He ducked through the corral fence, went over to the windmill, and began carefully mounting the rickety iron rungs of the ladder that ran up one of the legs of the water-drawing apparatus. On the ground Shaw continued to cuss and rant. It only took Longarm about four rungs to be able to see on top of the cabin. Except for a few pieces of tumbleweed, the metal roof was bare. He came thoughtfully back to the ground.
Shaw said urgently, “You gonna get me hung, Longarm.
Longarm looked north toward the hills. He said, “You say it is cached back yonder?”
“Yes, hell, yes! Ain’t that what I been saying?”
Longarm sighed. “Then I reckon we will have to go and get it.”
Shaw went almost pale under his tan. He said, choking on the words, “Are you plumb loco? We’ll ride straight into them Arizona Rangers! They’ll stretch my neck like India rubber.”
Longarm looked at him. He said calmly, “Yeah, that’s probably what will happen.”
Shaw swallowed visibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in his lean neck. He said, his voice weak, “Longarm, you can’t do this to me. Hell, you are not that sort of man. Hell, you gave me your damn word of honor!”
Longarm was watching him closely. He could see fear in Shaw’s face and eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the man afraid before. In fact he had a reputation for being fearless. Longarm shook his head. “You got it wrong, Shaw. I give you my word of honor that the Arizona Rangers had been telegraphed. I didn’t give you my word of honor about nothing else.” Shaw said, “Dammit, Longarm. I am in your custody. I’m your prisoner. You got to look out for me.” Longarm said, “And you claim that money is hid in the first part back there of those hills.”
“Hell, yes! Listen, I can draw you a map. As you come out of the last of the bigger hills, the path leads you down a wide little draw with some of that big Spanish dagger cactus all around. Off to the side is a jumble of big rocks. It was the perfect place for a hidey-hole. You wouldn’t never expect to find nothin’ in there except tarantulas and rattlesnakes. Hell, I swear it is there, Longarm. You can take me into New Mexico and turn me in and then head back for the stash. I give you my word you won’t have no trouble.”
Longarm stood, thinking. He hadn’t felt altogether right about taking Shaw over the line into New Mexico Territory. Now this, this about the money. He wasn’t sure. He’d been willing to transport him, not so much to keep him out of the Arizona Rangers’ hands, as to take him into custody before it was too late. He knew he himself had started to fade, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held out. It was a trade, and one he wasn’t too proud of, but hell, it all came down to the same thing. Shaw would get sent to the territorial prison in Alamogordo, and not a hell of a lot of men walked out of such places. And there’d be some in there who would recognize Jack Shaw as the lawman who’d sent them up. Longarm wasn’t too sure but what, after a few months of that, Shaw wouldn’t prefer a quick hanging.
Shaw said, “Custis.”
Longarm looked at him. “What?”
“I give myself up to you on the understanding you’d surrender me in New Mexico Territory. You can talk it all around any way you want to, but it comes down to the fact that you made me a deal. Maybe you didn’t give your word on that particular part of the business, but we had us an understanding.”
Longarm sighed and looked away. Shaw was right. He had, in effect, entered into a deal with the man. And that deal was, as Shaw had said, to surrender him in New Mexico. If they went back to the mountains, they would run into the Arizona Rangers just as sure as it was going to get hotter. And if they ran into the Rangers, he would have a hell of a time maintaining custody of Shaw. They’d want him and they’d want him bad, and there would be more of them than there were shells in Longarm’s revolver, even if he was willing to make a fight out of it. They’d be on the prod and they’d act fast and figure to argue it out later at their leisure.
He looked at Shaw. “You are putting me in a hell of a position. But you are right. You did surrender to me on a certain condition.” He reached into his pocket and took out the key to the manacles. “I’m going to pitch this over to you. You unlock one wrist lock and then pitch me the key back. After that you can see to putting lead ropes on them three ponies we won’t be riding. Then handcuff yourself again. I reckon I better see to getting some water.”
“I can do that,” Shaw said hurriedly. “I can see to getting the water. I can see to it all. You just set down with yore rifle where you can keep a bead on me. I am much obliged, Custis. I really am. I’ll get us ready before you can skin a snake. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
Longarm gave him a sour look. “Then how come I don’t feel better?”
“Just the lawman side of you worrying,” Shaw said. “That’s all. I need to step into the cabin and get them canvas water bags and fill them up while that windmill is turnin’ and that little stream of water is flowin’.”
“Go ahead.” Longarm stood by the side of the back door, his rifle handy in his hands. “If we’re going we better get going.”
Chapter 6
They had been riding for perhaps an hour, heading a little north of due east. Longarm had the three extra horses, one of which was carrying the pack, on long lead ropes that were tied to Jack Shaw’s saddlehorn.
If he tried to break for it, he’d be encumbered until he could untie all three ropes, and Longarm didn’t think he could do that. Longarm had Shaw’s hands manacled together, but they were in front of his body and the cuffs had a foot of chain between them. Longarm rode to Shaw’s left and slightly behind.
Several times Longarm had looked back, toward the low line of hills that led to the mountains. Now, on top of a small rise in the prairie, he called a halt and looked back again, his eyes searching the far-distant elevated terrain. Finally he turned in the saddle, reached into his near saddlebag, and came out with his spyglass. He extended it and put it to his eye, concentrating on a small area of the foothills. The ten-power telescope instantly brought the view closer.
What he had thought were little ants suddenly turned into mounted men winding their way down from the hills and striking the high plains. He guessed there were at least a dozen, maybe more. Without a word he leaned out of the saddle and handed the telescope to Shaw.
It took Shaw a moment to locate the area, but Longarm could tell when he did by the sudden jump he gave. Shaw said, “Hot damn! That’s them and no mistake!”
Longarm reached out and took the telescope out of Shaw’s hand. He collapsed it and put it back in his saddlebag. He said, “Let’s move on, but we better move slow. This ain’t a good time to be raising a power of dust.”
They had gone a half a mile before Shaw spoke. “You weren’t lying, Custis. I’m obliged to you.”
“I don’t generally lie about serious matters. This ain’t exactly a poker game or a courting excursion. But you don’t have no reason to feel obliged to me. The fact of the business is, Shaw, that I wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to be able to hold out. I come out of them mountains and hills pretty well wore out and low on water. And that sun was cooking me. I was going to be well done in a mighty short time. So you could say I’m doing what I’m doing for the law and for the lawman.” Shaw said, “Yes, I reckon that is true. And I took that into account. But you offered me the deal when you was taking the sun under a dead horse. You kept your word once you had me in irons. You didn’t have to do that. You could have staked me out to a corral post and sat in the cool of the cabin and waited for the Rangers to come. You didn’t have to keep your word.” Longarm said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”