He had gone and done it. Faced the fellow right down and told him what to do. And he was doing it. Why, that was something. That was really something.
Feeling suddenly powerful and peacock-proud, Henry marched himself back to the closed and locked telegraph office and stood before the door with his arms folded and a truculent expression on his face.
These people would perform as he required, by Godfrey, or he would know the reason why. And he would be on the next available westbound. Complete with any information Marshal Vail might have forwarded or any new instructions.
Yessir, by Godfrey, he was on a case and he would get done whatever had to be done. Regardless.
He smiled a little to himself and waited for the night telegrapher to return to his proper post.
Chapter Five
Morey Fahnwell accepted the thin sheaf of large, gold-backed bills and counted them carefully before he thanked the teller at the tiny bank. Then the man turned and extended them to Longarm, giving the deputy a wry grin. ?There, damn you. One hundred sixty dollars legal tender. Every damn thing I owe on four thousand head at four cents apiece for your stinking damn totally unfair grazing fee.?
Longarm laughed, but shook his head. ?It isn?t me you owe that money to, Morey. I just came to see it paid, not to handle it.? The laughter turned into a grin. ?Why, a poor, underpaid civil servant like me, seeing that kind of cash money in hand, I might get to thinking you were trying to bribe me, and have to arrest you for that. You know damn well where that money has to be paid, Morey.?
Fahnwell grumbled and groused. ?Damnit, Longarm, d?you know how I?ll feel if I hafta walk into that office an? lay money in front of them? D?you know the kind of horselaugh I?ll get??
?Not till your back is turned, Morey,? Longarm said cheerfully.
Fahnwell made a sour face. ?You?ll go with me at least, won?t you? So them red-tape sons of bitches will know I was forced inta this??
?Yeah, I can do that for you, Morey.?
The old rancher grunted and grumbled some more. ?Some damn friend you turn out t?be.? But he left the bank and walked with Longarm down the street to the courthouse.
?Just think, Morey,? Longarm twitted him, ?you?re gonna have a warm feeling in your heart when this is done. Civic duty performed and all that.?
?Damn you, boy, you better shut your mouth or I?ll sull up like an old cow. Turn right around an? go home. Do somethin? decent with this here cash money. Like get drunk on it or blow it on foofaraw for Eugenie or something sensible like that.?
He was just blowing smoke, and Longarm knew it. Longarm was stone-cold positive that once Morey Fahnwell could be convinced to give his word on a subject, that statement was worth more than many men?s signed, sworn, and sealed contracts. The likable old curmudgeon was solid proud, right down to the core, and there wouldn?t be any way Longarm could force him not to make the payment now that he had said he would pay the hated fees.
They climbed the steps of the native quarry-stone courthouse building, and Longarm held the door open for the rancher to enter.
?Huh! ?Bout time I got some service outta the damn government.?
Longarm chuckled and followed him inside.
?Quick as I get this misery over with, boy, we?ll go have us a drink.?
?Whose treat?? Longarm demanded.
?Boy, you don?t give a man a damned inch, do you. All right, damnit, I?ll even go that.? Fahnwell was trying to look and sound ferocious, but there was a sparkle of rough pleasure in his eyes. He was enjoying Longarm?s company as much as the tall deputy was enjoying his.
They were passing the county sheriff?s office on their way to the curving staircase that led to the second floor. A young man inside who looked more like a store clerk than a deputy looked up and noticed them. Longarm nodded to him and went on by.
As they reached the foot of the staircase a voice behind them called out, ?Excuse me.?
Both men stopped and turned.
?Excuse me, please? Would you happen to be a Marshal Long?? It was the young deputy asking.
Longarm nodded. ?I would.?
The young man looked relieved. ?Good. A message came for you last night, Marshal. Urgent. Sheriff Tate left word that we was to be looking for you.?
?Urgent, you say??
?That?s right, Marshal.?
Longarm gave Morey Fahnwell a look of apology and returned down the wide hallway to the sheriff?s small of fice. Fahnwell mounted the stairs by himself to pay off the grazing fee obligation.
?The message is right here, Marshal,? the local deputy said, digging through a stack of papers. ?Right here some place. Sure hope I haven?t lost it.?
Longarm curbed his impatience and pulled out a cheroot. Rushing the boy likely would not accomplish anything but to make him even more fumble-fingered.
?Take your time,? he said, not meaning a word of it.
Billy Vail was not a man to mark a message urgent if there were not real need for urgency.
While the young deputy continued to shuffle through the papers, Longarm reflected that it was a damn good
