A FRESH START 4

THE NEXT MORNING AFTER A GOOD BREAKFAST HE WALKED IN THE COMMERCIAL. AFTER LOOKING AROUND A BIT HE WENT TO THE CLERK BEHIND THE COUNTER. " ILL NEED TO GET THIS ORDER FILLED. BUT I NEED TO GO SHOP FOR A COUPLE HORSES TO PACK IT BACK HOME TOMORROW WILL I BE ABLE TO LEAVE IT HERE UNTIL THEN?" he asked as he handed the clerk the list. the man raised a eybrow. " you got a big crew back at the ranch?" he asked. " just me, but i wont be back for a while. ime headed down to the livery to see what they got for horse stock ill check back in a while." bill turnned and went out the door. as he stepped out onto the board walk a flashy set of high stepping sorrel horses hitched to a buggy pulled to a stop in front og him. the team were being driven by a very attractive woman with brown hair. possibly in her thirtys. next to her sat a older man with a shot gun standing next to hi, the barrel pointed sky ward. " i say, i say are you a stranger to our fair city?" he said. " last night i was but after spending the night here i figgure im a established citesen." bill was starting to swell up. then he aw the small badge pinned on the mans coat lapel. " ha ha ha thats a good answer. your probably more honest than most folks here about. ime john slaughter sherriff of cochise county" he extended his hand to bill. " bill jeffrys, they call me. pleased to meet you" bill shook the offered hand. " by jockeys your the man who bought ole bond out over at the mountain arnt you?" the sherif exclaimed. " your well informed sir, i came here for supplys. ill be headed back in the morning. how is ole bond? is he well?" slaughter shook his head" he is dead. when he left you he stayed the night at my ranch and started to douglas. he was way layed and killed ime afraid. he was carrying a goodly amount of cash from the sale of the ranch. we havent been able to run the trash to ground. i fear the killers are in mexico on a spree with old bonds money." bill looked at his feet and shook his head. " i sure like that old man. thats a bad deal. what can i do to help?" " leave it to the law , we will get them. come see us when you can my ranch is on the south end of that mountain. you get lonesome come stay a day or two. viola is the best cook in the state."slaighter pointred ahead and the woman slapped the lines down the horses back. the buggy lurched as they struck a long trott down the street. bill watched the as they drove out of town . when he turned to go to the livery he bumped into the clerk from the store who had walked up behind him. seems that the case. his daughter is sure pretty." bill stated. " thats viola his wife. she drives and he watches for ambushes. he will get old bonds killers believe me. your order will be ready in a hour or so if you want to check it."the clerk informed him. " ill be back" and bill turned and started to the livery. " well i almost stuck my foot in my mouth on that one" he spoke to him self as he walked along. " ole john is a good man for a friend and a bad one for a enemy.

A FRESH START 3

the man called bill jeffrys was settled in to his homestead. for a couple of months he rode dailey checking his own cattle and getting aquainted with the country they grazed.when he had gone to bisbee to record his purchases of the homestead and the brand he had bought a gooly amount of supplys. that and with the help of a small deer and one maverick heifer he had fresh meat as long as they would keep fresh. the days were cool and the night down right chilly. he kept the meat wrapped in a canvas and hanging in a dark corner of the barn. but he still had been forced to jerk a lot of meat before it went bad. dureing all the time he had been settled in at his homestead he hadnt seen another soul. he wasnt lonley, but he was curious. he wasnt sure how many catttle under other brands ran with his in the area but just couldnt believe that no one checked on them. he had in the time he had been there ridden a big circle looking at cattle. in all that time and rideing he had not even seen a horse track other than his own. one morning he was finishing his coffee and looking up at the cabinets where he kept his canned good. it was getting pretty bare,he didnt want to butcher another animal until he ate the jerky supply down some what, but he was running short on things to cook with the jerky. after giveing it some thought he had decided to make a trip to a town for supplys. also he needed a couple more saddle horses. that morning he squared the cabin away and pulled the door shut and locked it. he saddled one horse and looked to the corral at the extra horse there. he decided he would buy a couple of horses and use them to pack back his supplys, in doing that he could lay in enough so as not haveing to go back to town any time soon. douglas and bisbee lay to the south and willcox to the west. the first two were mineing towns, he knew they would have large general stores. but good saddle horses? willcox was a railroad town but was also the hub for the cattle industry in the sulphur springs valley. after a bit of thought he pointed his horse west. on a clear day he could see the smoke from the railroad engines in the west. but he knew that was decieving. it was a good long days ride to willcox. but his home was in order, his cattle settled and most of his calves branded. he might just spend a extra day in town and see the sites. maybe meet his neighbors. he had a optomistic attitude about his trip. it was just getting dark when he rode into willcox along rail road avenue. on the east side of the street ran the rail road tracks. along the west side the stores and other businesses lined the street with a wind mill about half way down . music from a tin pany piano could be heard from a open door to a saloon. on the north end of the street across from the railroad corrals was a livery stable. bill rode up to the front of the stabl and sat there a moment. then dismounted from inside a middle aged man came. " need to put him up?he asked. " yes maybe two nights. ime in town for supplys.ill need a couple more saddle horses when i leave. ill be back in the morning . i need a meal and a bed. " bill pulled his saddle bags from behind the cantle of his saddle and handed the reins to the man.he turnned and started walking back toward town. a large general store was the start of the business distric the sighn read WILLCOX COMMERCIAL. it was closed for the night. he walked on down the board walk to a cafe that the lights burned brightly through the window. a meal cooked by some one else would be a treat.inside while eating a good meal he inquired about a place to sleep and was directed to the willcox house boarding house. in less than a hour he was snoreing contentedly.