the tracks, leading the bay mare in the direction of Simmons’s office. The distance was such that he normally would have gone on horseback, but he didn’t much feel like riding the Gallaghers’ horse, and besides, it felt good to stretch his legs after the cramped ride through the mountains. His mood should have been exalted. To have finally finished off the Gallaghers should have been perhaps as big an accomplishment as he had recorded to date. But something was lacking, and he rather suspected that something was the fact that he had caught them by a fluke, that if he had not gone on leave he would not have been where they could fall into his hands. But in poker, as in life, there was just no substitute for luck. What he supposed had made him the most tired was the pure fear of handling the liquid lightning. Now that it was over, he could look back and realize the chance that he had taken dealing with such a dangerous cargo with so little knowledge. He was frankly amazed that Simmons had allowed him to have it. In fact, he considered recommending to the mining engineer that in the future he be more careful who he allowed to lay hands on such undependable goods. It brought a shudder up his back as he recollected how he had transported such a commodity, how he had handled it, and how he had actually shot it with a slingshot. Well, he thought, this was one chapter in his life that should not be bandied about and become general gossip or part of the Longarm legend of tomfoolery. For that reason, he had great hopes that somehow the story would not get back to Billy Vail. Of course, he knew that somehow Billy would hear that he’d had a hand in the demise of the Gallagher brothers, but if it was possible, he was going to take every measure to make sure that Billy did not have new material with which to spur him about the head and shoulders.
As he opened the door to the office, he could tell that Eugene must have wired on ahead. The clerk immediately jumped up and ran into Simmons’s office and the mining engineer came out immediately. He came forward and shook Longarm’s hand over and over, telling him how grateful the mining company was for his help. They went in to the engineer’s office, and Simmons proposed a toast of an elegant brandy, which Longarm was glad to get, not for the sake of the toast but for the sake of the smooth, relaxing liquor.
Simmons was going on and on about the amazing feat that Longarm had pulled off. Finally, Longarm could stand it no longer. He said, “Mister Simmons, as a law officer, I’ve got to warn you about something.”
Simmons looked up at him alertly and said, “Yes, Marshal, what would that be?”
Longarm said, “In the future, I think you ought to be more careful about who you let lay hands on that nitro.”
Simmons looked puzzled. “But I gave it only to you, no one else.”
“That’s my point, Mister Simmons. What the hell do I know about nitroglycerin? It could have gotten me and a lot of other people killed. I’m not responsible enough to be handling that kind of stuff.”
Simmons’s mouth fell open. He said, “Well, Marshal, you must understand that when a federal marshal requests something to be used in the furtherance of justice, this company and myself personally have no choice but to grant that wish. We are here under the auspices of the United States Mining Commission, who could revoke our claim at any time.”
Longarm said, “Never mind that. I just want you to be a little more careful. Next time I come in here and ask you to give me some nitroglycerin, don’t you do it. My nerves will never be the same after this one episode. That stuff is dangerous, Mister Simmons.”
Simmons studied Longarm in amazement. “Excuse me, Marshall,” he said, “do you not recollect that I gave you quite a lecture on nitro and warned you and rewarned you that transporting such an explosive was both dangerous and unwise?”
“Then you should have followed your advice and kept it the hell out of my hands.”
Simmons finally had to smile. “Well, from what I hear, Marshal, you handled it properly, you handled it accurately, and you handled it effectively. I’d have to say that if your services were available as a demolition man, I wouldn’t hesitate to put you to work.”
Longarm took a quick hard slug of the brandy. “Mister Simmons, don’t say things like that, even in jest. Sir, I today have realized the risks that I took and I have to tell you in all seriousness that right now, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been before in my life.”
Simmons laughed. “I know how you feel, Marshal. There have been several times in my career when I have taken chances with dynamite or nitro and looked back later and wondered how I managed to stay in one piece. It is very easy to tell a man how very dangerous that stuff is, how volatile it is, but until a man has seen for himself what destruction it can cause, he doesn’t really understand what he’s told. I want you to know that if there is ever anything that this mining company can do for you personally, all you have to do is ask.”
Longarm said, “There is one thing that you can do for me, Mister Simmons.”
“Name it and you’ve got it.”
Longarm said, “Hitched out in front of your office with my saddle on it is a horse that belonged to the Gallaghers. That one and four others that we drove on ahead and the one man in jail is all that is left of them. I don’t want that horse, but I can’t just turn her loose. Would the mining company take that horse off my hands? By rights, you have suffered great damage at the hands of the Gallaghers, and I could easily and quite willingly turn this horse over to you as partial reparation for the damage they’ve done to you. We left the other horses with Eugene in Springer.
Simmons said, “Why are you riding a Gallagher horse? Where is yours, Marshal?”
Longarm looked grim. “The bastards shot it. It happened that the horse was between me and them, so they shot the horse to get to me. It was a damn good horse that I paid three hundred dollars for a couple of years ago, and he’d been a good using horse, and if anything makes me mad about this whole deal, it’s the loss of that horse.”
Simmons asked, “Marshal, as a general rule, what blooded horse or cross do you prefer?”
Longarm said, “I like a cross between a Morgan and a quarter horse or a quarter horse crossed with a thoroughbred.”
Simmons nodded. “All right, I’ll have your saddle taken off that horse and delivered to the hotel livery stable. We’ll take the horse and count it as partial compensation for the damage that we have suffered. Of course, most of that damage has been covered by the insurance company, but we’ll report it to them.”
Longarm said, getting up, “Well, Mister Simmons, I just wanted to let you know the final outcome. Now, I’m dead tired and I’m headed down to the hotel to get some clean clothes on and then step down to the barbershop to get a haircut. We were up all night last night, and then I hid behind a horse while people tried to cut my hair for me with their rifle bullets. That does take it out of a body.”
Once again, Simmons thanked Longarm and then escorted him to the door.
