Company L had been out on the prairie after several hours of riding with Corporal Jones ahead on point. He waved back to Pepperdine, and the lieutenant rode toward him to see what he wanted. The two troopers, Griffen and Davis, who were acting as flankers, kept abreast of the young officer as they joined the corporal.
“Nothing to see, suh,” Jones said. “They’re leading us on a merry chase again.”
“It would appear so, Corporal,” Pepperdine agreed. This was the seventh time he had been detailed to check out a side trail leading off from the main trek taken by the renegades. And each time it proved false. All these incidents were ploys by Running Horse to slow down the pursuers. Pepperdine had never been so weary in his life, and it was still early afternoon. “Let’s rejoin the column.”
The scouting party rode back across the rolling grasslands and linked up once again with Delaney and the rest of L Company. The captain took Pepperdine’s salute. “Report, Mister!”
“Negative sightings, sir,” Pepperdine said. “Waste of time.”
“Perhaps, Mr. Pepperdine, but we can’t ignore indications of Running Horse’s party splitting up. Don’t you think it would be embarrassing to suddenly find ourselves ambushed or attacked from the rear?”
“Yes, sir,” Pepperdine agreed.
“And you remember to be extremely cautious when following these side spoors,” Delaney further cautioned him. “They might decide to leave a small reception committee for you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, sir.”
“See that you do. Have your detail fall in with the company.”
~*~
Two hours later Delaney’s command was continuing across the prairie. The sound of the horses’ hooves and the occasional clanking of equipment formed a mute chorus that was livened by sudden reprimands from the NCOs when some trooper began dozing in the saddle. All eyes were needed on the surrounding sea of prairie grass where an enemy could suddenly rise up like sharks from ocean waves. No point of the column was safe from potential attack or sniping.
Jim Rivers, who had been scouting ahead, galloped back with another report of a small party splitting out from the renegade band.
“Mr. Pepperdine!” Delaney shouted.
Pepperdine rode forward. “Yes, sir?”
“Another trail to check out,” Delaney said.
The lieutenant signaled back to his detail. “Corporal Jones!”
The NCO, followed by Griffen and Davis, pulled out of the column and rode after Pepperdine.
They found the change in the trail two miles away. Jones appointed Davis as point man as he and Griffen took the flanks. The members of the small party pulled their carbines free from the weapons’ saddle boots as they eased forward, alert for a sudden ambush. Pepperdine drew his Colt .45 revolver from its holster.
The lieutenant could feel the back of his neck beginning to react from the hot sun. He knew he would have a painful sunburn to contend with the next day. He was wearing a forage cap rather than the broad brimmed style headgear sported by the rest of the company. He would have given his first month’s pay for a similar one and two month’s salary for the airy, straw model that Delaney wore.
Davis waved frantically and pointed to the ground. Pepperdine’s initial alarm faded when he noted the soldier didn’t take to cover. He rode up to the point man and was quickly joined by Corporal Jones and Griffen.
“Looky there, suh,” Davis said. “They been here all right!”
The corporal swung out of his saddle and picked up an arrow. “Is this what you seen, Davis?”
“Yes, Corporal.”
Jones shook his head in disgust. “Don’t worry about these ’til one’s sticking in you!”
“It’s Injun sign, ain’t it?” Davis protested.
“This whole trail here is Injun sign, fool!”
“Don’t you be calling me no fool, Corporal!”
“How about if I jerk you outta that saddle?” Jones said hotly.
“That’s enough!” Pepperdine said. “We have a job to do here. Bickering won’t help us a bit.”
“I ain’t bickering, Lieutenant,” Jones said. “I’m disciplining this man.”
Pepperdine nodded. “I appreciate that, Corporal. But save it for later. Move out, Davis.”
Davis gave his corporal one more sullen look before obeying. “Yes, suh.”
Jones remounted and handed the arrow to Pepperdine. “You probably ain’t come across one of these before, suh. Would you like to keep it?”
Pepperdine took the arrow. Indeed it was the first Indian artifact he had ever seen. “Are you sure you don’t want it, Corporal Jones?”
“I got several, suh,” Jones replied. “If I bring any more stuff back my woman’s gonna have a fit.”
“You’re married then?”
“Yes, suh. We was hitched five years back. Got four young’uns too. Two boys and two girls.” As he spoke, Jones was fishing around in his saddle bags. He produced a blue bandana and handed it to Pepperdine. “By your leave, suh. Put this up under yer cap and let it hang down behind on your neck. The sun is fair cooking you alive.”
Pepperdine took the bandana. “Thank you. I was beginning to feel my skin back there reacting to the elements.”
“A bandana’s one of the handiest things you can have in the field, Lieutenant,” Jones said. “They make a nice mask against the dust, shade against the sun and something handy to wipe the sweat away.” His voice grew somber. “And sometimes they can be used to bandage you up.”
“I certainly hope I won’t have to put it to that unhappy utilization,” Pepperdine said. He pushed the cloth under the back of his cap and could immediately feel a lessening of the sun’s rays on his skin. “This will do fine.”
“They took you out to the field too soon, suh,” Jones said. “You didn’t have time to properly equip yourself from stuff you can buy at the sutler’s store.” He pulled on his horse’s reins. “I best get back to the flank.” He saluted, then rode off to his proper position.
The sign they followed took them far out into the prairie on a looping route that finally led them back to the main column in the early evening.
As Corporal Jones took Davis and Griffen back to their places in the company, Pepperdine reported to Delaney. “Another delaying tactic, sir. One of the men found this arrow.” He showed it to his commander.
Delaney examined it carefully. “Freshly made,” he remarked. “Perhaps this foray of Running Horse’s has been in the works for quite some time. At least it seems they had been preparing themselves.”
“What do you mean by that, sir?”
“I’m just talking to myself at this point,” Delaney said, handing the arrow back. “As soon as Jim returns from his scout we’ll settle down for the night.”
Pepperdine sighed. “I’m glad to hear that, sir.” He allowed his horse to ease into the column beside Delaney.
The captain grinned. “Been pretty busy on this first day of active campaigning, hey?”
“Yes, sir,” Pepperdine answered. “But I received a good deal of help from Corporal Jones. He’s experienced and seems to know this field side of soldiering pretty well.”
“He does at that,” Delaney said. “He’s next in line for a sergeancy.”
“I was surprised to learn he’s married,” Pepperdine said.
Delaney pulled a cigar from a shirt pocket and stuck it in his mouth. “Most of our NCOs are,” he said lighting up. “In fact a larger percentage of our men are married than in a comparable white regiment. This outfit is not only their home, but it belongs to the wives and children as well.”
“That should give everyone concerned a sense of stability,” Pepperdine opined.
“It does at that,” Delaney agreed. “I imagine that a good number of these men’s sons will enlist in this unit and spend their careers here. The daughters will marry soldiers until whole families will have two, three or possibly four generations having served in our ranks.”
“Certainly not that way in most regiments,” Pepperdine remarked.
“These colored outfits might just end up surprising the hell out of a lot of people.”
“At any rate, I’m glad you’ve detailed Jones to help me out on these scouting trips. Maybe tomorrow I’ll prove less of a burden to him.”
“I’m not detailing Jones to go out with you again, Mr. Pepperdine,” Delaney said. “Corporal Taylor will take over that dubious honor.”
“But, sir,” Pepperdine protested. “I’m sure Taylor is a good man, but Jones and I are fast learning to work together.”
“Mr. Pepperdine,” Delaney said glaring at him through the cigar smoke that hung around his head in the still air. “I don’t mind driving you until you shrivel up and blow away, but I’ll be damned if I’ll do the same to one of my NCOs.”
“Yes, sir.”
Delaney pointed ahead. “Well! Here comes Jim Rivers to rejoin us. Now we’ll bivouac for the night.”
~*~
The evening camp routine had begun as Jim Rivers, stretched out on the ground, chewing on a piece of jerky as he leaned back on his saddle. Delaney, Pepperdine and he were resting around their campfire. The scout winked at the young officer, and nodded over at Delaney. “This old fart been making your life miserable, Brad?”
Pepperdine smiled weakly, not wanting to participate in a conversation that was referring to his commanding officer in a vulgar way. “I’ve been busy,” he admitted.
Rivers laughed aloud. “By God, you sure as hell have!”
Delaney didn’t smile. “He’s going to be up to his ears again tomorrow.”
“You’re hell on lieutenants, Ambrose,” Rivers said. “Prob’ly cause you cain’t remember when you was one. When was that? ‘Bout a hunnerd years ago?”
Delaney grinned despite himself. “Just about.”
“It’s all pretty new to me,” Pepperdine said. “I can hardly believe I’m really out here fighting Indians.”
“Hell!” Delaney snorted. “You haven’t fought any yet! You haven’t even found a single one!”
Rivers’ booming laugh burst out again. “Don’t let him get to you, Brad.”
“He has no choice,” Delaney said. “I can get to him better than any man in the world right now.”
“Why you boys want to go for soljers is beyond me,” Rivers said. “I kin see some poor son of a bitch who’s two steps away from starvation—or these buffalo soljers—but why fellers like you two with all that book learning would put on them blue suits and take all them orders and pushing around is something I cain’t understand.”
“A military career is an honorable one,” Pepperdine said.
“Maybe for an Injun,” Rivers stated. “But his way of soldering has lots of individual stuff to it. He can be hisself and fight just about any damn way he pleases. You white soljers don’t do that.”
“They don’t have our organization,” Pepperdine explained. “We have supplies, administration and whole bureaus just to see that the army is operating properly.”
“Which is exactly why a bunch of them uncivilized warriors is leading us on a merry-go-round chase that’s getting them farther and farther away,” Rivers declared.
“We’ll catch them,” Delaney said.
“We’d catch ’em a damned sight quicker if the army would foller yer suggestion,” Rivers said.
“What suggestion is that?” Pepperdine asked.
Rivers bit off another piece of jerky. “Ol’ Ambrose here wants the army to form up special detachments of fellers to fight Injuns. They’d dress for the field, travel light with a bare amount of vittles and essentials and do away with bugle calls, formations and other military stuff.”
“Sounds like Rogers’ Rangers in the French and Indian War,” said Pepperdine.
“That’s what he wanted to call ’em,” Rivers said. “And—“
“That’s enough!” Delaney interrupted. “It’s bad enough I’m a captain with thirty-five years in this army without having to listen to some grizzled old son of a bitch expound on another of my military failures.”
“It’s still a damned good idea,” Rivers insisted.
Delaney started to reply, but Sergeant Wheatfall appeared suddenly at the fire. The captain looked up. “Yes, Sergeant?”
“Pickets is posted, suh.”
“Fine, Sergeant, take the Officer-of-the-Day on rounds.”
“Yes, suh.”
When Pepperdine didn’t move, Delaney reached over and poked him in the ribs. “There are only two officers here, Mr. Pepperdine, which means one of them is the Officer-of-the-Day; and it sure as hell isn’t me!”
The lieutenant leaped to his feet and set his cap straight on his head. “I’m ready to go.”
“Yes, suh,” Wheatfall said. The lanky NCO led his company’s junior officer to the perimeter where the sentries were posted. The first guard saw them coming.
“Halt! Who goes there!”
“Officer-of-the-Day and First Sergeant,” Wheatfall answered.
“Advance and be recognized,” the guard said. They walked closer and the soldier once again called out. “Halt!” He looked at them carefully and presented arms to Pepperdine.
The young officer returned the salute. “What are your special orders on this post, Trooper?”
“To be especially watchful for Injuns trying’ to sneak up on us, suh.”
“Very good. And what would you do if you spied a hostile?”
“I would shoot to kill and call the Corporal-of-the-Guard, suh.”
“Excellent,” Pepperdine said.
But Wheatfall was not so favorably impressed. “Pull your belt around so’s the buckle’s in front,” he said. “And lock them heels.”
“Yes, Sergeant,” the sentry responded.
Wheatfall gave the man another close look before he and Pepperdine moved away. After the round of the guard posts, the horse picket was given a thorough inspection as Pepperdine made sure each and every animal was secure. The whole affair had taken an hour before he and Wheatfall started back toward the fire where Delaney and Rivers waited.
“Don’t let ’em bother you much, suh,” Wheatfall said as they walked slowly through the darkness.
“You mean Captain Delaney and Jim Rivers?”
“Yes, suh. They’re just teasing you.”
“I deserve to be the butt of jokes, Sergeant Wheatfall. I stumbled around quite a bit today.”
“No, suh,” Wheatfall said. “You’re doing’ right good for a new officer. Fact, the cap’n tole me so hisself today”
Pepperdine stopped. “Really?”
“Yes, suh. You done them scouting forays right quick and smart like. That’s what he said too.”
“I can hardly believe it,” Pepperdine said as they resumed their walk.
“Corporal Jones said you catch on quick,” Wheatfall said. “It’s important for an officer to have the men’s respect. I think you got it, Lieutenant.”
“I’m very pleased to hear that.”
“Lieutenant Pepperdine, suh.”
“Yes, Sergeant?”
“Counting my time in the big war in the South, I got over eight years in this army.”
“Yes?”
“I know a lot about soldiering, suh,” Wheatfall said.
“I see.”
“If you got a question regarding something or other, I could prob’ly answer it for you.”
Pepperdine appreciate the generous offer. “Thank you, Sergeant Wheatfall. Thank you very much.”