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.