Bosler was essentially a set of railroad loading chutes with a handful of houses and businesses growing up around them. It was also closer to the Medicine Bow gold diggings than the town of Medicine Bow, a few miles back up the line. That seeming anomaly was due to the fact that the minerals discovery was named for the mountains in which the ores were found, while the town of Medicine Bow was named for … God knows what; it wasn’t anywhere close to the mountains of the same name. A stream, maybe. A legend. Or simply someone’s idea of a joke. Longarm never had quite been sure.
Whatever the answer to that mild imponderable might be, Longarm was relieved enough when the eastbound Union Pacific coach finally squealed and shook its way to a halt at the Bosler platform at 1:32 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll get off here,” Longarm told his traveling companions. “If either of you wants t’ run on ahead, feel free. After all, this might be your lucky day.”
Hancock eyed Longarm’s Colt and seemed disinclined to make a move that could in any way be interpreted as an attempted breakaway. Clementine Bonner’s veil kept Longarm from seeing where her attention lay. But he doubted that the woman had any illusions about gaining her freedom. Since the moment Longarm had gotten his carpetbag back some days ago, her footsteps had been limited to a maximum of nine inches per pace courtesy of a set of long-chain manacles that he’d pressed into service as petite and ladylike leg irons.
“Boy? You there.”
“Yes, sir?”
“D’you know Marshal Fay, son?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There’s ten cents in it for you if you find him and tell him Marshal Long needs his help.”
“Marshal Long, you said?”
“That’s right.”
“Ten cents?”
“Uh-huh. The gentleman here will pay you ten … no, make that twenty cents.”
“Twenty?” The kid’s eyes looked like they might cause something to rupture if they got any bigger.
“What do you think, Tyler? Is twenty enough, or should we-“
“Twenty cents, son,” Overton confirmed before Longarm could run it up any higher.
After the swooning kid had raced away in search of Bill Fay, the lawyer gave Longarm a look of feigned disgust, then began to laugh. “Where did I come in on this deal?”
“Hell, everybody knows lawyers are rich, Tyler. You can afford it.”
“And the government can’t?”
“Just trying to be a considerate public servant, Tyler, an’ no squanderer of your tax dollars.”
“Remind me to thank you sometime.”
“I’ll do that, Tyler.” Longarm grinned. “Count on it.”
The suddenly wealthy boy was back within minutes to report that Marshal Fay had been at Sunday dinner and would be along quick as he could get his boots and hat on.
Overton gave the kid a two-bit piece and drew a raised eyebrow from Longarm. After the ecstatic boy disappeared, the lawyer looked at Longarm and shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t have twenty cents in smaller change. All right?”
“Hey, I believe you.”
The kid had not been lying. Bill Fay turned up only a minute or so behind the boy. The town marshal, who had belly enough for several ordinary men, was wheezing and puffing but in good spirits.
“You look like you been running down fleeing felons, Bill,” Longarm said as he pumped the fat man’s hand.
“No felons around Bosler, Longarm. You know they’re all scared of my blinding speed.”
“Yeah, I’d heard that about you. Bill, this is Tyler Overton from Talking Water up in Ross County. Careful what you say where he can hear. He’s a lawyer an’ might try an’ hold you to your word.”
“Howdy, Tyler. Any friend of Longarm here is a man to not turn your back on. And all that kind of stuff.”
“My pleasure,” Overton responded.
“And what do we have here?” Bill Fay asked, eying the parties who were wearing steel.
“This lovely couple, that look like butter wouldn’t melt in neither one of ‘em’s mouth, are a pair o’ backshooters an’ murderers, is what they are. These two you really better not turn your back on. The woman there is the piano-wire garrote woman.”
“My, oh, my. The one from Nebraska?”
“The very same.”
Fay gave Clementine a positively luminous smile. “I’ve read so much about you, ma’am. Pleasure to see you in these, uh, circumstances. And the dandy gent?”
“Oh, he’s a real special guest. Tried four times to kill me.
“Did he?” Fay asked with a straight face.
Longarm chuckled.
“Four times, huh? What’s the matter, Longarm? Are you getting as slow as I am lately?”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you, me letting a little simp like him make four tries before I could catch him at it. Anyway, both of these will be facing federal charges before we give the states an’ territories a crack at ‘em.”
“And judging from the fact that we are continuing to stand on a railroad platform instead of heading for the comforts of my jail, I take it you want to burden me with their care while you go off and play somewhere?” Fay guessed.
“Something on that order, Bill, yeah. I’ll sign a voucher for you so you can bill the Justice Department for holding ‘em.”
“In that case, since there seems to be something in it for me, I will consider granting your petition for relief.” He winked at Tyler. “Thought I’d throw a little legal-sounding language in there for you, Counselor. We like visitors to Bosler to feel at home while they’re here.”
Overton laughed.
“Seriously, Bill,” Longarm said. “Don’t trust neither of these two. They’re cold killers, the both of them. Keep them locked down no matter how they complain. Me and Tyler won’t be gone long. Don’t take no chances with this pair until we get back.”
“Mind if I ask where you’re off to?”
Longarm explained where they were going. And why.
Fay looked Tyler over rather carefully for a moment, then asked, “I don’t mean to imply anything personal, Mr. Overton, but how are you when it comes to fast horses?”
“Slow,” the lawyer admitted. “But I fall off them pretty good.”
“I kinda thought that might be so. Longarm, you know I’d never butt in where I don’t belong.”
“Leopard changin’ its spots, Bill?”
“… but if you’re interested, I just happen to have bought myself one hellfire fast team and buggy recently. Matched bays built like a pair of snakes with legs on them. Lotta skinny necks and hams no bigger than a decent housecat might have. They’re ugly as sin, both of them. But fast? You’d best tie your hat in place and use a strong cord to do it. Best of all, they got stamina that you won’t believe. They’ll get you to the diggings before nightfall else go ahead and kill them for trying. If they can’t make the run that quick they’re no use to me anyhow.”
Longarm knew better than to believe that. Exactly. But he thoroughly appreciated the generosity that lay behind the statement.
“Damn, Bill, you keep on like this an’ you’re gonna make me feel bad about all the things I’ve said behind your back.”
Marshal Fay threw his head back and roared. “Longarm, let me get these prisoners locked in nice and snug and then we’ll put you fellows on the road south.”
Chapter 38
The team was as good as their owner claimed. Maybe better. It was still daylight when Longarm and Tyler Overton reached Chinaman’s Knob. Still daylight, but barely. There was a pale salmon tint behind the imposing bulk of Medicine Bow Peak to the west, and beyond that lay the Sweetwater Basin and the Red Desert. Here, though, the country was wooded if not wet, and totally unlike the sere, dry plains below.
Chinaman’s Knob was the latest in a succession of mining booms to bring mineral-crazed seekers of wealth flocking into the mountains.