Longarm said grimly, “So do I.”
Chapter 9
The owner of the hotel was an old acquaintance. His name was Martin Silver and he had been around the border long enough to have given favors and taken favors and kept secrets and he had learned not to ask too many questions. Once he was summoned by the desk clerk, things moved rapidly. Longarm got them adjoining rooms on the second floor. He told Sarah truthfully that the hotel was known for its strong doors and reliable locks. He didn’t think there was a chance that she would be in any danger during the time he would have to be gone, but she looked like a lady who needed all the reassurance she could get. He got her settled in her room. A bath had been arranged for her and Martin Silver had assured Longarm that he would find some woman’s clothes for the lady even if he had to send home to his own house. The kitchen was still operating and a meal would be sent up for both of them, but Longarm stopped him at that point and asked that his be held. He said, “Martin, I’ve got important business that’s got to be taken care of. Now, I’m going to leave this lady in your care and I’m going to assume that she will be just fine when I get back from some business that I need to tend to.”
Martin Silver was a distinguished-looking gentleman in his early fifties, but Longarm knew there was rawhide under the gentlemanly manners and dress. Silver said, “Custis, you can be sure that the hospitality of the house also extends to the lady’s safety. I will see to that.”
Longarm smiled. “That’s good enough for me, Martin.”
When the hotel owner had left the room, Longarm turned to Sarah and said, “Now look. They’re going to bring you up a bath. Have a good soak. They’ll bring you up a good dinner. Perhaps they’ll send you up a bottle of good wine or whatever you ask for. Ask for whatever you want. They’ll bring you up some clean clothes. I want you to rest.”
She looked fearful. She asked, “Where are you going? What are you going to do?”
He said, “I’ve got to get down to the telegraph office and make some arrangements. I don’t know how long it’s going to take. I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Nothing is going to happen to you.”
Surprisingly, she said, “What about that poor horse? The one I was riding?”
That made him smile. He said, “That horse is past the danger. When I bled him, it cooled him off and he didn’t founder. I’ll see that the horses are well taken care of, so don’t worry about it.”
She put her hands down along the inside of her thighs and looked up at him ruefully. She said, “I don’t think I’m going to be good for anything for a while. I think I’m rubbed raw.”
He laughed at her. He said, “Don’t worry about that right now. I know you’ve been under a nervous strain; you’ve ridden a horse astride for the first time in your life and for a long ways. Sarah, you did real good. You not only saved your life, I think you may have saved mine. Now we have to stop Richard before he can get up to any more devilment.”
She looked up at him anxiously. She said, “I know I’m being silly but will you just kiss me before you go?”
Longarm leaned down and gave her a tender, soft kiss on the lips and then he turned. He said, “I have to hurry.”
“I understand.”
He opened the door. “Lock this door behind me and keep it locked unless you know who it is on the other side.”
“Yes.”
Then he was out the door and hurrying down the stairs. He walked rapidly through the lobby and out the front door. The boy from the stable was standing there holding the horses’ heads. Longarm flipped him a silver dollar. The boy caught it in the air. Longarm said, “Take that dun on into the stable and cool him out and feed him up. I’m going to have to use this roan for about another hour or so and then I’ll drop him off at the stable. I want both of them given real special care. You comprende?”
“Si, senor. Yo comprendo.”
Longarm mounted the roan and turned him toward the other side of town where the railway station and the telegraph station were located. He knew the roan was almost played out so he held down the impulse to put the horse into a gallop and only asked him for a fast walk. It was just as well because he knew he had a hell of a telegram to compose and send Billy Vail. He spent the time that it took him to get to the train depot trying to compose the telegram in his head. It sounded confusing even to him. He had no idea what Billy Vail would make of it.
He tied his horse and went up the steps to the telegraph office and asked for a blank. He walked over to the writing desk. From the looks of things, it might just take more than one blank to get this one off.
The telegram was addressed to Billy Vail, Chief Marshal, Denver, Colorado. It requested immediate delivery at whatever location Mr. Vail was at. The telegram read:
URGENT YOU CONTACT FEDERAL BANKING AUTHORITIES IN SAN ANTONIO STOP URGENTLY REQUEST THEY COMPLY WITH ANY SCHEME PUT FORTH BY JUDGE RICHARD HARDING TO EXCHANGE PRISONER EARL COMBS FOR ME STOP HARDING WILL HAVE LETTER FROM ME INDICATING I AM A PRISONER STOP HE WILL ALSO HAVE MY BADGE STOP I EXPECT HE WILL HAVE SOME PROPOSAL WHEREBY HE CAN FREE ME AND ALSO GET THE INFORMATION FROM COMBS AS TO WHERE HE HAS HIDDEN THE $200,000 THAT HE STOLE FROM THE FEDERAL BANKING SYSTEM STOP I AM NO LONGER A PRISONER BUT HAVE ESCAPED AND AM IN LAREDO STOP IT IS VITAL THAT JUDGE RICHARD HARDING NOT KNOW THIS STOP HARDING IS A CROOK STOP HARDING IS A MURDERER STOP HARDING IS THE ONE THAT TOOK ME HOSTAGE STOP IS NECESSARY HE BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED WITH HIS PLAN STOP YOU MUST PERSUADE THE FEDERAL BANKING AUTHORITIES IN SAN ANTONIO TO RELEASE COMBS TO HIM STOP I AM GOING TO INTERCEPT BOTH OF THEM AT THIS END I HAVE EVERY REASON TO BELIEVE HE WILL MAKE STRAIGHT FOR LAREDO STOP REQUEST THAT YOU ALSO NOTIFY ANY U.S. DEPUTY MARSHAL IN SAN ANTONIO WHO IS CONNECTED WITH THIS MATTER TO FOLLOW HARDING AND ANYONE ELSE WITH HIM AND NOTIFY ME IN LAREDO OF HARDING’S MOVEMENTS AND WHAT TRAIN HE WILL BE TAKING AND WHEN HE CAN BE EXPECTED IN LAREDO STOP URGENT HARDING NOT GET WIND THAT I AM FREE STOP BILLY, YOU BETTER NOT LET ME DOWN ON THIS ONE STOP OR I WILL WRING YOUR SCRAWNY NECK STOP I WANT THAT SON OF A BITCH STOP YOU BETTER NOT MAKE ANY MISTAKES STOP URGENT YOU WIRE ME, IMMEDIATELY TONIGHT, $500 STOP YOU BETTER NOT BE OUT OF TOWN STOP
The telegram took three blanks. He took the forms over and handed them to the operator, a vinegary-looking old man wearing black sleeve guards. The surprised operator read the forms over, one by one in order. He glanced up at Longarm. He said, “Who’s sending this?”
