blacksmith,
he ran a livery stable.
"Sure, Deputy,
I'll watch for a horse like that. And how much did you say the
reward might be?"
"I didn't say,"
Longarm told the man. "But it could be a considerable amount of
money."
"Have you already
visited Ned Rowe?"
"I
have."
"Too
bad."
"Why?"
Jimmy shrugged.
With one worn boot heel hooked over a bottom fence rail and his
arms hooked over the top fence rail, he was as relaxed as Ned
Rowe had been angry.
"Well, Deputy
Long, it might interest you to know that Ned's brother was hanged
for horse thieving about two years ago. His father was a cattle
rustler and hanged about three years before that. He's got a
younger sister who's a whore in Rock Springs, and his mother shot
herself last winter."
"Sounds like a
sorry family."
"The Rowes are
trash and always have been. Ned is as crooked as a dog's hind
leg."
"I see." Longarm
hooked his own heel over the rail and gazed off toward the
distant mountains. "Jimmie, are you suggesting that Ned might be
mixed up with the train robberies?"
"Oh," Jimmie
drawled, "I'm not suggesting anything. He's mean and drinks too
damn much. He's awful with horses and not much of a shoer, but I
sure wouldn't want to see him get into trouble."
"Ned says that his
business isn't very good."
"'Course it
isn't! Word gets around. He'll whip a horse with his shoeing
file. He's lamed a few by cutting them to the quick because he
gets angry and impatient. I'm not just saying that because he's
my only competitor, Deputy."
"I'm sure you're
not."
"The truth of the
matter is," Jimmie said, chewing on a stem of alfalfa, "Ned has a
wild streak. Sometimes he just closes his shop, saddles a horse,
and rides off for a few days at a time."
"Any idea where he
might go?"
"Nope. I'm told
that Ned rides over to Cheyenne and gets drunk. My wife thinks
that Ned has a whore over there that he's fond of dallying
with."
"What do you think
Ned does?"
"I think he's
foolin' around with more than whiskey and bad women," Jimmie
said.
Longarm waited for
a further explanation. When it became obvious that it would not
be forthcoming, he said, "Why do you think he's up to something
illegal?"
"Because Ned
always returns with more money than he leaves with."
"Maybe he goes to
Cheyenne and shoes a few horses."
Jimmie chuckled
softly. "Hell, Deputy! You've got a fine sense of humor, don't
you?"
Longarm hadn't
meant for his remark to be humorous. "Watch for that horse with
the broken shoe, Jimmie. If it shows up, get word to me right
away at the hotel or track me down here in town."
"What about the
sheriff? You going to be working with him on this?"
"I've never met
the man."
"He's new," Jimmie
said. "I don't trust him any more than I do Ned
Rowe."
Longarm frowned.
"Jimmie, despite your easygoing ways, I'm beginning to wonder if
you're just naturally a suspicious kind of fella."
Jimmie laughed
outright. "Deputy, if you think I'm suspicious, just you trot on
over to pay your respects to Sheriff Cotton. He'll make you
suspicious too, and he's the sheriff!"
"I will pay him a
visit."
"Do yourself a
favor."
"What's
that?"
The smile died on
Jimmie's wrinkled face. "Let's just keep the broken horseshoe
thing to ourselves for a few days. Never mind the fool sheriff.
If the horse comes to town and its owner knows anything about my
reputation, he'll bring the animal here."
"And if he brings
the horse to Ned?"
"Then I'd say you
have two of the train robbers caught dead to rights."
Longarm nodded.
He wasn't sure that he believed Jimmie, but the man's suspicions
sure needed investigating. And being forewarned about Laramie's
new sheriff was something that Longarm appreciated. As a federal
officer, he often had to work in cooperation with the local
authorities. Sometimes it worked, often it did not. Sheriffs
and town marshals had a tendency to be pretty closed-mouthed, and
they often did not appreciate having a
he ran a livery stable.
"Sure, Deputy,
I'll watch for a horse like that. And how much did you say the
reward might be?"
"I didn't say,"
Longarm told the man. "But it could be a considerable amount of
money."
"Have you already
visited Ned Rowe?"
"I
have."
"Too
bad."
"Why?"
Jimmy shrugged.
With one worn boot heel hooked over a bottom fence rail and his
arms hooked over the top fence rail, he was as relaxed as Ned
Rowe had been angry.
"Well, Deputy
Long, it might interest you to know that Ned's brother was hanged
for horse thieving about two years ago. His father was a cattle
rustler and hanged about three years before that. He's got a
younger sister who's a whore in Rock Springs, and his mother shot
herself last winter."
"Sounds like a
sorry family."
"The Rowes are
trash and always have been. Ned is as crooked as a dog's hind
leg."
"I see." Longarm
hooked his own heel over the rail and gazed off toward the
distant mountains. "Jimmie, are you suggesting that Ned might be
mixed up with the train robberies?"
"Oh," Jimmie
drawled, "I'm not suggesting anything. He's mean and drinks too
damn much. He's awful with horses and not much of a shoer, but I
sure wouldn't want to see him get into trouble."
"Ned says that his
business isn't very good."
"'Course it
isn't! Word gets around. He'll whip a horse with his shoeing
file. He's lamed a few by cutting them to the quick because he
gets angry and impatient. I'm not just saying that because he's
my only competitor, Deputy."
"I'm sure you're
not."
"The truth of the
matter is," Jimmie said, chewing on a stem of alfalfa, "Ned has a
wild streak. Sometimes he just closes his shop, saddles a horse,
and rides off for a few days at a time."
"Any idea where he
might go?"
"Nope. I'm told
that Ned rides over to Cheyenne and gets drunk. My wife thinks
that Ned has a whore over there that he's fond of dallying
with."
"What do you think
Ned does?"
"I think he's
foolin' around with more than whiskey and bad women," Jimmie
said.
Longarm waited for
a further explanation. When it became obvious that it would not
be forthcoming, he said, "Why do you think he's up to something
illegal?"
"Because Ned
always returns with more money than he leaves with."
"Maybe he goes to
Cheyenne and shoes a few horses."
Jimmie chuckled
softly. "Hell, Deputy! You've got a fine sense of humor, don't
you?"
Longarm hadn't
meant for his remark to be humorous. "Watch for that horse with
the broken shoe, Jimmie. If it shows up, get word to me right
away at the hotel or track me down here in town."
"What about the
sheriff? You going to be working with him on this?"
"I've never met
the man."
"He's new," Jimmie
said. "I don't trust him any more than I do Ned
Rowe."
Longarm frowned.
"Jimmie, despite your easygoing ways, I'm beginning to wonder if
you're just naturally a suspicious kind of fella."
Jimmie laughed
outright. "Deputy, if you think I'm suspicious, just you trot on
over to pay your respects to Sheriff Cotton. He'll make you
suspicious too, and he's the sheriff!"
"I will pay him a
visit."
"Do yourself a
favor."
"What's
that?"
The smile died on
Jimmie's wrinkled face. "Let's just keep the broken horseshoe
thing to ourselves for a few days. Never mind the fool sheriff.
If the horse comes to town and its owner knows anything about my
reputation, he'll bring the animal here."
"And if he brings
the horse to Ned?"
"Then I'd say you
have two of the train robbers caught dead to rights."
Longarm nodded.
He wasn't sure that he believed Jimmie, but the man's suspicions
sure needed investigating. And being forewarned about Laramie's
new sheriff was something that Longarm appreciated. As a federal
officer, he often had to work in cooperation with the local
authorities. Sometimes it worked, often it did not. Sheriffs
and town marshals had a tendency to be pretty closed-mouthed, and
they often did not appreciate having a
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