Clay County Sheriff Rusty Price had been following the two killers since they galloped out of his town but kept out of sight until the sun set. In the low light, he closed the gap and planned to wait until they crawled into their bedrolls to take them down.
But that plan was shattered when they found a campfire and pulled their pistols. He dismounted, grabbed his shotgun and hurried to the scene just as one of them opened fire.