Longarm and the Shoshoni silver

Longarm nodded soberly but said, "I'd hardly hang a yard dog, even a biter, for waming me just in time there was a weasel in my henhouse."

Vail shmgged. "Neither would I. But Tanner wasn't found guilty of being a mean yard dog by a jury of his peers. He owes a life for a life, and his saving your life

don't cut no ice with Judge Dickerson, or the kith and kin of that innocent young schoolmarm he gut-shot down in Castle Rock for no better reason!"

Longarm started to protest, then sighed and allowed, "I reckon there's no sensible answer to your draconian words of wisdom. But there sure are days I don't enjoy this job. Old Blue Tooth's sent word he'd like for me to come by and visit with him some more in the time he has left. I've already done that more than once. I've brought him tobacco, sweets, and some books before I found out he can't read. I know what he's going to ask me and I know I'm just going to wind up saying I'll try some more."

Billy Vail nodded soberly and said, "I've had to stand by as they hung someone I wasn't really sore at in my time. It can go with this job when the job's done proper and impau--tial. We know you've done all you can for the poor dumb cuss. So if I was you I wouldn't go to see him any more."

Longarm shrugged, flicked ash on the carpet to keep down any carpet mites, and muttered, "You ain't me. Before I had time to think I sent back word I'd come by some more, unless I got called out of town."

Vail shrugged and suggested, "There you go then. Just stay the hell away from the gloomy cuss and let him think you've been sent somewhere else."

To which Longarm replied, ''Bueno. Where are you sending me, to do what?"

Vail blinked, laughed incredulously, and started to tell his senior deputy not to ask such silly questions. But he could see Longarm really meant it. That was one of the problems you could have with a man who took pride in keeping his word.

Vail muttered, 'Thunderation, we don't have any outstanding warrants that could carry you far enough to matter. I take it you'd as soon be out in the field when they swing old Blue Tooth next week?"

Longarm grumbled, "Yep. Damned hangman sure picked a swell time for his damned daughter's wedding. I make

it eight or ten days before I can rest more easy about a shiftless skunk I owe."

Vail hesitated, then began to rummage through the disorganized papers on his desk. "I did have a dumb request from the B.I.A. here somewhere, speaking of shiftless skunks. They asked for you by niune. You'd think by now they'd have all the damned sign-talking scouts they'd ever need, and I was fixing to have Henry type up a letter to turn them down."

Longarm frowned thoughtfully and said, "I ain't scouted all that much, and your average Indian agent knows as much or more sign as I do, Billy."

Vail said, "I was just going to have Henry point that out to them. I suspect they only asked for you by name because they know you scouted Shoshoni for the cavalry that time in '78 when Buffalo Horn rose up by the South Pass."

Longarm said, "Buffalo Horn and his young men were more Bannock than true Shoshoni, if you want to put a fine point on it, and as I recall with some dismay, the army shot the shit out of Buffalo Horn's band, including Buffalo Horn, and then shot a mess of mighty surprised Shoshoni for dessert before those of us who knew better could stop 'em."

Vail nodded. 'The B.I.A. noticed. You've got quite a rep for getting along tolerably with Mister Lo, the Poor Indian. So anyway, they wanted to know if they could borrow you some more for some delicate negotiating with the Lemhi Shoshoni over by their Snake River."

Longarm said, "They call themselves Agaidukas if we're talking about the so-called Shoshoni and Bannock under old Chief Pocatello on the Fort Hall Reservation. Lemhi Shoshoni, or Western Snakes, was bestowed on 'em by mountain men. Mormon settlers, and such."

Vail sighed wearily and muttered, "Jesus H. Christ, if I ask the kid what time it might be he tells me how to build a clock! I just now told you the B.I.A. admired your astounding grasp of Indian lore. Do you want to mosey over

to Fort Hall and see what's eating those damned Indians by any name or don't you?"

Longarm said, "I do. Anything beats staying in Denver for that infernal hanging."

Vail shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Nobody said a thing about hanging you, and they do say Shoshoni squaws like to broil a captive's dick on a stick, with him still connected to it."

Chapter 3

The rest of the morning was more tedious than torturous for a man who was anxious to get out of town. Billy Vail told Henry to get in touch with Interior and make sure they understood Justice was paying no field expenses for such tomfoolery. Then he told Longeirm that even if he wanted to ride with the party headed out west to powwow with Pocatello, it would be best to wait until the dudes got considerably closer.