Longarm said, “Well, the first thing I did was discover that little notch you put in the sole of the sandal you gave me. I don’t know whose bright idea that was, but that was where you went wrong in the first place.”
Nelson nodded. “That was Frank’s idea. The problem is that we have ten or twelve Mexicans working around here and they all wear the same kind of footgear. Frank thought we wouldn’t be able to pick up your track from all the footprints that our workers were making. He thought you wouldn’t notice just a little nick on the heel of your sandal or huarache, as it is more correctly called.”
Longarm said, “But I did, and after that, it was very easy to mislead you. I got another sandal, and I only wore the one with the telltale when I wanted you to go where I wanted you to go. Of course, you all three lied when you assured me how fair you were going to play. You didn’t play fair, Nelson. Even within the design of this insane scheme of yours, you cheated. Claude was the only one who came with the revolver. He was the only one that walked, but he was arrogant. He only carried one shell.”
Asher smiled at that. “Yes, Claude was always a little too arrogant for his own good. Taking only one cartridge was both good and bad. He said if he didn’t kill or wound you with the first, he didn’t want to furnish you with a weapon you could use against the rest of us. He was right.”
Longarm said, “But it really didn’t make any difference.”
Asher Nelson nodded. “Apparently not. Then what happened?”
In graphic detail, Longarm told him how he had killed both of the brothers and how he had seen Asher leave the ranch house, five hours before his time was to be. He said, “You couldn’t even wait until you were supposed to come out. You cheated then.”
Asher nodded. “Yes, that’s true. I was worried. Claude should have returned. When he didn’t and then Frank didn’t show, I knew something was wrong.”
“And you took a high-powered rifle with a scope on it, just as you said you wouldn’t. And you took a horse, just as you said you wouldn’t.”
Asher Nelson said, “Yes, but you’ve got to understand something. At that point, I realized I was up against a much more dangerous enemy than I had counted on. I had to change the rules. You must understand that I knew we were in trouble and it had become the survival of the fittest. I knew I couldn’t beat you at the contest as we had laid out the rules.”
Longarm suddenly leaned forward into Asher Nelson’s face. He said, the words low so that Henderson couldn’t hear him, “What did you do to that young deputy, you sonofabitch. He’s withdrawn into a shell.”
Asher Nelson looked surprised. “We didn’t do anything to him. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You scared the hell out of him. How did you do it?”
Asher shook his head. “We didn’t threaten him, we didn’t do anything. We gave him three meals a day, we offered him whiskey, which he declined, and we offered him a woman, which he also declined. All we did was put him in a room for four days—a windowless room, yes. I’m sure it was frightening, I’m sure it was lonely. But we never deliberately frightened him.”
Longarm said, “You’re lying, Nelson, and I’m going to find out what you did.”
Asher Nelson said, “I’m tired and I’m hungry.” He suddenly yawned. “Let’s have something to eat and then get a good sleep in.”
Longarm looked at him. “Are you crazy? Do you think this is over with?”
Asher Nelson said, “Of course it’s over with. Why shouldn’t it be? You won. Hell, man, you’ve killed my two brothers. I’d like to make arrangements to have their bodies brought in.”
“Nelson, I hate to surprise you, but you ain’t making any more arrangements about anything. As far as I’m concerned, your brothers are dead and buried in a cave.”
Asher Nelson looked at Longarm in amazement. “Why, that’s barbaric. Surely they’re going to get a decent burial.”
Longarm said, “Have you got ten thousand dollars in this house?”
A sly smile crept over Nelson’s face. “Of course I’ve got ten thousand dollars in this house. Do you want it in paper or gold?”
“Well, considering the circumstances, I think it would be more fitting if it were in gold. What would you say?”
Nelson shrugged. “That’s no problem, but couldn’t I have a meal first?
Honestly, I’m starving to death.”
Longarm stood up. “Starving ain’t the way you’re going to die, Nelson. Lead me to the gold.”
Longarm reached into his back pocket and took out the same poster he had taken off the wall in the hotel. He said to Asher Nelson, “I’m claiming this ten-thousand-dollar reward. Do you see anything wrong with that?”
Asher Nelson shook his head. “Certainly not. You brought yourself here alive. The poster offers a ten-thousand-dollar reward for the capture and the delivery of Deputy Marshal Custis Long. You have captured yourself and you have delivered yourself. The reward is obviously yours.”
“Good. Let’s go get it.”
Asher Nelson said, “Then what happens?”
“Let’s take it one step at a time,” Longarm said. He looked toward the end of the room. He said, “Deputy Henderson, come along with us. We’re going to go get ten thousand dollars.”
The young man said, “Yes, sir.”
Longarm said, “Mr. Nelson thinks it’s going to buy us off. Don’t you, Mr. Nelson?”
Asher Nelson shook his head slowly. “No, I don’t think there’s anything to buy off. I made a proposition and you will have collected on it. We had a contest and you won. You can claim two out of three kills. I consider the matter closed. I see no further action for anything.”
Longarm smiled slyly. “That’s the way you look at it, is it?”
“Of course.”
Longarm said, “Lead the way.” They went out of the big room, down the hall, and into Asher’s office. The room where his gunbelt and revolver and Ross Henderson’s gunbelt had been stored. It was not a big room, but it was wood-paneled and luxurious. Asher Nelson went to one end and with a twist of a wooden lever, removed a panel to expose an iron safe. It was a combination safe, and he fiddled with the dials for a few seconds. Longarm was making head motions to Ross Henderson to move up closer to the right side of Asher Nelson. Longarm felt pretty sure there was a lot of money in the safe, and he felt pretty sure there was a gun in there too. He thought it would help Ross Henderson’s confidence if he was the one who stopped Asher Nelson from getting his hand on the weapon. But just to be sure, Longarm stayed at Nelson’s back, peering over his shoulder as the man swung the door open.
Inside the safe, which was fairly large, being four feet by four feet, were a lot of papers, stacks of gold coins, and some stacks of gold bars, as well as quite a bit of paper currency.
Asher Nelson said, “And you’d be wanting gold, is that right, Marshal?”
He ran his hand under one of the shelves inside the safe. Longarm knew he wasn’t going for gold, so he simply quietly pulled his revolver and put it to the back of Asher Nelson’s neck. He was hoping that Ross Henderson would do something.
Nelson brought his hand out. Longarm saw just the butt of the gun as Nelson started back with it. At that instant, Longarm pressed the barrel of his gun to the man’s head. He said, “Asher, that ain’t ten thousand dollars. That’s a gun, a revolver. You bring it on out and drop it on the floor.”
He heard Asher laugh dryly. He said, “Well, Marshal, you can’t blame me for trying.”
Longarm glanced across at Ross Henderson. He seemed hypnotized. “Damn it, Ross. Didn’t you see that? You had a better view of it than I did. If he had got that gun out, he could have killed us both.”