Higgins blinked. “But that’s Sylvie’s bathtub! You want to have some mules drag that thing across the desert? Mister Long, she ain’t had it six months yet. Was the desire of her heart. She’d been takin’ baths in a number-two washtub fer years. An’ now you want to, to, to-” He stopped, unable to go on, and rolled his eyes in his head.
Longarm said briskly, “Herman, time is wasting. I got to get hitched up and get going. I’ll see she gets this one back or another one.”
Higgins said, “It would break her heart, Marshal. She-“
A voice behind him said, “Herman, if the marshal needs that bathtub, you let him take it on. My goodness, he’s after shore-‘nough criminals. He could get hisself kilt and I don’t know what else. Marshal, you are more than welcome to that tub. I can get by without it.”
Longarm said, “Thank you, Sylvia.” Then he turned to Higgins. “Herman, get your Mexicans in here to get this thing outside. Have them put it in front of the station. That’s where I figure to leave from.”
Higgins shrugged. “Shoot, Marshal, me an’ you can tote it. It don’t weigh all that much. Sixty, eighty pounds.”
Longarm shook his head. “Herman, I got just so much energy left, and I can’t spare an ounce for anything except trying to catch up with that stage.”
“Go on, Mr. Higgins, like he says,” said Mrs. Higgins. “Marshall, I guess it be all right to call you that now, seem’ as how we are a-chasin’ an evil bunch together. I got yore firearms cleaned up as best I can, though I never took on to put the bullets back in ‘em.”
Longarm thanked her. “I’ll be doing that while Mr. Higgins is getting the bathtub out front. What about the harness, Herman? You get it cut down?”
Higgins was nearly out of the bathroom. He said, “Yeah, I reckon.” Then he glanced at the bathtub. “Though it beats the hell outten me how we gonna hook up that thing.” He heaved a sigh. “But I reckon I’ll think of somethin’. Sylvie always said I was a figgerin’ man.”
“Oh, he is, Marshal. My Mr. Higgins will sit an’ study on somethin’ you think they ain’t no way to fix or make right or get built or any of that. Pretty soon he’ll get up an’ he’ll have her figgered out and it’ll work too.”
Longarm said, “Herman, don’t forget that box of forty-four cartridges. When I come out the front door I don’t want to come back in. I’m heading north as soon as I step out of here.”
Mrs. Higgins said, “I’ll sack you up somethin’ to eat and fill you a canteen.”
Longarm sat in the bathroom on the side of the tub and pulled on his boots. His clothes were soaked from his ankles to his shoulders, but he knew they’d dry in five minutes once he got out the door.
He was out in the common room drinking water with a little whiskey in it when the Mexicans, followed by Mister Higgins, walked past him carrying the bathtub. He picked up his weapons, the sack of food Mrs. Higgins had fixed, the box of cartridges, and the big two-quart canteen, and followed them outside, still sipping at the glass of whiskey water. The Mexicans set the bathtub down and then stepped back and looked at Higgins. Higgins looked at Longarm. He said, “She pointin’ in the right direction? I mean, you want to hitch to the low end or the high one?”
Longarm carefully placed his load in the bottom of the tub and stepped back and sipped at his drink. He still felt thirsty, though he thought it was more in his mind than his body. He said, “Looks about right to me. I figure to hitch to the low end, however we do it. And I want to snub it up pretty close so the front end will actually rise up a little. Won’t be as much drag that way. So, yeah, I’d say it’s sitting about right. Might swing that front end a little more toward the stage tracks. I got an idea that when we leave here those mules ain’t going to be all that easy to guide.”
Higgins rolled his eyes and said, “You ain’t jus’ whistlin’ Dixie, Marshal. I don’t quite know how those mules are gonna take to this contraption.” But then he spoke to the Mexicans, and they swiveled the bathtub around so it was lined up with the stage tracks.
“Where are the mules?” Longarm asked.
Higgins jerked his head. “The boys got them tied to the corral fence.”
“They rested?”
Higgins leveled his eyes on Longarm. “Them mules is got as much go in ‘em as a steam locomotive leavin’ a lumberyard. I ain’t envyin’ you this little ride you are fixing to take.”
“Well, have you figured out a way to hitch them up?”
Higgins frowned and crossed his arms and stared at the tub. He said, “First thang that come to my mind was we might’s well forget ‘bout the trace straps. Ain’t no place to hook ‘em. Best I can figure is knock a little hole in the front of that tub with a hammer and chisel. Then take and run the trace chain through it and stick a big nail or bolt through a link of the chain so it can’t go back out the hole.”
Longarm said, “Hell, Herman, you are a figgerin’ man. That will work. Hell, yes, that will work. Let’s get it done. By the way, I want you to put a spade bit in at least one of them mules’ mouth.”
Mister Higgins nodded and spat. “Done thought of it. Be your near mule. The mule on yore left-hand side.” He spat again and looked at the tub and shook his head. “Beats the hell out of me what a man gets up to in the law bid’ness.” He turned and gave the Mexicans a volley of instructions in Spanish. They immediately took off for the back.
Longarm said, “I know how much your wife is giving up here. But I’ll see she gets a new bathtub.”
Higgins snorted. “I didn’t know what I was sayin’ thar in the bathroom. Hell, yes, we want to catch them crooks. I taken a look at my telegraph wahr. Hell, they done tore it all to pieces. Gonna take some fixin’ to get it back up an’ workin’. I tell you, Marshal, it makes me feel plumb lonesome with that telegraph wahr cut. Never knowed how much I depended on it. Was like a neighbor to me.”
Longarm said, “I forgot a bottle of whiskey. I guess I better take some.”
“Snakes out thar,” Higgins said.
When Longarm came back, the Mexicans had brought the team around. The mules looked contrary and
