For a second or two nothing happened, and then Glenn and Billy Bob slowly began to draw away from each other, forming with their father a half circle around Longarm. It was clear to the deputy what they were doing. He drew his revolver, pulling back the hammer as he did.
He said, “Stop! Hold it! Hold it!”
Vernon Castle said, “Do what he says boys. He looks just crazy enough to shoot.” He glared at Longarm. “Do you have any idea how many judges and senators and state representatives and United States representatives I know? Mister, your ass is going to be in a sling made out of barbed wire before I am through with you.”
Longarm said, “That may be so, but right now I am running things. Now, bunch together. I’m not going to tell you again to get those gunbelts off.”
The two young men looked questioningly at their father. He said, “Do what he wants for the time being, boys. We’ll let the lawyers work this out. Let’s just don’t have anybody get hurt accidentally by this gun-happy fool.”
Watching Longarm, they carefully unbuckled their gunbelts and carefully lowered them to the floor. Then they straightened back up and glared at Longarm.
Billy Bob said, “Well, now, Mr. Gunwhipper. What now?”
Longarm took several steps toward them. “Now we go into the office and talk. Maybe something can be worked out here.”
He sensed something behind him and knew that he was going to be attacked before he heard the sound. He guessed that it was something he saw in the three men’s eyes. All of a sudden, a body came driving into him from behind. The weight of the impact threw him to the left and toward the floor. As he was falling, he saw Glenn leaning down for his revolver. With his arm partly restricted by whoever was wrestling him to the ground, Longarm fired just before he hit the floor. He saw the bullet hit Glenn in the thigh, knocking his legs out from under him.
The force of their two bodies striking the tile floor caused Longarm’s assailant to lose his grip. In a second, Longarm had elbowed and kicked backward until he was free. He jumped to his feet quickly, covering Vernon Castle and his two sons. He took two steps backwards so that he could see his assailant and still keep an eye on the others.
On the floor was a man he took to be Virgil Castle. He was tall and thinly muscular, wearing a pair of blue jeans. Other than that, he was unclothed. He was barefoot, he wore no shirt, and his hair was long and stringy.
Longarm asked Vernon Castle, “Who the hell is that?”
Vernon Castle said, “That’s my son Virgil.” Longarm said, “Tell him to get the hell out of here or I’ll arrest him for obstruction of justice and assaulting a federal officer in the performance of his duty.” The man got to his feet, staring at Longarm. Now Longarm could see what Mabelle had meant by the look in the simpleton’s eyes. They did indeed look like there was no one there. They were vacant and staring.
Vernon Castle said, “Son. Go on outside. Go on outside right now.”
Virgil Castle said, “What’s going on, Daddy?” His voice was deep. He sounded like a man and he looked like a man, but the way he said his words it was as if he were a small child. “is this man trying to hurt ya’ll?” He indicated Longarm. “I won’t let him hurt ya’ll if ya’ll don’t want him to.”
Vernon Castle said urgently, “Son, your brother is hurt. Get outside and get someone to come in and help. Hurry.”
Longarm watched the tall, lanky man with the dirty, stringy hair disappear out the front door. Then he watched while Vernon and Billy Bob went to where Glenn was down on the floor. A small pool of blood was outlined against the gray tile of the living room floor.
Longarm could see that the slug had gone in just to the side of Glenn Castle’s left leg. It looked to be no more than a flesh wound. The bullet had gone right through.
Longarm said, “Get a handkerchief and put a tourniquet up around near his hip. Hell, he ain’t hurt. I’ve seen steaks hurt worse than that sent back to the kitchen to get cooked some more.”
Vernon Castle turned a furious face toward Longarm. He was red with rage. “By God, sir. You have shot my son, you sonofabitch. You will damn well pay for this. You may damn well not get off this ranch alive.”
Longarm slowly pulled the hammer of his revolver back to the firing position. It went clitch-clatch. He said, “Mr. Castle, you are under arrest. Your sons are under arrest. Your son went for a weapon while being arrested by a federal marshal. You’d better be thankful for one thing, Mr. Castle, that I didn’t get a clean shot at him. I meant to shoot him straight through the chest. Do you understand me? If I hadn’t been falling, I wouldn’t have missed. As far as I’m concerned, I missed. You got that?”
Castle stood there, his face contorted. He said coldly, “I’ll get you for this, you sonofabitch.”
“You better see to your son’s leg. We’ve got a long ride into town and this little nick he’s got ain’t gonna interfere with it.”
The huge man called Billy Bob was kneeling by his brother’s leg. By this time, Glenn Castle was sitting up. He was staring at Longarm fixedly. Hate filled his eyes.
Billy Bob said, “I’m going to squash you till you ain’t no higher than a pancake, mister.”
Longarm smiled. “Last time you tried that, you almost got some brains beat into your head. I had hoped that it would take.”
At that instant, Virgil Castle returned with two cowhands. They came in and stopped, looking startled at what they saw.
One of the cowhands said, “Mr. Castle, what in the hell is going on?”
They both glanced at Longarm holding the pistol on the father and the two sons. One of them moved his hand an inch or two toward his own revolver.
Longarm said, “Don’t do anything sudden or foolish, son. I am a deputy United States marshal. I am arresting these men. You are directed right now to get outside and hitch up a buckboard. I am taking them to town
