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FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS BILL AND HARVEY RODE THE COUNTRY AROUND BILLS PLACE THEY HELD UP A LOT OF CATTLE THEY BRANDED CALVES AND CHECKED BRANDS NO OTHER PERSON CAME BY. on the morning of the third day harvey saddled his horse and simply said" ime headed home. i need to check on mary ann. come see us." bill stood in the door way of his house with a cup of coffee and waved as harvey rode away.he was pleased with his company but full well understood how the young man felt. they had caught up on his cow work with harveys help. now he needed to keep a sharp look out for a back shooter. bill spent the next few days around the house. he patched and repaired what ever he could , anything to stay busy. he knew if he rodde out to check his cows he would be a target for the back shooters \. if they came here he felt confident he could handle them . then the morning of the fourth day he could make out two riders comming from the dos cabezas direction. he stepped closer to the barn door ands waited. his rifle was just inside the door leaning against the door jam. into the yard rode two of the kearney boys. they rode right up to bill. they were scruffty, unshaven, and long haired. their clothes looked refugees from a wash tub. " pa told us to come by and check on you. the word is around theres a couple of bad men laying for you." the one in front spoke. " well thank your pa for me. but your the first folks come by in days. can i offer you a meal" bill did the hospitable thing but hoped they wouldnt accept. the smell they carried was pretty rank. " no, we are out checking cows. but if we see or hear anything we will let you know."the speaker reined his horse around. " i appreciate it guys tell your paw i said howdy."bill answered back as they rode out into the country. as bill watched suddenly one of them keeled over and fell from his horse, then a distant boom could be heard. the other kearny fell from his horse and knelt next to his brother. bill could hear the pop pop of his side arm. bill didnt have a saddled horse handy but grabbed his rifle and jumped on a horse bare back and tore out to the two kearnys, as he drew near the kearny brother that was uninjured stood up and point across the flat . bill kicked his horse into a lope in the direction that was pointed out. a hundred yards farther he came to a body laying next to a rifle, a horse behing him staked to the ground. the shooter wsnt dead. blood pumped from a wound in his side. bill got down and picked up his rifle. then rolled the shooter over. he was out to the world. he loaded him on his horse and leading the animal rode back to the kearnys. the one kearny was sitting up holding his head. blood dripped through his fingers. the other brother was catching up the horses they got the wounded kearny mounted then they struck out for town bill looked at the kearny brother who wasnt injured. " that was a heck of a shot hitting this scum from that didtance with a pistol." " it was all luck believe me. i just shot in his direction."the kearny boy answered. the assasine was moaning he was comming around but he was tied belly down in his saddle. " your not so bad now are you back shooter . just shut up. we could have buried you back there with no one to know. " bill spoke with out looking up.late that night they rode into willcox. the kearneys went to dr, good fellows off ice woke him up. bill took the assasine to the jail and woke up the jailer. they put the moaning shooter in a cell to awaitm the doctor. bill wanted this guy kept alive to tell them who was behind the ambushes. he went and put the horses up at the local livery. then useing a saddle blanlet rolled up and went to sleep in a bed of hay in a fresh bedded stall.