we’re going to push the herd up to the Stinking Water, and when it is sold you’ll all be paid what Cohoes promised you—plus a bonus for good behavior.” His grin was wicked. “And for bad behavior, you’ll get this.” He patted the barrel of the .44-40. The grin widened. “In the guts, so you’ll remember it.” He glanced over at his young brother. “You growed pretty good, Billy boy.”
Billy stood looking at his brother. Yes, the same Larry. Smiling, laughing, joking, tough, cruel, unforgiving—all of it stilLthere. But Billy wished he hadn’t gathered up those guns.
“Get the team hitched to the chuckwagon, kid, and you’ll drive. I want someone I can trust holding those weapons.”
Billy started toward the chuckwagon. He was almost there when he stopped and turned to face his brother.
“Larry, I got to get back to my outfit.”
“This is your outfit.”
“Larry, I’m talking about my platoon. The army.”
“Bullshit, kid. Get them horses hitched up.”
Billy felt something strong moving in his chest, in his belly and legs. “I’m in the army, Larry. I’m a soldier. I have got my duty to ’tend to.”
“Billy, I am telling you just once again—get them horses hitched. We are moving out. I mean fast.”
Kincaid, watching the Sioux through the glasses, began to wonder if he hadn’t made the wrong decision. There was the sign from Windy that Taylor and the Second had reached the far side of the timber, and meanwhile the hostiles had almost completely outflanked his position. His own men, moving out on the right, had nearly completed a wider flank on the Sioux. Now the firing had become sporadic, as the sun began to dip down the sky.
And suddenly there was Windy, signaling from the
172
edge of the timber that Taylor was in position. Matt watched the warriors still moving on his two flanks now, with his own men farther out on the right.
“Corporal McBride, blow the bugle like you never blew it before!”
“Yessir!”
As the notes of the bugle cut into the afternoon sky, Taylor and his men came charging out of the timber to the complete surprise of the Sioux, who had been so sure of a complete wipeout of the soldiers. At the same time, the men on the right, widely outflanking the enemy, now poured rifle fire into the startled Sioux from their rear.
At the timber edge. Windy dropped down beside Otio. “Challenge you to a shootin’ party,” he declared.
The Basque’s wide face split into a grin. “I shoot one, then you shoot one.”
“I’ll take that tall bugger over there on the brown and white pony,” Windy said, raising his Sharps. And he blew the warrior right off his horse.
“I take that one there.” And Otio shot a running warrior who was trying to get in close.
It didn’t last long. The fight was brisk and furious, and then a shout went up from the men of Easy Company when, without warning, Quick Thunder and his warriors raced away. The fight was over.
Taylor, coming up to Matt, could barely raise his wounded arm, which, although on the mend, had stiffened. Taylor managed his salute finally. He was glad that Kincaid said nothing. He would have been disappointed to find a weakness in his superior officer.
Billy had not hitched the team to the wagon. He had suddenly started walking toward his brother.
“Kid...”
“Larry, if I go with you, it makes me a deserter.”