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.

THE TRAIL TO TOMBSTONE 4

the next day dale was sitting on the porch at the boarding house when wilkins rode by leading a leggy, narrow bay covered in a blanket " if you still want to race horses ill be at the palace in a hour and we can work out the details."wilkins was smug and self aqssured. " ill be there" dale said. dale was standing at the end of the bar at the palace saloon when wilkins came strolling in. he went to the bar next to dale and ordered a beer. dale only nodded at him. "ok mr. race horse man heres the dealwe run the coarse out at the edge of town a full mile." he didnt get to finish. " no, i told you quarter mile. we can run right through the middle of town."dale told him between sips of beer. " what you gonna run? your not serious about the litttle pack horse are you?"wilkins was incredulos. " yep and ill ride him. whos going to ride yours?" dale replyed. " i got a man comming, a jocky. ill agree to all that, you wont even see that hot blooded horses dust!"wilkins was even more sure. " heres my 500 for the purse"he laid a bundle on the bar. "man you must be hard hearing or just forgetful, i told you i run for no less than 2000. your 1500 short. no deal. i think your mouth is bigger than your bank account."dale dropped a bundle on the bar where every one could see it. wilkens looked like a piker to everyone there. wilkins stared at the bundle then backed away from the bar " i, i dont have that much cash." " then i guess this whole time has been wasted." dale picked up his bundle of green backs and put them in the pocket of his jacket. he scooted back from the bar getting ready to leave. " wait! will you take my note for the 1500?" wilkins asked " and whats gonna back the note? ime not stupid judd. lets just forget the whole deal. you dont have enough to play in this game."dale came down hard on wilkins. " ill put up a quit claim on my ranch in gleeson cattle and all!"wilkins was wanting a horse race bad. dale looked over at the bar tender" you got pen and paper?" the bar tender walked away then returned with a ink well , a pen and a clean sheet of paper. he put them in front of wilkins. he snatched the pen from the bar tenders hand and started scribbling. when he was done he slide the paper over to dale who read it. when finished dale place his bundle of cash on top of the paper and slid it over to the bar tender. " you got a safe?" he asked. the bar tender nodded and picked up the money and the paper and went to a safe behind the bar and locked them inside. " tomorrow noon at the south end of town we ask billy to start us. that ok with you?"dale took control. " you pick some one you know who you trust to be at the finish line." wilkins nodded. his self confidence was shinning all over. good enough. quartermile through town "