Longarm clucked his tongue. 'I don't know how men like Denton ever last in government service. And as for 'killing me,' well, I'll just face that if and when it happens.'
'It'll happen.'
'Maybe.' Longarm sat down heavily. 'I always thought that a man should not worry too much about the future. Most of our fears never materialize. Those that do aren't ever as bad as we expect them to be.'
Longarm smiled disarmingly. 'Now, what is your name?'
'Deputy Ronald Dudley.'
'Glad to meet you, Ron. We have our work cut out for us on this railroad case. Have you been up to Donner Pass to see the damage?'
'No. The marshal told me that he was going to go up there with you, but ... well, he won't be even getting out of the hospital for a while.'
'the man should have been up there hours after the wreck, looking for clues or leads.'
'Reno is a pretty wild town, Mr. Long.'
'Custis. You call me Custis.'
'Yes, sir. Well, Custis, there are just the two of us and this is a tough town.'
'No tougher than Rock Springs or Cheyenne and they only have one lawman.' Longarm frowned. 'Ron, we need to get up to Donner Pass first thing. When does the next train leave?'
'In about fifteen minutes. It's the same one that you rode in on. It's still got to get over the hump before it ends its run in Sacramento.'
Longarm was hungry and tired, but he knew that he could not afford to delay this trip for even a day. 'Grab your coat and let's go, Ron.
'I can't leave here now! There's no one else to keep a lid on this town! Why, what if someone robbed the bank? Or there was a murder?'
'If it happens, it happens and we'll just have to take care of it when we return.'
'Dammit! I just can't go!'
Longarm could see that the young man was determined to remain at his desk no matter what. 'All right,' he said, 'I'll go on up myself and see if there is anything left worth noting. Have you had any snow or rain since the derailment?'
'One storm came through and dropped a few inches of snow.'
'Well, then, I'm probably wasting my time even going up there, but I'd better do it anyway. I'll leave my bags here since I haven't had time to check into a room.'
'They'll be safe.'
'I wonder,' Longarm said, making it clear that he was not the least bit impressed with the deputy.
As he started out the door on his way back to the train, Ron called out, 'There's a railroad official handling the investigation from their side of things. He is definitely the man you want to talk to!'
Longarm stopped in the doorway and turned. 'What's his name and where can I find him?'
'His name is Bruce Pettibone. I never even met the man, but I'm told he can be found at Donner Pass or else at the railroad's western headquarters in Sacramento.'
'Thanks,' Longarm said.
'Will you report what you found?' Ron smiled weakly. 'Marshal Denton is going to want to know what you're up to.'
'Why? So he can back-shoot me when he's able to crawl out of his hospital bed?'
'He's a better man than that,' Ron said defensively. 'You two just got off on the wrong foot.'
'No,' Longarm corrected, 'I offered him my hand in friendship and cooperation and he looked at me like some kind of bug. He didn't ask me to come with him, he ordered me. Men like your boss never seem to learn that you get along better in life when you treat people as equals. Wouldn't you agree, Deputy Dudley?'
Ron blushed and dipped his pointy chin.
'I'll report back,' Longarm said. 'And if there is a bank robbery or murder, you've only to ask and I'll assist you in any way that I can.'
'Thank you very much,' Dudley said with an embarrassed grin. 'I ain't been on this job more than a few weeks. I don't even know if I'm cut out for it, but I just got married and I needed work. My wife is scared to death that I'm going to get beat up or shot.'
'It goes with the territory,' Longarm said. 'My advice to you is to treat people with respect and not follow Denton's bad example. He might be big and strong enough to bully people, but you aren't.'
'I know that, sir.'
Longarm paused. 'I can't advise you on what to do, but I will say this. The old adage says that it is not the size of the dog but the size of the dog's fight that counts. I've known some deputies that didn't weigh much more than a hundred pounds soaking wet, and they commanded all the authority and respect they needed or ever wanted. And I've known big, tough men like Denton who bullied men and then got waylaid or ambushed and sent to Boot Hill.'
Longarm heard the sound of the train whistle announcing its imminent departure. 'Ron, you go ahead and talk softly, but learn how to use both a gun and a rifle better than any man in this town. If you do that, and people see that you're serious about your job, they'll treat you right and there won't be a problem that you cannot
