Billy the Kid by Theodore Taylor

Author:Theodore Taylor [Taylor, Theodore]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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 now, why can't I?" he answered, feigning hurt. "Willie around? Where is that ol' moose? Gone to town?" He looked past her into the living room.

"He's out trying to find you."

That is odd, Billy thought. He sensed something was wrong. "Oh? How did he know I, was back in these parts?" His eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me they rung him in on a posse?"

Feeling positive satisfaction, Kate answered crisply, "He's the sheriff now, Billy." She let the sentence hang in the air, then added, "Jack Lapham identified you."

Billy knew his mouth was unhinged. His face matched Kate's of a moment ago.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.