Bill Hanes "Outlaw Tracker' Oct.4 1875

It was a warm morning in the foot hills of the Balcones Escarpment. Bill Hanes had been tracking the Mclurey Brothers for 4 days. he was getting close, because that old feeling down the back of his neck was starting to show. Bill is a paid tracker for the Texas Rangers, has been for the past 6 yr's. He had joined the rangers in 1860 when he was 16. Then the Civil War came and he went and rode with 5th Texas Cavalry, That was ten years ago, now he tracked men for a living. It was a hard and dangerous life. But it was all He knew. The Mclurey brothers 4 days earlier had made a visit to the Baker Ranch. A small spread in Burnett county. It had mostly horses a few cattle on it, it was run by old man Baker his wife and his two son's . Well the Mclurey brothers had visited while the son's were away. Just Old man Baker and his wife where there. They had shot the old man in the barn and his wife at the Kitchen door . She still had that old Smith Carbine in her hand, at least she had gotten off a shot and had hit one of the brothers. Bill had found a small trace of blood near the corral. The brothers had ransacked the house, took what could be eaten or sold and had made off with about 20 horse's. Bill had a run in with these two before but nothing like this, small stuff, drinking and fighting. Together they were mean and nasty. Back shooters though, would not face ya down. That's why Bill was taking it slow and easy. No hurry, Bill knew where they were headed. To Big Jim Auden's place. He ran a trading post If you wanted to call it that, Hell hole suited it better. He Dealt in stolen horse's mostly. Traded them to the Indians or run them down into Mexico or up north, anywhere to put a gold coin in his pocket. Usually had about 8 to 10 men working for him. All had a price on their heads. Bill would bade his time for now and let the posse catch up. For right now Bill was just getting paid to track not to kill, "to be Continued"