Longarm and the Shoshoni silver

To which Longarm could only reply, "You have. They really must be worried about us pestering them about a little trade liquor if they ordered you up here to compromise me. That's what they call it when a lawman can't testify against folks because he's fucked 'em. Compromising."

She covered her face with her hands and began to bawl. He took off his hat and coat but left his six-gun right where it was as he bolted the door and sat down on the bed beside her, gently telling her, "There was no delicate way to put it, and you must have known what they meant you to do with me when they told you to take off your duds, climb into my bed, and await my pleasure."

She sobbed, "I'm not what you think I am! I'm not! I'm not! I got myself into this dreadful fix by giving away family secrets to a stranger before I knew who he was!"

Longarm placed a soothing palm on one of her shaking naked shoulders, "Don't be so rough on yourself. I know you ain't a real whore, no offense. Gals in the habit of spreading their warm thighs for cold cash lack the ambition to wait tables for honest wages. And as for you blabbing a mite because you have so few chances to talk to anyone down yonder, I'd have found out in any case. Indians full of firewater gossip way worse than any white woman I've ever gossiped with. But like I said before, I got no call to pester Indians that ain't doing anything I'd arrest your average white man for doing."

*Then we're still friends?" she pleaded, letting one nipple pop out into the lamplight in a mighty friendly way as she put a hand to the hand he'd placed on her shoulder to slide it down the front of her all the way.

He'd been right about her not having anything on under those covers. He sighed and balled the hand she was tempting into as firm a fist as he could manage, knowing she'd never get it in down yonder now. Then he quietly but firmly told her, "Friendly is just as friendly as friendly acts, ma'am. I told you I didn't want to be compromised too, remember?"

She began to rub her moist love-slit up and down the knuckles of his manly fist as she pleaded, "Call me Zelda, and now that you've been so nice I don't feel half as awkward about all this, ah, Custis?"

He smiled thinly and replied, "Speak for yourself. Miss Zelda. I got a boner for you that feels awkward as anything. So why don't I just step outside long enough for you to get up, get dressed, and get out of here before we both wind up in an awkward position!"

She started to rub herself with his knuckles harder as she shut her eyes and groaned between gritted teeth, "It wouldn't seem so awkward now that I've gotten used to the idea. What's the matter with you? Don't you want to?"

He soberly replied, "I'd be lying if I said I'd rather stick it in a pail of water. Miss Zelda. But I'll be compromised if I even jack you off all the way, so let go my hand, let me duck outside the way I said, and we'll just say no more about it."

She sobbed, "It's too late! I'm coming!" So he snatched his wet fist from her gushing snatch and sprang to his feet to unlatch the door and slip out into the dark hallway.

He didn't know the big fat cuss standing there in an apron with a shit-eating smile, but he figured who it had to be and told the kitchen boss, "It's a good thing for you I know better than to hit an asshole I might have to testify against in the future. So pay attention, asshole.

I just told your wife, daughter, or whatever I didn't ride for Indian Affairs or Revenue, but I'd be proud to turn such a low-down pimp in for running firewater to wards of the government if I didn't have so many Indian pals and such a live-and-let-live nature."

The fat oaf who'd sent the much younger blonde up to screw him then said, "I don't know what you're fussing at me for, stranger. That sassy Zelda will say most anything to get next to a man. But she was lying if she said anything about serving strong drink to Indians downstairs. We don't serve Indians at all, and even if we did, ain't it against federal law to serve 'em anything strong as beer?"

Longarm snorted in disgust and replied, "We've agreed it's sort of silly. Now quit acting silly with me and listen tight. I'll be sending your Zelda back down to you as pure as ever I found her, if ever I can get her out of my damned bed. You'll note I haven't had the pleasure of slapping you sensible neither. And so, in sum, it didn't work, I'm still free to accuse you in open court of running doubtless-untaxed com squeezings to Lord knows who all in a Mormon-run county, and I mean to if I have any more trouble from you all!"

The worried-looking fat man protested, "Jesus H. Christ, after we offered to feed you for nothing and sent a great lay up to your room, you say we've been trying to give you troubleT