“Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. We’ve had guards out at night trying to keep them away from the track, but they come in such numbers that we haven’t been able to stand them off. Marshal, we’ve had several men killed. We’ve made appeals to the territorial governor and got nothing, we’ve made appeals to the sheriff in Springer and got nothing, we’ve made appeals to the sheriff in Clayton and got nothing. It appears that these outlaws, the Gallaghers, are content that we should build the track about ten miles out of Springer but they don’t want it to go any further. There’s a butte that rises to the north of our line of march, so to speak, with the track, and they won’t let the track go past that.”
Longarm said, “Mister Simmons, I want you to have a crew out there at first light tomorrow morning laying track. I want you to try to get past that point that they don’t want you to get past.”
Simmons shook his head and said, “Marshal, I can’t do that. First of all, I’m not sure I can get the men to take the chance, and secondly, I’m not sure that I want to take that responsibility. Like I’ve said, we’ve had several men killed and several wounded. I cannot get any help from the local law.”
Longarm said, “I’m not local law. I am a deputy United States marshal, and I am guaranteeing you that your men will not suffer any harm. An attack may well happen and if it does, I want them to immediately drop their tools and get the hell out of there. I don’t want any attempt on their part to defend themselves. I don’t believe that you can hire guards that can stand up to the numbers and ferocity of the Gallagher gang.”
Simmons said, “What you say is quite true with reference to the numbers and the fury of the Gallagher gang, but as for the rest, I don’t see how you can guarantee it, Marshal.”
Longarm said, “Well, sir. This is just a matter that you’re going to have to trust me on. Will you put that crew out there laying track in the morning? If you will, I think I can stop your troubles once and for all.”
Simmons folded his hands and looked at Longarm for a long moment. “I hope you know what you are asking, Marshal Long.”
Longarm nodded. “I’m asking you to fully trust me. You have no reason to. I am asking you to trust me to defend your men against perhaps a dozen or more armed bandits. Yes, I realize what I am asking you.”
“Are you by any chance planning on bringing in other deputy marshals?”
Longarm shook his head slowly. “No, sir, I’m not. It will just be me and a friend, the one I told you about.”
“Against that gang?”
Longarm nodded again. “I know it sounds like I am stretching it, but if any of your men get hurt, I’ll resign from the marshals service.”
Simmons laughed. “You don’t mean that, Marshal Long.”
“If it takes me saying that to convince you that I can do it, I’ll say it.”
“But will you do it?”
“Of course not. What do you think I am? A damn fool? I’m a deputy United States marshal and I’m about ninety-nine percent sure that I can stop that bunch if they do what I think they’ll do. Now, what’s your play?”
Simmons sighed and looked out the back window of his office. “I suppose you know what you’re doing.” He turned around to face Longarm. “All right, I’ll wire instructions this afternoon to put a crew back out there laying down track. You said no armed guards?”
“No armed guards. If trouble starts, I want your men out of there in a hurry. I don’t care if they are really laying track, I just want them to look like they are laying track.”
Simmons looked up at Longarm. “Are you by any chance going to use my crew for bait, Marshal Long?”
Longarm pulled a face and let his eyes drift to the ceiling. “That right there, Mister Simmons, is the very type of question that I don’t like to answer.”
“Then I’d better not ask it.”
“I’d be obliged.”
Simmons shrugged. “We’re at a stalemate right now. What do I have to lose?”
“You’ve got a hell of a lot of money to lose in Springer if you don’t go along with what I propose.”
Simmons looked up at Longarm quickly. “What makes you say that?”
Longarm leaned toward him. “Mister Simmons, think on it for a while. You’re a smart man, you’ve got an education, and I think you’ll come up with the answer. Why do you think they are stopping you from building that track on to where you can ship that ore?”
Simmons looked at him for a long moment. “Well, I’ll be damned. You know, I believe you’re right. Hell, I better get that telegram off right away.”
Longarm said, “Just hold up a second. We’re taking the six o’clock train, so make sure there’s room for us. And Mister Simmons, I know you’re going to think that I am crazy, but I want half-a-dozen little one-ounce bottles or vials or whatever you call them of that nitro stuff.”
Simmons sat up in his chair. “Half a dozen? Before, you just wanted one.”
“Before, I just needed one.”
Simmons said, “Then I had better get busy. This is going to take some doing.”
Longarm said, “Also, I want there to be a lot of ice where your crew is outside of Springer because I am going to need some to finish my day’s work. Follow me?”
“You want my crew to leave some ice where you expect to run into the bandits?”
“Whether I run into them or not, I want there to be plenty of ice to replenish what that nitro has been packed in when it is handed to me.”
Simmons said, “It sounds to me that you are starting to gain an understanding of nitroglycerin.”
Longarm said, “Has anybody ever had a complete understanding of it?”
Simmons said, “No, nobody’s ever lived that long.”
Longarm said as he put on his hat, “That’s encouraging.”
He left the mining office and walked directly to the livery stables right behind the hotel. He hunted out the stable boy, a young lad of thirteen or fourteen, and asked him if he knew how to make a slingshot. “You know, one of those things where you take a tree branch that looks like a Y and you use either India rubber or elastic and you’ve got a little pocket that you pull back to shoot off a rock.”
The boy looked at him and said, “Why, yes, sir. That’s just as easy as pie. Of course I don’t play with them anymore, but I’ve made a many of them.”
Longarm took a coin out of his pocket and said, “I want you to make me one, son. I want you to make me the strongest one ever made and I want you to make it within the next hour. And if you get it done …” He took a five-dollar gold piece out of his pocket and spun it in the air. “This is yours.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll have it made for you in less than an hour.”
Longarm yelled after him, “And also, I want my horse at the same time.”
Over his shoulder, the boy yelled, “Yes, sir.”
Smiling slightly, Longarm walked back up to the telegraph office, where Lily Gail’s telegram confirming the four o’clock meeting time was waiting, and then went back to the hotel, got the key at the desk, and went down to his room. He was about to turn the key in the lock when he realized the door was slightly ajar. With one quick motion, he drew his revolver with his right hand and shoved the door open with his left. He took one step forward, his weapon out in front of him. He could see the entire room. It was empty except for Lily Gail sitting sedately in a chair by the bed with her frock halfway unbuttoned down her front.
Longarm said, “What in the hell?”
She said, cocking her head prettily, “Why, Mister Custis Long. What a surprise to see you.”
With the heel of his boot, he kicked the door shut as he reholstered his revolver. “Lily Gail, what are you doing here?”
She said, “Why, after I got your telegram, there wasn’t any other reason for me to stay in Raton, so I thought I’d just come on down here and make sure everything was straight between you and Clem and Rufus and that maybe I would spend the night with you. Isn’t that nice?”