Billy the Kid by Theodore Taylor Page B

gray birds darted by. He flipped pebbles at a rock lizard.
    About an hour later he tensed up, watching Art and Perry trot across the basin, stopping and circling with frustration where the mustang hooves had ripped earth loose.
    Then they kept going south, and Billy breathed relief.
    Watching them he began thinking about the high country north. There was no reason not to double back. No reason not to stop by Willie's place and say hello. See Willie and Kate, maybe spend the night. Then he could dawdle across to California. Maybe go to Monterey, to see the ocean.
    Billy grinned at the diminishing forms. "You jus' keep goin' that way. I suddenly got an urge for high pines."
    He waited another twenty minutes, then topped the low mountain, angled down its east slope, and turned north, going at a leisurely trot.
    ***
    ADRIANA CAME OUT into the yard, frowning and puzzled. Now there were five strangers. A gringo and four
in-dios.
There had been more men down the arroyo this day than any she could ever remember. It was seldom used as a trail.
    Willie addressed her in English. "I'm lookin' for a fellow..."
    Adriana stared at him.
    "
Hombre americano,
" he said, switching to Spanish. "
Mi amigo.
"
    Willie glanced at Big Eye.
    "
Uno americano,
" Willie began again. "On
primero caballo.
Man about this high." Willie placed an arm in the air.
    Adriana did not respond. She was confused.
    Willie reached into his saddlebag, withdrawing the framed photo of Billy that he'd taken off the bedroom bureau the previous night.
    Adriana examined it, then said, "
Sí.
"
    The sheriff saw a diamond stickpin laced into her blouse. Billy had been to the adobe hut, all right.

PART II
Shoot the Boy Down

1
    THE HOUNDS BARKED at Billy as he rode through the open gateway of the Double W, and then they sniffed, remembering him. Tails began to wag as he called their names. They ran beside him.
    Near the front porch, he dismounted and went down on one knee to rub them affectionately. "Hey, Duke, ol' boy! How you, Cotton?" he said, happy to see them again. Then he sensed someone standing a few feet away and looked up.
    Kate was on the porch, framed on the steps in the oblong of lantern light from inside. Though wide-eyed and incredulous, she looked lovely. He rose up. After all the knocking about, he hadn't remembered that she was so pretty and wholesome. He stared at her.
    Kate was shaking her head, reaching for words. Then they rushed out, and weren't quite a greeting. "Of all the crazy ... What are you doing here, Billy?" A horde of headless ghosts wouldn't have floored her more.
    Billy grinned at Kate as if two years hadn't passed. "Jus' ridin' by. 'Lo Kate."
    He felt a warm excitement, waiting for Willie to hear the chatter out front and come rolling through the door, big as a bull moose.
    Partially recovering from the shock of seeing him, Kate said angrily, "Get back up on that horse and get out of here.
You held up a train!
" She sounded as if she were berating a child.
    Billy was startled. Not at the fact she knew a train had been stopped, but that he'd already been connected with it. Trying desperately to figure it out, he said slowly, "Word didn't used to travel that fast."
    Kate frowned. "Look at you in those fancy clothes."
    There was little use in denying it now, Billy decided. He knew she was wondering what to do. A hand came up to her lips. Finally she said with anguish, "Billy, you can't..." Completely unstrung, she didn't finish.
    Billy chose to take advantage of her confusion. Still inspecting her, he mounted the steps. "You're gettin' prettier every year. This moonlight, you're plain beautiful."
    He noticed a look of different alarm in her eyes.
    "Do I kiss you, or do we jus' shake hands, Mrs. Monroe?" He grinned. "I'd like a lil' kiss."
    "You haven't changed." There was a shake of head.
    Billy shrugged and pecked her cheek, then stood back, beaming at her out of four days' growth of stubble.
    "You can't stay here," Kate said weakly.
    "Well