Longarm shrugged. “It don’t matter. Probably something simple I just overlooked. You having been a town marshal, you probably had a good deal more experience with these things than me, Saturday night drunks and such. I don’t reckon I’ve used these damn things a half-dozen times since I got ‘em. Don’t usually need them.”
Shaw looked indignant at the idea that his law work had mainly involved taking town drunks to jail. He said, “I don’t know a damn bit about them that you don’t know yourself! And I reckon I handled a few rough customers that wasn’t drunk myself.” Longarm said, protesting, “Hell, Jack, it don’t matter. I was curious is all.”
Shaw took a drink of his coffee. “I’m going to tell you.” He slapped his knee and let out a bark of laughter.
“Because I want to see the look on your face. It was slick, Custis, mighty slick.”
“I would reckon it was if you pulled it off.”
Shaw leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Custis, it was a piece of luck beyond what I could imagine. Back when I was in law I carried a set of manacles just like you, in my saddlebags. And carried the key in my right-hand pants pocket. You know the size of them things. They ain’t so big they bother you, but you are aware of them there in your pocket.” Longarm said dryly, “Keeps you from getting confused about which is your right and which is your left.”
“You want to hear this or not?”
Longarm smiled and sipped at his coffee.
“Anyway, over the eight, nine years I got used to carrying that key in my pocket. It was like it was a good-luck piece or something. Besides, I wasn’t sure but it might not come in handy someday. You ever notice that a key will open more than one set? Especially when they get older?”
Longarm didn’t say anything, just sipped at his coffee.
“Well, when they get older and the notches get the edge off them, you can damn near open a pair with the head of a horseshoe nail. You remember back at the other cabin how I kept carrying on, asking you how you was going to truss me up? Was you going to bind me, tie my hands together? I said I couldn’t stand it. Well, that part is true. I can’t stand having my hands tied behind me. I can’t stand to be constrained.”
Longarm nodded. “So you used your key to open them. Hell, I couldn’t have seen that coming. I searched you, but for weapons.” He shrugged. “My mistake.”
“Naw, naw, naw. That wasn’t the way of it at all. After I’d surrendered and you’d thrown me them manacles to put on, my heart sank. Hell, they looked brand-new, like they hadn’t been used. And now you tell me they was.
Or at least very seldom used. Well, that scared me to death. My whole plan had been that I’d be able to unlock your manacles when you chained me up for the night. I knew you was as wore out as I was and that you wouldn’t be sleeping so light.”
“Wait a minute,” Longarm said. “What if I hadn’t been going to manacle you? What if I’d had to bind your hands?”
Shaw shook his head. “Then I’d of never surrendered. I’d of waited until I saw them Rangers coming, and then I would have taken my chances with a break on a horse. I know what kind of shot you are, Longarm, and I know odds would have been against me, but that would have been a choice over the way them Rangers would have treated me. I’d of waited as long as I could, letting you get whipped down by that sun and lack of water. Then I’d of bunched the horses and tried it that way in one bolt.”
Longarm frowned. “Then where in hell did you get the key if you didn’t use the one you had?”
“Let me tell this my own way. Last night, when you got my leather coat and let me get it on, I managed to get my key out of my pants pocket and into the right-hand pocket of my coat. Last night, when you brought me out here to chain me up to the post, you pitched me the key so I could unlock my left manacle and get my arms around the post. I made a big business out of making it look like I was being cute and hiding the key in my pocket. I wasn’t. I was switching keys. The key I throwed back to you was mine. You went to bed leaving me with the key to those there manacles in easy reach in my coat pocket.
Longarm nodded unhappily. “Well, congratulation, Jack, you made a damn fool out of me. I reckon this is what comes of breaking regulations like I done. Saying I would take you to New Mexico when I should have held you for the Rangers.”
“Aw, hell, Longarm. Don’t take on about it. With your record, what is one little mistake going to amount to?”
Longarm said grimly, “Quite a bit.” He motioned with his head. “Up here where I am supposed to do my thinking.”
“By the way, I reckon you better stand up. Set your coffee down, this won’t take a minute.” Shaw stood up, took his revolver out of the holster, and laid it on the seat of his chair. He came at Longarm from the back as the marshal stood up. First he patted Longarm’s pants pockets, and then the pockets in his shirt. He found the cartridges in Longarm’s right-hand shirt pocket. He said, “What’s this? Ammunition? Longarm, that ain’t going to do you much good.” He dug down into the pocket, pulled out the bullets, and threw them off into the prairie.
It was still too dark for Longarm to see where they went.
Shaw said, “Where is that other key, Longarm?”
Longarm jerked his head toward the cabin. “In my saddlebags. I forget which side.” He said the lie easily and smoothly.
“I didn’t see it when I went looking. for your revolver.”
Longarm shrugged. “That’s where I always put it. Look around on the floor beside them. I might have missed the mouth. I never carry nothing in my pockets besides that jackknife which is in by the fireplace. Stuff bothers me in my front pockets. Pants legs are too tight.” Shaw said, stepping back, “Well, it don’t really matter.” He picked up his revolver and sat back down, shoving the pistol home in its holster.
“I ain’t leaving you a gun even if you could get loose. Besides, I’ll be long gone.”
“Where you headed, Jack? Mexico?”
“By and by. First I’m going to notch back by the cabin and pick up my winnings from that train.”
Longarm gave him a quick glance. “Cabin?”
Shaw gave a small laugh. “Did I say cabin? meant canyon. Canyon, like I told you. In that pile of rocks.
Longarm kept his eyes on the face of the outlaw. He felt pretty sure that he himself wasn’t the only one doing some hard and fast lying. He said, “I’d figure you wouldn’t head toward that part of the country. Liable to be working alive with Arizona Rangers.”
Shaw shook his head. “I don’t reckon now. I reckon they would have found no sign from you, other than them two dead horses, and headed due south in hot pursuit figuring me to be running for the border. Why would they hang around there?”
“You talking about the canyon or the cabin?”
Shaw frowned. “Why, either one. Besides, what difference does it make if I run across them. I’ll be coming from the southeast. They won’t be looking for me.”
Longarm nodded toward Shaw’s face. “There is that birthmark, Jack. It’s a dead giveaway.”
Shaw touched his face. “Hell, I figure whiskers is hiding that cursed thing by now. I ain’t shaved in a week. Can you see it?”
“It’s too dark to tell. Besides, I know it’s there.” He changed the subject. “Let me ask you something, Jack. You claim if I hadn’t been going to manacle you that you’d of never surrendered. Now, truth be told, wasn’t you gettin’ a little pent up in that cabin? Way you tell it, you don’t like to be crowded, and I had you where you couldn’t go out the back or the front.”
Shaw reached up and rubbed the whiskers on his neck as he thought. He finally said, “Yeah, they is some truth to that. I can’t stand that feeling, and you was pressing me pretty close. But I think I’d of broke for it before I surrendered. I was balanced on a knife blade anyways. But I figured on a two-day ride after you made the offer about New Mexico. I figured I’d have a chance to get loose from you. I know your reputation and all, but I was counting on that key.”