Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{“Very simple,” the fellow explained. “The concentrates that were taken represent the entire output of the major employers here. That was supposed to be the profit that would allow the mine owners, who happen also to be the railroad investors, to complete construction of the rail line, you see. This one robbery won’t be enough to sink us. But much more in the way of loss and there will be no railroad. And if there is no railroad, soon there will be no town. The mines will close and that will be the end of that, because our ore values have been declining. Plenty of value if we have heavy equipment to extract metal from the ore. Not nearly enough value at the present level of technology available to us. We have to have that railroad in place, you see, or eventually we will fail and Snowshoe will cease to exist}

_{except as a curiosity. Other towns in the area too. We’re all in the same sad situation.”}

_{“Serious,” Longarm agreed.}

_{“Absolutely.” The gambler sighed and pulled out a pair of cigars. He offered one to Longarm, then accepted the light that Longarm contributed. “Thanks.”}

_{“Mister, I can promise you I’d be willing to swap a match for one o’ these cigars any time you want,” Longarm said. “Now this is what I’d call a smoke.”}

_{“I have them special made,” the gambler admitted. “The secret is a bright-leaf filler. Expensive but worth it.” “Worth it,” Longarm agreed. He was definitely getting the impression now that this fellow sitting beside him wasn’t any small-town shopkeeper. That sort of curiosity, though, would only be satisfied if the gentleman chose to volunteer information about himself. One man simply didn’t ask personal questions of another. “I’m surprised your shipment was taken,” Longarm ventured. “Unless you’re getting an awful lot of extraction outta your ore here. But then you just said that you aren’t, otherwise the future wouldn’t be in doubt like it is.”}

_{“Frankly, Deputy ... it is no secret who you are, I hope you don’t mind.”}

_{“No offense,” Longarm assured him.}