City?”
“You’ll be armed with a machete, you’ll be given a three-hour lead, you’ll have sufficient water and food-“
Longarm broke in before he could say anything else. “The one thing you keep overlooking, Mr. Nelson, is that I have no reason to do this. It sounds to me that all the fun is going to be on your side. I ain’t looking for no new thrills. I get to play “You got a gun and I got a gun and let’s see who’s best’ too many times. My nerves are worn nearly to a frazzle from playing that game. I don’t care for it. This ain’t fun to me. This is deadly serious, and you don’t know what you’re getting into playing it with me. No, I ain’t going to go out there and play your rabbit. I don’t care if you’re only carrying .38-caliber revolvers. You’re on your home territory and eventually you’ll run me down. I cannot get close enough to you with a machete to keep you from killing me with your .38, so from all accounts to me, it looks like to me I’m going to get killed. So if you’re going to kill me, I’m going to make you murder me. I’m going to sit right here in this damned chair and you’re going to have to shoot me, and then you’ll have murdered a United States deputy marshal and you’ll have to bear the consequences.”
Asher Nelson said, “No, Marshal Long, you will take part in the contest. You will be quarry in the hunt.”
“What makes you so damned sure of that?”
Asher looked at him. “Ross Henderson. His life hangs on your willingness to do this.”
Longarm had been about to light another cheroot. He stopped and lowered the match he was holding. He took the little cigar out from between his lips. He looked slowly at the three brothers. “Ross Henderson. Where is he?”
Asher Nelson said, “We have him.”
“In what condition?”
“He’s fine. He’s being well taken care of, but his life hangs in the balance with your decision. If you go through this contest, if you give us the chase that we expect, he’ll go free.”
Longarm looked at Asher Nelson steadily for a moment. “Bullshit. I don’t believe you. If you have Ross Henderson, how come you didn’t play this game with him?”
Asher Nelson said, “Because he’s not you, Marshal Long. He’s not the famous Longarm. He’s a young, inexperienced lawman who would be easy meat, but it was very convenient for us that he showed up here. He gave us a hostage, more bait to draw you in.”
Longarm said, “I want to see him right now. I think you’re lying.”
Asher Nelson stood up. “All right. You can see him, but you can’t talk to him. Is that understood?”
“Why can’t I talk to him?”
“Because there is nothing to be gained by you two exchanging information. I will simply show him to you and show you that he is in good health and that he has not been harmed, and that will be it. Do you want to do that? That is the best I will offer.”
Longarm said, “I don’t seem to have much choice here, do I?”
“No, you don’t.”
There was a level to the house that was below the floor they were on. It was not exactly a cellar because it contained some rooms that were used for cooling meats and vegetables and some rooms where grain and such were stored. On that lower level there was a small room with a heavy door on it. Asher stepped forward and unlocked it while Claude and Frank held Longarm a good distance from the door with the threat of their pistols. Asher swung the door open. He said to Longarm, “Now, just stand there and don’t speak.” He looked into the room. “Deputy Henderson, would you step out please?”
In a moment, the young, blond innocent-looking deputy that Longarm had first met in Denver came into the light of the hall. He was blinking from the dimness of the room.
Asher Nelson said, “Do you see him? Do you recognize him? Do you see that he’s not hurt? Just nod your head if you do.”
Ross Henderson was still in a daze. He was looking around, his eyes trying to focus. He said, “What the hell is going on here?”
Asher Nelson looked at Longarm. He said, “Well?”
Longarm nodded. He said, “Nelson, you sonofabitch, if anything happens to that kid, I don’t know how but I’ll get you for it.”
Nelson put out a hand and guided Henderson back into the small room. Then he shut and locked the door before they escorted Longarm back up the stairs and back into the sitting room.
Longarm sat on the couch, the picture of the confused young man clear in his mind. He looked at Asher Nelson and said harshly, “What the fuck have you been doing to him? Giving him some of that same sleeping powder you gave me?
He didn’t look like he knew where he was.”
“Marshal, you’ll have to believe me, we’re not cruel men. The young deputy has been given good food and whiskey when he wanted it. Unfortunately, he’s been kept in alone and that will work on a man’s mind. I know. Sometimes we were alone out there on that African plains for days and weeks and months. He’s confused, that’s all.”
Longarm said, “All right. Lay out your deal and I’ll see if I’ll play.”
Chapter 7
Asher Nelson said, “It’s fairly simple, Marshal Long. At four o’clock this afternoon, we’ll turn you loose. You can go in any direction you want to go in. You’ll be on foot, of course. We’ll furnish you with some leather sandals since I don’t believe you’ll want to be in those leather boots. You will have a three-hour lead time. At seven o’clock, Brother Claude will start out after you. He will be carrying only his .38-caliber revolver.”
“How long of a barrel?”
