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?”
He crossed over to her and sat down on the bed. Her dress was unbuttoned enough that he could see the full outline of her right breast. It was a sight that he never could resist. Lily Gail always seemed to wear dresses that unbuttoned down the front. He supposed that she did that for the same reason he didn’t wear underwear, but then again, very often she didn’t wear underwear either, so she was ready on ready. He reached his hand for the bottle of whiskey and poured himself a small drink. Before he put it to his lips, he said, “I take it that the Gallaghers sent you here to check up on me and see if all was going to go according to their plans?”
She tossed her head and said, “Why, there was no such thing that happened.”
“Then how did you manage to be able to return my telegram agreeing that four o’clock was the meeting time? We had talked about it, but it had never been actually confirmed.”
“Why, I just naturally telegraphed them in Quitman and they telegraphed right back, and then there was this train coming right back here. It was just a little over a two-hour ride, and so I just hopped on board. Just like that.”
He nodded with his head. “I see you have changed your dress. This one is blue. Looks very good on you, although with your coloring, I believe yellow is your best color.”
“I’ve got the prettiest little print frock with yellow and blue. I think you’d just love it.”
He looked at his watch. It was just past four o’clock. He had, at the most, thirty to forty-five minutes, but of course he definitely didn’t want Lily Gail knowing where he was going.
He put his watch away. He reached out his right hand and slid it inside her unbuttoned bodice so he could cup her breasts in his palm. He said, “I don’t know about that blue and yellow frock being the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. I think this little tittie of yours will do for the time being.”
Her breathing was coming quicker now. She said, “Why, you certainly have your nerve, Custis Long.”
With his left hand, he unbuttoned the other buttons down her front. As he passed her waist she stood up and shrugged her shoulders, and the frock slid down her body. He reached out his hands and pulled her down next to him, and began very slowly kissing her. He rolled to his left, lying slightly on her.
Lily Gail said, “Honey, your belt buckle is gouging me in the side.”
He heaved himself up. “I’ll get quit of it.” He unbuckled the big silver concave buckle, and then turned his back to her so that she couldn’t see that a derringer was hidden inside the buckle, held in place with a wire clip. He dropped his gunbelt to the floor, and then sat down on the bed and took off his boots. With a few swift moves, he
