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THE SMALL FAMILY WERE RESTING on a rocky cliff, overlooking the vast mountains of the Plains. Belle was sprawled out on a large rock, with Josiah sat next to her reading the paper, her head resting peacefully on Josiah's lap. Billy, Charley, Steve and Dick were scattered around, listening to the reading, Chevez had wandered off a while ago in search for more food.
"Advice from Lincoln says the young lad of lightning rapidity, iron nerve and marvellous skill apparently single-handedly, took down Morton and Baker of the Murphy-Dolan faction including a miraculous shot of fifty yards. There's a picture here. It says 'Billy the Kid' but it ain't Billy," Josiah showed the group the paper.
Belle raised her head and furrowed her brows, seeing the picture, in fact, Dick, and not Billy. Dick got up from his spot at the hand-made stove, grabbing the paper from Josiah, declaring that the newspapers are never right.
"Advice from sources says that 'the Kid', a left-hander, is tall, handsome and unequalled in the elements that appeal to the holier emotions," Josiah read out before laughing. "Jesus Christ! This country needs a hero!"
Sitting up, Belle took the paper out of Josiah's hand, continuing where he left off, just as Dick walked off to stand near to nearby trees. "However, Murphy of Lincoln has hired none other than John Kinney and his Dona Ana Bunch to help hunt down Billy the Kid and the gang."
"Great! John Kinney!" Charley exasperated with despair.
"Well, who's Kinney?" Billy asked the group.
"Says here that he's an ex-soldier who suffered an injury and is now a bounty hunter," Belle answered, skimming the newspaper in her hands. Belle's small mischevious smile grew as she saw Josiah and Billy's smirks grow at the new information.
"But what's that mean?" Steve asked, dumbfounded.
"It means he can whip some ass," Charley gravely spoke, clearly not as amused as Josiah and Billy were.
"Hey, Doc, Belle? Come here for a minute?" Dick called out from his spot.
"Yeah," Josiah grabbed the paper from Belle's hand, handing it over to the three remaining boys. After placing the rolled-up cigarette between his lips, Josiah held out his hand for Belle, hoisting to her feet. Hand-in-hand, the two fiancés strolled over to Dick.
"What's up?" Josiah asked once they were close enough to the dark-haired man.
"Well, we can't go North because Murphy's got men coming out of Fort Sumner. We can't go South because he's got Brady coming in," Dick announced, quietly. Josiah and Belle nodded. "East is no good cause we have John Kinney coming up now. We can go west through the Valley of Fires but there's the Mescalero Reservation."
