Archie Barrett wouldn’t look up nor would he speak.
Longarm said, “I asked you a question, and you better damned well answer it, or you’re going to get some more where you don’t want it. Do I have to tell you something twice again?”
In a sullen voice, Barrett said, “No, I suppose not, Marshal. If you really are a marshal.”
“You’ll find out soon enough how much of a marshal I am.” Longarm motioned at Hawkins. He said, “Y’all start on ahead. Ride to the east. I don’t want you getting within a mile of town. I’ll be right behind you. Don’t think you can outrun me, because I’m riding a good horse.”
Hawkins said, “Marshal, I’d never think of doing any such of a thing. Me and Mr. Barrett, we are law-abiding citizens. I don’t know what you could want with us, anyway.”
Longarm, trying to keep a straight face, said, “Well, right now, I don’t want you, but if you keep on talking as smart as you have been, it may well be that I can find a jail cell for you, too.”
Longarm went into the cottonwood grove, untied his horse, and mounted it. He slid the rifle home in the boot and set out in pursuit of Barrett and Hawkins, who were a couple of hundred yards ahead. He closed within ten yards and then rode silently behind them. He knew that Hawkins understood that they were going to Tom Hunter’s place, but from time to time, he would direct Barrett to veer more to the northeast so that it would not seem that George Hawkins knew their destination.
He said on one occasion, “I don’t think you want to be seen from town, Mr. Barrett, so let’s stay well south of it. I think you’ve got too many friends there right now.”
Barrett looked over his shoulder. “I’d reckon I’ve got more friends in there than you do. I’ve heard about your policy of not allowing anyone to trade there if they worked for me or my brothers or Jake Myers. That’s not any way to get on the good side of anyone, Marshal. If a marshal’s really what you are.”
Longarm said, “I haven’t seen too much evidence, Barrett, that you’ve been on the good side of anybody. You just keep that horse pointed in the direction that I’m telling you, and you and I will get along just fine.”
“I demand to know where you’re taking me.”
Longarm said, “You can demand all you want to, but it’s not going to do you any good. I’m going to take you someplace where you and I can have a nice quiet talk about what’s been going on around here for the past two or three years. A place where you and I can have a talk about a lot of dead bodies and a lot of burned-out cabins and a lot of stolen and killed cattle.”
Barrett said without turning his head, “I don’t know nothing about no such thing, Marshal Long.”
“So, you know my name.” Longarm suddenly laughed. “Word must have gotten back around to you.”
The back of Archie Barrett’s neck went red. He said, “Word gets around, Marshal. Word gets around. You’ve done everything you could to kick up a ruckus since you got here. My only regret is that I didn’t have you attended to before now.”
“Well, the fact is, Barrett, you did try. I don’t know what that old boy’s name is with half an ear, but you sent him in the other day to have a go with me. It didn’t work, but that was your plan. Was he your top gunhand, Barrett? I would reckon he was. What was his name, by the way?”
“That wouldn’t be any of your business.”
“Oh, I think I’ll find out soon enough.”
“What kind of lawman are you that would leave two men laying dead out on the prairie?”
Longarm said, “I’m not going to do a damned thing, Barrett. If those two horses belong to your headquarters, they’ll show up there, and then I would guess that some of your men will go looking for them. I reckon they’ll find the bodies. Or don’t those horses belong to your headquarters? Are they some of the gunhands’ that you brought in here that their horses ain’t learned where home is yet? I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. How many hired hands you got that actually punch cattle on your place?”
Hawkins said in a grieved voice, “Marshal, don’t you think you’re being awfully hard on Mr. Barrett? He’s been a good customer of mine for a number of years, and I hate to hear you vilify a man of such character.”
Longarm said, “Listen, leather drummer. You’d better just sit that horse and keep your mouth shut, or I’m liable to shoot that so-called hat off your head. What do you call that thing, anyway?”
“It’s a proper fedora, Marshal.”
“Well, it’s a damned silly-looking thing. A hat is supposed to have enough brim to shade your face or catch the rainwater. You and Barrett are both wearing hats that ain’t good for nothing that I could see. Now, move it on up a little bit. That old nag you’re riding, can’t she do much more than shuffle along?”
Even though George Hawkins must have known he was kidding, he was still stung enough to turn in the saddle and give Longarm a look. He said, “Why? Would you care to race?”
Longarm smiled gleefully. He said, “I wouldn’t mind, but first I’d have to handcuff you to Mr. Barrett. You reckon you could beat me dragging him?”
In the distance, he could see just the tops of the town buildings as they rounded to the south and turned up toward the northeast. They were about two miles from Tom Hunter’s cabin. It was closing on twelve o’clock. He hoped fervently that Tom had been able to get the Goodmans to come and join him. His whole plan depended on being able to keep his prisoner secluded and guarded and protected.
As they bypassed the town, Hawkins said in a plaintive voice, “Marshal, you ain’t said nothing about me being under arrest, and I’ve got business in town. Would it be all right with you if I just split off here and rode on in?”
Not knowing how his plan might work or if it would work or what further use the man might be, it was important to Longarm and to George Hawkins himself that Archie Barrett continue to think that he had just been an innocent bystander caught up in the net that Longarm had cast. He assumed and hoped that Barrett would not connect his trip into town with Hawkins with Longarm’s interception.
Longarm said, “Now, look here, mister leather fellow, I don’t know who you are or what your business is, but for the time being, I reckon you’ll just come along with us. So far as I’m concerned, the first thing you might do is
