Longarm and the Train Robbers

by Tabor Evans

  Clarence Huntington roused himself to mutter something that was not complimentary. Longarm turned to the door. "Someone get me a pitcher of water!"

  A moment later, Longarm had water. He poured some into his hand and splashed it into his injured eye. It felt soothing and when he squinted, he could see much better again. Longarm used the remainder of the water to pour over Clarence. The old man sputtered and spit.

  "Come on," Longarm said, hauling Clarence to his feet. "You're going to jail."

  Clarence stared at Longarm, and when he spoke, his voice was choked with hatred. "I swear that I'll see you in your grave, Deputy!"

  "I doubt that," Longarm said. "I doubt that very much."

  Clarence, in a fit of renewed vigor, kicked Longarm in the shin, and tried to break free until the lawman drew his Colt. "Keep it up," he said, "and I'll put a bullet in your knee so you can't possibly try and escape."

  Clarence started to curse, but when he looked into Longarm's bloodshot eyes, the old Englishman had an abrupt change of heart.

  "You'll pay," he said with venom. "You'll pay for everything!"

  There was a big crowd in the hallway, and it wasn't easy for Longarm to get Clarence Huntington downstairs, through the lobby, and up the street to the sheriff's office.

  "Lock him up, Sheriff!" Longarm ordered, shoving Huntington across the room toward the jail's only cell.

  "Mr. Huntington!"

  "That's right."

  Ike Cotton didn't like this at all. "Mr. Huntington is no criminal!"

  "That remains to be seen," Longarm said. "Lock him up on the charge of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit the federal act of railroad destruction."

  "You mean-"

  "Yes," Longarm said, "I mean I think he is part of the gang that derailed the Union Pacific at Laramie Summit."

  The sheriff stared at Clarence Huntington and shook his head. "Sir, I want you to know that I don't believe any of those charges. Will you remember that?"

  Huntington just stared at him, then turned his hateful gaze back to Longarm. "You murdered my young nephew. I'm not going to stop until you are broken, Deputy. Broken and imprisoned with the kind of men that you have put behind bars. I'll bet that they will know how to punish you far worse than any death by hanging!"

  Longarm felt a shiver of apprehension run down his spine, but it never showed. "We'll see," he said. "We'll just see what happens after I search your room."

  "You have no right!"

  "I have every right," Longarm said.

  "I want an attorney!" Huntington screamed. "Sheriff, I demand the best attorney in this town."

  "Yes, sir, Mr. Huntington. That'd be Stephen Miller. I'll get him first thing tomorrow."

  "Now!"

  Sheriff Cotton threw a confused and frightened look at Longarm, and before he could be stopped, the sheriff was bolting out the door and running up the street.

  Longarm locked the wealthy man up himself. "I don't know what kind of power you think you have in Laramie, but justice will be served."

  "We'll see who wins and who loses," Clarence vowed. "And before my lawyers are through with you, Deputy Long, you'll rue the day that you ever came to Laramie."

  "That's big talk. I have evidence that links your nephew to the train derailment."

  "What evidence?"

  "You'll see when you go to trial," Longarm said. Then he left the sheriff's office and headed back to see if Milly was on the mend.

  CHAPTER 9

  Longarm paced back and forth in his room while the doctor examined Milly and a crowd gathered in the street below. It was plain that some of the people were very upset about Longarm being responsible for the deaths of two men in less than an hour, but they were completely ignorant of the facts, so Longarm paid them no mind.

  "Well, Doctor?" he asked when the man finally stepped back and appeared to have finished his examination. "Is the prettiest girl in Laramie going to survive?"

  "Of course she will," Dr. Wilson said. "Not only survive, but still be pretty."

  Longarm's sigh was audible and Milly tried to smile, but winced because her lips were broken. She looked bad now, but Longarm was sure that, in a few weeks, her lips would heal and her facial bruises would disappear.

  "Milly," the doctor said, closing his bag, "you're a very lucky woman."

  "I don't feel lucky."

  "You should." Dr. Wilson was a thin, graying man with penetrating blue eyes and a warm smile. "Any one of the blows that you took could have shattered those beautiful cheekbones. I would also have expected a concussion, but even that didn't happen. All you need is a few weeks of rest and recuperation."

  "Custis almost got his eye gouged out," Milly said quietly. "I think you'd do better to attend to him."

  "He's already looked at my eye," Longarm said. "Just some tiny broken blood vessels. No problem."

  The doctor patted Milly on the arm. "I don't know how a man who appeared to be a gentleman like Blake Huntington could use his fists with such savage intent. You're a very fortunate woman."

  "I was fortunate that Custis was hiding under the bed and able to save my lovely ass."

  The doctor chuckled. "Either way, what you need to do now is get plenty of rest."

  "Dr. Wilson," Longarm said, "I understand that Sheriff Ike Cotton has some important questions about the death of Blake Huntington."

  "What sort of questions?"

  "Beats me. My guess is that Cotton is up for reelection pretty soon and he might be looking to impress folks."

  "Impossible," the doctor said with derision. "But as for the victims, there is no question abOut the cause of death. I examined the bodies of both the man you shot at the livery and Blake Huntington. The shooting victim died of multiple gunshot wounds."

  "I'm not concerned about him. There was a witness. It's Blake Huntington's death that mostly seems to be stirring up a hornet's nest."

  "It shouldn't, and I'll tell the people outside when I leave. If they could see Milly's face, they'd agree that Huntington got exactly what he deserved."

  "His Uncle Clarence is determined to nail my hide to the wall over his nephew's death."

  "Clarence Huntington was extremely upset when you had him jailed."

  "He was out in four hours."

  "No matter. His honor had been besmirched. Huntington has some very high-placed friends in Wyoming, and he'll attempt to use them against you, Deputy."

  "Who are these friends?"

  "Well, one of them happens to be the district circuit judge. Another is no less than the governor."

  Longarm scowled. "I've always had a way of getting on the wrong side of powerful people, but I don't see how I could have acted differently. Milly is evidence that Blake Huntington was not what he appeared."

  "It was probably not a wise idea to have Clarence jailed," the doctor said, trying hard to be diplomatic.

  "Probably not," Longarm agreed. "But he attempted to shoot me. And his nephew was part of the same gang that derailed that train at Laramie Pass."

  The doctor frowned. "You've gone on record as stating that, but where is your evidence?"

  Longarm had the newspaper page he'd found in the wastebasket but knew that it was insufficient to use in any court of law. "I'd rather not reveal it right now. But something I found tells me Blake was part of that gang."

  The doctor walked over to the window and stared down at the street where the angry crowd was milling. "Deputy, I'm afraid that we've got quite a problem. I'll do whatever I can to calm them down."

  "That would be appreciated," Longarm said.

  Wilson turned away from the window and it was clear that something was bothering him.

  "Speak up," Longarm said. "I can tell that you have something on your mind."

  "All right," the doctor said, "You know the law better than I do. So you understand that if it hadn't been for Milly getting so badly beaten, you'd be charged with murder and very likely facing prison, maybe worse."

  "Blake Hunting
ton helped to derail that train."

  "So you keep saying" the doctor replied, "but he and his rich uncle were also quite popular here. They had plans to invest in Laramie and people looked up to them both. Now you come along, and all of a sudden Blake is dead, and some of the people below see a chance for some big investments flying out the window just like Blake."

  "Blake had no money," Longarm said. "I'm sure of that."

  "Maybe not, but his uncle did and they were a team." Wilson raised his eyebrows. "I think that our sheriff was very much indebted to them both."

  "What are you trying to say?"

  "I wouldn't trust Ike Cotton with my back," the doctor said bluntly. "That's what I'm trying to tell you."

  "Thanks for the warning." Longarm had already reached the same troubling conclusion.

  "Also," the doctor added, "I should warn you that Clarence Huntington has made it public that he is doing everything possible to have you arrested and tried for murder."

  "He is?"

  "That's right." Doctor Wilson gave Milly some powders for the pain in her head. "You stay in bed, young lady."

  "I will," Milly promised, winking at Longarm.

  "By yourself!" the doctor ordered sternly.

  Milly tried to giggle, but it was too painful. It hurt Longarm to see Milly in pain. He should have acted quicker.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  "The bald truth of the matter is that I've completely messed things up. First I lost Eli Wheat; then I shot one of the gang instead of arresting him and getting a handle on the others; then finally, I couldn't climb out from under a bed fast enough to save you from a beating."

  "No one could have known that they were going to derail a train to free Eli Wheat and rob the mail car," Milly argued. "And you saved a lot of people that otherwise would have died on that su-"

  "Maybe so," Longarm said, knowing it was the truth.

  "There is no maybe about that," Dr. Wilson said. "I heard what you did after the train wreck. That's why I know that you would not have thrown Blake Huntington through that window to his death on purpose."

  "Thanks," Longarm said.

  Doctor Wilson smiled. "Milly, I'll return tomorrow to see how you are feeling."

  When they were alone again, Longarm moved back to the window. He did not open the shade, but lifted it slightly and peered down at the angry crowd. He saw the doctor emerge and then begin to try to argue with the crowd, only to be met with a good deal of anger and resistance. Some of it was coming from none other than Sheriff Ike Cotton.

  Reaching a decision, Longarm turned back to the room and said, "Milly, you haven't been just kidding me in the past about having money, have you?"

  Milly was clearly taken aback by the abrupt question. "I wouldn't kid about that. So why do you ask? Are you thinking about marrying me or something?"

  Longarm noted the mirth in her eyes and grinned. "No," he said, "I just wanted to make sure that you are going to be all right."

  She reached out and took his hand. "You sound like a man who is about to leave town."

  "I've just decided to remove myself from this case," Longarm admitted. "I've done everything wrong."

  "No you haven't!"

  "Sure I have. I had two members of the gang identified and I killed them both."

  "In self-defense! Custis, what else could you have done short of getting yourself shot or brained by a water pitcher?"

  "I should have been able to anticipate and capture them alive," Longarm replied. "If I had I'd now have other suspects, and this case might already have been broken open and resulted in the arrest of Eli Wheat and that gang-"

  "You're much too hard on yourself," Milly said gently.

  "Back in Denver, Billy Vail is probably catching hell right now from Clarence Huntington's powerful friends. Billy is not only my boss, but a good friend. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I should have handled things better."

  Milly took his hand. "Listen," she said gently, "you saved lives on Laramie Summit. Maybe more lives that one night than you've saved over the entire span of your fine career."

  "I did what needed doing."

  Milly wasn't listening. "And I might have been killed or beaten senseless by Blake if you hadn't been hiding under his bed. You were brave to be there instead of taking off before we arrived."

  "You both caught me by surprise," Longarm confessed. "I didn't think you would be coming up so soon."

  "Blake wanted me before we had lunch. I tried to talk him into waiting but the more I resisted, the angrier and more passionate he became. Finally, there was no choice. I just prayed that you were in and out by the time we arrived. As it turned out, it's a good thing you weren't."

  "I'm sorry he broke his damned neck, and I'm at a dead end in this case again, Milly."

  Longarm shook his head and continued. "Now I've got to wire Billy and tell him I think it is best that I resign from this case and report back to Denver."

  "Do you have to leave right away? I was hoping you could stay with me for a while. If not here in Laramie, then somewhere else."

  "I'll ask for a week without pay," Longarm said. "But I can't make any promises."

  "And I'm not asking for any." Milly straightened the covers over her and said, "Go on. Send that telegram and then come back and tell me when you get an answer."

  Longarm nodded and headed for the telegraph office.

  Longarm received a reply from Billy Vail in less than three hours. It read:

  TO HELL WITH CLARENCE HUNTINGTON STOP DERAILMENT AT DONNER PASS CALIFORNIA STOP SEVENTEEN DEAD THIRTY-EIGHT INJURED STOP PROCEED WEST AT ONCE STOP CAPTURE NOT KILL FUTURE WITNESSES STOP GOOD HUNTING STOP

  Longarm looked up at the telegraph operator. "That's it, huh?"

  "That's it, Deputy. Do you think that it's the same gang that derailed our train?"

  Longarm studied his telegram. "I can't say for sure, but from the tone of this message, I think that Marshal Vail believes that there might be a connection."

  "Donner Pass is what? A thousand miles from here?"

  "Close to it. Do you know when the next westbound train passes through Laramie?"

  The telegraph operator looked up at a big wall clock with a swinging pendulum. "Next train is coming through in about eight hours."

  "Are you sure?" Longarm's luck had been so rotten lately that he found it difficult to believe.

  "Would I risk givin' wrong information to someone who fought and killed two tough men in less than an hour?"

  Longarm had to grin. "I hope not."

  "Damn right I wouldn't."

  The telegraph operator, a skinny man in his forties with wire-rimmed glasses and a scraggly beard, spat tobacco juice on the floor and said, "You want me to telegraph your boss and ask for some more travel money?"

  "Sure," he said, "why not? I can't be in any more disfavor than I am already."

  "Then stop on by before you climb aboard that train," the telegraph operator suggested. "Mr. Vail might even surprise you."

  "He can do that," Longarm said on his way out the door.

  Longarm returned directly to the Outpost Hotel. The moment he walked into his room and saw Milly, he knew that something was amiss.

  "Custis!" she cried in alarm. "They came here wanting to arrest you!"

  "Who?"

  "Sheriff Cotton! He's got a couple of men and they're looking to put you behind bars."

  Longarm didn't wait to figure out the whats or the whys, He was pretty sure that Clarence Huntington must have paid a judge to get an order for his arrest. Whether it was legal or binding meant nothing. Longarm knew that Cotton was just fool enough to try to arrest him and that the more people involved, the more likely people would be killed.

  "What are you going to do?" Milly asked.

  "If I stay and get arrested, I'm cooked," Longarm decided out loud. "I can't catch Eli Wheat and I can't do my job."

  "Then you should go."

  "I hate the idea of leaving you alone."
r />   "Who said that I'll be alone?" Milly replied, with a wink of her long eyelashes.

  "You'd get a man in here after-"

  "No, silly! Not at first anyway. I've got a lot of girlfriends that owe me favors for one thing or another. It might even surprise you to know that I've got some respectable women as close friends."

  "Nothing you say or do surprises me," Longarm confessed.

  He kissed her cheek and then grabbed his Winchester rifle and bags. "I'll be back again when all this blows over and I've brought the outlaws to justice."

  "Don't get caught!" she pleaded. "Now hurry up and go!"

  Longarm guessed that he had better scoot. He'd killed two men already in this town, and he sure didn't want to spill the blood of a couple more fools.

  CHAPTER 10

  With Ike Cotton and a group of deputies looking to arrest him, Longarm knew that the railroad depot would be covered and that there was no chance of escaping on the train. That meant that he needed to reclaim his horse from Jimmie and leave on the run.

  Longarm kept to the alleys most of the way to the livery, hoping to avoid any confrontation. When he saw Jimmie working with a pen of horses, Longarm hurried over to the man.

  "Jimmie, I need my sorrel gelding saddled in a hurry."

  "You're running from the likes of Sheriff Ike Cotton?" Jimmie asked with surprise.

  "I'll be back. But I can't do a damned thing in jail and I don't want to have to gun down the sheriff or any of his fool deputies."

  "Where are you going?"

  "Better you don't ask."

  "Ned Rowe climbed on his horse about an hour ago."

  This offhand remark caught Longarm cold. "He left town?"

  "That's right. I watched him galloping northwest on his Palomino. He sure was in a hurry and he wasn't heading for Cheyenne."

  Longarm studied the man. "You're still convinced that Ned is caught up in all this, aren't you?"

  "I didn't say that," Jimmie replied. "But nothing that Ned does would surprise me."