddle blankets here. billy agreed and told dale he was going for some food for supper and he high stepped back down hill into the mass of tents. a hour later he returned with a arm load of packages.. among the stuff was a coffee pot. while dale built a fire billy took the coffee pot and left. soon he returned with it full of water. while eating the supper of camp food billy told dale he had asked around for directions to wilkins ranch. he hadnt had much luck everyone was like him, they knew the general direction but nothing definate. dale explained that as soon as they found the place he wanted to go to the county seat and register the quit claai m deed to keep everything legal. billy agreed that was a good idea. they unrolled their blankets and went to sleep. it had been a long day.

THE TRAIL TO TOMBSTONE 5

by eleven o clock the day of the race billy had bet every dime he had or could beg borrow or steal. he was the only one in tombstone who had seen dales little pack horse race in willcox. every one thought him nuts. he had fashioned a starters flag on a short stick and had gone to the south end of town and marked off the starters point with a line scratched across the street. wilkins had been paradeing his hot blooded thorobred up and down the street in town showing the tall leggy animal off. the horse had begun to break a sweat by the time of the race. at ten minutes until 12 noon dale rode the little pack horse through town to the starting line he rode bare back with a surcingle over his knees to keep him in place. once at the starting line he rode the little horse away from the line and loped him in a few circles to wrm him up.looking down the street they could see wilkins comming with his horse. the jockey was mounted and wilkins was leading the hot blooded animal who was pranceing sideways as they approached. dale looked down at billy and grinned a knowing smile. " thanks for not blabbing around town what you saw in willcox." " this will be good, who is at the finish line to judge?"billy asked. " the bar tender. he s close mouthed on the whole deal. i like him." dale said as they watched wilkins approach. " you sure you want to go through with this?" wilkins called out." ill let you out for half your stake." "why would i do that when i can have a cow ranch?"dale called back. wilkins looked like he swallowed something bitter.when wilkins got to the starting line he took his horse back away from the line to where dale sat on the pack horse. he turned the hot head loose and dale and the jockey started toward the starting line. billy held his flag up.as the neared the line the little pack horse perked up, he wa pranceing on his tip toes. as the two horses noses crossed the start line billy dropped the flag and yeled go.wilkins hot bloos leaped forward and was air born when the pack horse shot past him running close to the ground. the jockey on wilkins horse got him up and running but dale had a two horse lead . the big horse started to stretch out and run. half way down the street they were running neck and neck. the few people in town lined the street on both sides cheering. when the finish line came in site dale looked over at the jocky and smilled then leaned a bit forward and yelled in his horses ear" now packey now" the little horse found a gear that no one suspected and shot forward leaveing the hot blood in his wake. when he crossed the finish line the thorobred was a good two horse lengths behind. the crowd was silent. dale slowed the pack horse and got him down to a trott and turned back toward the finish line. wilkins was thre sitting on his saddle horse a small crowd gathered around the bar tender. as dale rode up the bar tender stepped up and handed him the money and the quit claim deed. "you just cant take my ranch!"wilkins whinned. "you lost it no one made you put it up. if you had won you would have taken the cash that was my last doller wouldnt you.?"dale was folding the deed and putting it in his shirt pocket.wilkins was sick and growing angry. billy was circulating through the crowd collecting his bets. when he got next to wilkins he reached up and removed wilkins pistol from his waist.wilkins didnt notice it but dale did. " ill let you keep that race horse and your saddle horse.. ill be out tomorrow to move in" wilkins grabbed for his pistol but found it gone he looked all around but people were starting to back away. " see a tomorow judd"was all dale said as he led his little pack horse back to the ok corral.