The Last Patrol

[Tensleep]

"We will leave the bodies where they lay, let nature do it's work. If we take Nicky and Charley back someone might question their condition." Tensleep stood and spoke to White Elk a moment.

"Black Beard, let's load Jimmy on a horse an' git outta here."

[1stSgt Fritz King]

The straps were on now.  He felt their weight; the burden of command.  Fritz was responsible for every man who wore the "2" and the "I."  Their lives, and their deaths, were now in his hands.  More than anything else, he wanted to ride and get some target practice.  His orderly stood at the tentflap.

"Sir, Major Schurmann sends his compliments, and requests you meet him at his tent."

He grabbed his slouch and gunbelt.  "Very well.  I'm on my way."     

[Scarlet Angel]

Charley's eyes darted back and forth as he thought about how to get out of this. He was determined NOT to be left in the Indian camp. His eyes feel back on the gun Scarlet wore on her shoulder. He'd wondered the first time he saw it why someone would engrave a Dragoon. The man that had carried them had been good with the pair of them, head and chest shots if Charley remembered right.

"I've been to El Paso, maybe 9 or 10 years ago, but haven't been back since. The women there are just fine, but there are too many crazy Johnny Rebs running around, carrying guns like that one you've got, King." Charley said as Scarlet passed by him.

She ignored him and kept going.

Charley narrowed his eyes. "The big man riding with you, Black Beard, is not the one I remember carrying those particular guns. Did Black Beard kill 'im and give those to you?"

Scarlet continued to ignore Charley as she saddled Lucky. She tried to not think of the dreams she used to have. There was a time she would have sworn she was seeing what had happened at Bo's house through his wife's eyes the night of the murder. Charley had stood on the porch peering through the window watching the entire thing. "You'll get yer turn with her." The man holding Maria said just before she raked her fingers down his face. Scarlet hadn't thought of the dreams for along time until she'd seen Charley. She was glad his end was here.

"Maybe that girl was yer friend. She screamed you know as they took her again and again." Charley yelled.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes knowing Charley was lying again. Maria had angered the gang enough they killed her before they had a chance to do anything else.

One of the warriors picked up the gag and attempted to put it back on Charley.

"Are you afraid to talk to me King?" He yelled as he swung his head back and forth to keep the gag off. "What I done ain't nuthin compared to what those Rebs done when they caught up to Adam. What would they say if they knew you had me in the palm of yer hand and didn't drag me back so they could finish off the gang. How are you connected to the man that wore those guns?"

"Careful what you ask for Charley." Scarlet replied.

Charley grinned; he'd struck a nerve of some kind with her. "Father, husband, brother, who are they?" He waited but heard no reply. "What would they say Scarlet?! You say you keep your word good or bad are you breaking it now?!"
Scarlet turned and went back to Charley. "Maria cursed your soul Charley. You are bound for hell be careful how you get there."

The warrior stopped trying to gag Charley when Scarlet came back.

"Your word Scarlet, do you lie like you accuse me?"

"Think of what those men did to Adam and his gang, you should thank the devil himself for getting you free of them. You were a nobody who only held the horses to them. Keep it that way."

"Did they ask you to kill me, take some external part I am rather fond of and bring it back?"

"No. Let it lye Charley."

Charley grinned smugly; they had to have asked her to bring him back he thought.

"Then keep your word."

Scarlet looked at him a moment longer. "Remember you it was your idea. My brother would have been alright with leaving you hear with the Cheyenne." Scarlet said turning on her heel and going to Red Bear.

She spoke with him briefly before White Elk and Circling Falcon were called over. Scarlet explained to them what was asked of her if she was to ever find anyone who had been part of the death of Maria. Blue Moon's wife was called over also. She listened to Scarlet smiled and gave her consent to Scarlet's suggestion.

Scarlet and Circling Falcon approached Charley.

"You really should be careful what you ask for when you don't know somebody Charley."

Tensleep, Ella and Black Beard exchanged looks wondering what was going to happen. They all knew Bo was a very patent man but could be very cold and calculating when angered, yet it was not death or external body parts he'd requested.

Circling Falcon dropped to his knees. Scarlet looked Charley in the eyes. "Bo didn't die in that fire. My brother did not ask for your life, nor any parts you have asked about."

Charley felt a rope tighten around his feet and tie him securely.

Charley's smile disappeared as Circling Falcon cut his trousers at the knee.

"My brother asked whoever found you."

As Scarlet spoke a searing pain shot through Charley

"to remove your kneecaps and leave you, unable to walk, to face whatever came your way."

Charley screamed as Circling Falcon peeled the skin over his knee back slowly. Taking his knife Circling Falcon poked the edge of it under the knee cap and seesawed the blade back and forth working the knee cap loose, and finally popping it free. It was almost more than Charley could bear but Circling Falcon was careful and patient so Charley didn't pass out until Circling Falcon moved to the second knee.

[Elegant Ella]

When Black beard brought Jimmy's horse, Ella went through the saddlebags on it to remove any weapons. He didn't seem to have any extras in there, just a bag of ammunition for the pistol that Black beard had already taken.  Since she had claimed Jimmy as her prisoner, she would be the one to take the reins and lead his horse back to the fort.

Some of the children helped her saddle Aaron. After she reattached her saddlebags, she pulled out the last jar of jam that she had brought from the fort. She took it over to Eddie who had been untied and was standing with Carrie. It looked like the language lessons had already started. 

"Eddie, based on my experience living with an Indian tribe for a few months, you are probably going to miss sweets." Ella handed him the jar of jam, "Use it sparingly, and let it ease the first month of your adjustment here." 

He took the jar, "Thank you, for everything. Take care of Jimmy for me. He used to be just wild, not bad. Ma would be so happy to see him settle."

Ella nodded, "We'll talk to Jimmy on the way back. If he gives as much information as he knows about the past activities of Charley's gang, the judge could be more lenient in sentencing him."

"Are you all going to get into trouble for leaving Charley and Nicky here for Indian justice?"

"Marshal Ross can answer that better. I doubt it. Charley had already been reported dead over a month ago," answered Ella.

[Scarlet Angel]

Blue Moon's widow watched Circling Falcon then took the pieces of bone, wrapped them in a piece of deer hide and gave them to Scarlet. "Tell your brother he will not leave here among the living and there will be much suffering before his life ends."

Scarlet nodded in understanding. "I am sorry we could not save your man." She said.

The woman nodded in understanding as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Scarlet put the bundle in her saddlebags and waited of the others to get ready to leave.

[Elegant Ella]

Ella looked one more time at Nicky and Charley before mounting up.  Nicky couldn't take his eyes off Charley's knees.  Ella wondered why she wasn't feeling her usual compulsion to heal.  She knew that Charley had earned  pain.  His soul probably deserved to be punished in Gehinnom for close to the full twelve months.  Maybe the pain his body was going to suffer would reduce that time.

Carrie brought over cooked meal and bread wrapped for travel. "Thank you for helping Desert Rose. She is my friend. I feared losing her. Eddie is good boy.  We will make him good man."

"Thank you, Carrie," replied Ella. "Last night, I dreamed of you with three more children. May you have a happy life with Circling Falcon."

[Scarlet Angel]

Black beard handed Ella the reins to Jimmy's horse, then they moved out.

Jimmy looked back and nodded to his brother hoping they would see one another again soon.

It had been a long day so Black Beard did not push the group hard. After they had ridden for awhile Black beard turned to the group. "Anybody got a problem camping where we did last night?"

"It was a good defensible campsite. If we move a little faster maybe we could have a cooking fire before dark." Ella replied.

Tensleep and Scarlet moved their horses into a faster pace in answer to the question.

The group reached the campsite with plenty of time to relax and have a fire.

Jimmy watched as everyone pitched in and helped to get things set up for camp. It was a different life than what he'd been recently used to. Charley barked orders and expected others to do most of the work. They didn't even break it up into traditional work although Ella did seem to run what to do for dinner while Scarlet took care of the horses, Black beard and Tensleep unpacked some of the supplies and gathered wood." 

[Elegant Ella]

Jimmy fetched water from the spring. Ella had asked him to do that, instead of telling him to do it. He knew  that he was her prisoner, and he had thought that meant she would be bossing him around. He brought the water still trying to remember the last time he had been asked nicely to do something. One problem at home had been that his older brother George had always been bossing him around and criticizing everything he did.  He had drifted around aimlessly after he left home, not finding anything that suited him better. He had joined a couple cattle drives, until he got tired of eating dust because the crews he joined put the new man on drag. He was good with horses, but hadn't found anything that suited him.  Running with Charley didn't really suit him either, but the only way out of Charley's crew was by dying.

Once everyone was settled down to eat Ella's stew and biscuits, Jimmy asked, "How long have you been running together?"

"Scarlet and I met about two and a half years ago. We started working for Tensleep just over two years ago.  We met Black beard last month," answered Ella. "Why do you ask?"

"You work together like you have known each other forever, and you all work, even though Marshal Ross is your boss. He doesn't act like a boss, and he doesn't seem to expect you two to act like women."

[Scarlet Angel]

Tensleep and Black beard suppressed grins at Jimmy's last remark. It wasn't the first time the posse members had heard similar remarks and Black beard had made a similar one not to long ago.

Scarlet was always interested it what different people thought women ought to act like. She had found it depended a lot on which territory you were standing in and what type of person you might be asking. Black beard had his version until he met Ella and Scarlet. She was sure some of the other scouts and soldiers had their own versions also. Scarlet had even heard women were supposed to be the bossy ones telling the men what to do and how to do it when it came to the inside of a home, so she couldn't resist asking.

"What are women supposed to act like Jimmy?" she said nicely careful not to insult him.

[Elegant Ella]

"Well, I guess I'm used to women taking orders from men," started Jimmy. "My Ma was in charge over everything inside the yard. She ran the kitchen garden, the chicken coop and the barn.  I learned about horses and cows from her. She did the marketing, both buying food supplies and selling extra milk, eggs and cheese. My Da took care of the farm and all dealings outside the family. He dealt with the bank, and the brokers who bought our wheat crop. If they disagreed about what to do, it was always Da who won. Eddie said they had a big fight when I ran off. Ma wanted Da to come after me and bring me back. I wouldn't have let Da bring me back, having been all kinds of fool right then."

Jimmy paused, thinking. "The only other women I've had any dealings with since then were saloon girls and such when a cattle drive I was on got to town, or when Charlie let his gang visit a saloon."

Jimmy paused again, then continued, "Actually, I guess there was one more woman. The last cattle drive I was on, the crew lost a drover who got fired because he turned out to be a woman. Patches was a small man, but knew cattle and horses as well as anyone else, and could work as hard. 'Course, I already knew women can work as hard as men, because Ma and Susie both do. And I grew up on stories of how Ma proved up on her homestead section at the same time as Pa, so that our family could have a bigger farm. I hope Patches is doing okay there in Tucson. She taught me a lot. After the crew lost her, the crew wasn't the same, and I left at the end of the run. Would have been better off to have stayed with the crew longer, instead of meeting Charley."

[Scarlet Angel]

Scarlet smiled to herself thinking of the day she met Patches on the street in Tucson. Patches was a hell of a fighter and in the moments she had defended Scarlet's back against a small group of cowboys they had become quick friends. Patches had been the first friend Scarlet had bothered to make outside of Becca and the girls at the saloon in a long time.

Looking back Scarlet's father had been right when he'd said. "You spill blood with a man you either become friends or you spill his blood too."

Scarlet's mother had not been so impressed with her dad teaching her some of the rules of what he referred to as a man's game.

"How can you sit there and tell your own daughter if she can't trust a man to keep a secret she better be prepared to kill him to cover her tracks?" Rose had replied.

"Bounty hunting is a hard game. Kill or be killed and if you do something that might come back to bit you in the butt someday you best make sure there are NO witnesses." Johnny replied. "Think long and hard before you choose your road Scarlet. Then you best have the instincts to know right off who you will be able to trust."

Her dad had been right. That day in Tucson if Patches hadn't jumped in there would probably be five dead cowboys instead of one and who knows if the Marshal would have called it self defense. That's what it had been but nobody smiled about half there crew being cut up or shot. Scarlet wondered what would have happened had fate not placed Patches leaning against that post on the board walk. She would have either continued bounty hunting or hung by the mob of unhappy cowboys. Her life would have been very different that it was now if it hadn't been for Patches and Ella.

"Jimmy were you there that day Patches helped that other woman fight off those cowboys in the street?"

Jimmy's head snapped up. He was surprised Scarlet knew about that, although the brawl between the two hellcats and the handful of cowboys had been talked about for days. Stories spread and never had the same ending depending on who told it. Looking at Scarlet Jimmy realized she was the other woman in the street fight. "It was you." he said as he realized it.

"Yes." Scarlet replied.

"I never knew what happened after the Marshal took you and Patches to the jail." He said. "Do you keep in touch with her? How is she?"

"Patches is fine, she is happy. One thing I was wondering I never bothered to ask Patches. Those cowboys that fought us, they seemed to want to shed her blood as bad as they did mine, maybe more so. Were those boys part of the crew the two of you rode with?"

[Elegant Ella]

"No, they were a different crew, the Star 7. The Rocker Z had had run-ins with them all along the trail, and Patches was involved in stopping most of their tricks. She could hear the quietest man moving, and alert the rest of the crew before their man got into position. They got to town after the Rocker Z left, else there would have been more fights.  The Rocker Z had already moved on before you and Patches were in that fight. I left them at the next stop and came back to Tucson looking for Patches. I was trying to figure out how to help, when a cowboy who was watching and seemed to know both of you said you were doing okay. Then the Marshal stopped the fight and took you two off. I drifted up to Flagstaff then, and tried mining."

[Scarlet Angel]

Scarlet shook her head in understanding. "I thought they might be somebody she'd had a run in or two with. There seemed to be a certain energy between them." Scarlet looked at Jimmy for a moment. "I am a believer of fate Jimmy. Why fate put you in the path of Firehorse Charley, maybe you are the only one that can answer that. The powers that be have seen fit to give you a second chance. Do your best to follow the right road." Scarlet stood and picked up her rifle. "Ella gives good advise on such things should you need some help." Scarlet smiled at Ella then went to take first watch.   

[Elegant Ella]

There were no alarms during the night. Black beard woke Ella for her watch, then returned to his bed roll.

Near the end of her watch, Ella heard Jimmy stirring. After he tended to his business, he came over to sit near where she was watching.

"I've been wondering about a lot of things," he started. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Yes, of course."

"How did Charley start being a bad man?"

"His oldest brother told me Charley had always been interested in causing pain, and fascinated by fire. He ran away from home when he was 16 or so, and joined up with a gang that robbed and burned isolated houses, until the relatives of one victim tracked down the gang and wiped it out. I don't know how he escaped from that, but he did, and hooked with Firehorse Charley."

"I thought he was Firehorse Charley."

"He was born Charley Wilson. He ran with Firehorse Charley, and they built up a gang that mostly worked on the edges of Indian territory, burning Indian villages and camps, with occasional raids on white settlers as well. You remember that story Charley told, about his family being killed by Indians? That was Firehorse Charley's story. At some point, Firehorse Charley died and Charley took over the name and the gang. The original Firehorse Charley had a scalping scar that stopped being mentioned in descriptions about seven years ago, about the time the gang started attacking stagecoaches."

"Why did you shoot to wound me?"

"You mean instead of shooting to kill?"

"Yes. I don't think you missed where you were aiming to hit. And you don't shoot a rifle like Scarlet's. It doesn't matter much where she hits."

"How long had you been running with Charley?" Ella asked.

"About two years," answered Jimmy, wondering why she was changing the subject.

"Were you there when he robbed the Barlow & Sanderson stage outside Kansas City?"

Jimmy hemmed and hawed a bit before admitting, "Yes."

"Is that when Charley marked you?"

"Yes.  Why do you ask that?"

"I interviewed the surviving passengers. You match the description of the person who saved their lives." Ella started quoting from her summary of those interviews, "The youngest one of the band, who was holding the horses, protested when the leader tried to set the coach on fire with the passengers tied up inside. That distraction allowed one of the passengers to untie himself, get out the window and to the driver's seat, and whip up the horses. The coach made it back to Kansas City before the outlaws could catch up again."

"Charley almost killed me over that. When the coach started rolling away, Charley ordered us to mount up and catch it again. But I let our horses loose. They were already restless because of the fire that Charley had started under the door of the stagecoach. That fire scattered when the rear wheel ran over it, and the horses spooked. The horses didn't scatter very far, but it took long enough to round them up. Charley knocked me out. I came to back at our hideout, tied hand and foot and stripped naked. Charley had a fire going, and a running iron heating. I was ready to sell my soul to the devil before he finished. I guess maybe I sold it to Charley. When I swore to obey him, he marked my chest, and then let the others untie me and treat the burns on my back and legs and buttocks. But the wound on my chest, that he rubbed with salt, to make sure it left a scar."

"I can understand why you avoided getting between him and his victims after that. Eddie said that Charley did not let gang members leave, so you were stuck. By telling the truth to the Cheyenne, you started taking your soul back from Charley. Like Scarlet said, you have been given a second chance. What do you want to do with it?"

"I'm headed for prison now. That will give me time to think about my future. Do you have any idea how long I'm likely to be in prison?"

"You've been an accessory to robbery, murder and arson, which could earn you five to ten years easily. But I think that the Kansas City event would be taken into account by the judge. And if you tell everything you know about Charley's crimes, and help clear up those events, the judge could reduce your sentence even more. You could be out again in as little as six months."

"That's not bad. Even going to prison for as long as I ran with Charley wouldn't be too bad. I was afraid I was looking at life in prison."

"Even in prison, you will have some control over your future. You can get more book learning while you are there, and that will give you more choices after you get out. You can think about joining the Army. The Cavalry always needs men who can handle horses."

[Scarlet Angel]

Bo made his way out of the tent to the campfire. It still smoldered so he tossed some kindling on it and waited for that to catch fire before adding more logs then started a pot of coffee. It was too early for anybody to be stirring in the scouts' camp but he couldn't sleep. Something he couldn't identify had been gnawing at his innards like mice making a hole in the side of a barn for two days now.

The dream had woken him up and now he couldn't get the smell of burning flesh out of his mind. Bo ran his fingers through his beard, still able to feel the scars the whiskers covered with his fingertips. He hadn't dreamt about the night he'd lost his wife in many years, but this was the second time in as many nights. The dream hadn't lost its vividness for the sights, sounds and smells. He could feel Scarlet's touch as she gently smeared the juice from the aloe plant on his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the early morning air to try to clear his head.

The posse wasn't late getting back yet, they really weren't due back until sometime today, but the feeling things didn't go as they should kept poking at him. His instincts screamed there had been blood shed of some kind but he couldn't figure out who or why. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew the members of the posse were ok but the looming question of what if he was wrong kept echoing through his mind.

Bo retrieved some writing supplies, came back to the fire and poured himself a cup of coffee than sat down. He sat staring at the blank paper for a short time then began to write. Dear Mother. He stopped and looked at the words for a long time. She would not approve of him being here. She'd always disapproved of her boys putting themselves in any kind of danger. She would have preferred more literate types. What they never saw eye to eye on was one could die doing book keeping as well as cowboying or being a soldier...or a wife. Bo crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it into the fire wondering what was happening with the posse.

Cyrus approached the fire and looked down at Bo.

Bo rolled his eyes up. "Coffee's there, help yerself." He said thinking Cyrus was up awful early too.

Cyrus poured a cup and sat on a log  across from Bo. "I been dealing with Dick all night." Cyrus said as if to answer the question Bo had not asked. "That man Scarlet's horse kicked died. Dick is having fits."

Bo's eyes narrowed he was tired and now he was angry. "That man was lucky and the guy who was with him is even luckier." Bo growled.

Cyrus raised his hand. "I know Bo. Tell me, is Lucky dangerous?"

Bo stood. "If you intend to hurt Scarlet while he's watchin' over her you might as well unleash ten tons o' hell Cyrus. If I want to talk to her and she is sleeping in his stall I am very careful. If that horse even pins an ear I won't go in there. It's always been that way. Her Comanche friend says Lucky's soul belongs to someone who was once very close to her. If Lucky had been foaled after my brothers death there would be no question in my mind who's soul he has if you believe in that sort of thing." Bo sat on the log. "He is as well behaved otherwise, better than a lot of horses if you ask me. You want for me to go talk to Dick and that other fella?"

"No, that's the last thing I need." Cyrus paused wondering if he should tell Bo what else he knew."

"What aren't you tellin' me?" Bo asked.

"One of the soldiers that stands guard at the officer's quaters where the girls are staying told me the man that got kicked had been over at the quarters trying to bribe him to take a break. Said the man that was with him was trying to talk his friend out of it. When the soldier told them to get lost they wandered over to the stables."

"What does Sam say happened there?"

Cyrus was surprised. "You know who the survivor is?"

"Black beard and I saw them go in. Black beard asked me if Scarlet was really safe in there with Lucky. I told him we could go check on them. Sam is still alive because he tried to talk his friend out of "having a party with her" and he was smart enough to heed the warnings of a mad horse." Bo paused and looked Cyrus in the eyes. "I make it my business to know what is going on Cyrus. You should know that by now." Bo looked back into the fire. "If I thought Sam had thoughts of doing the same he wouldn't be breathing air right now."

Cyrus raised an eyebrow "Hows that?"

Bo looked at him and half smiled. "I was trained well to do a job. Let me do it."

Cyrus wasn't sure if Bo was saying just let him do the job he came here to do or if he were to kill somebody he was good at that too.

Cyrus shook his head. "What happened?"

"Carl opened the gate and tried to let Lucky pass. When the horse showed no sign of wanting to go Carl took a stick and poked him. Carl was trying to be quiet as not to wake Scarlet I'm sure. I'm also sure I heard the hammer pull back on one of those guns she carries. Lucky pinned his ears and barred his teeth. Carl tried to get around to the side and hit Lucky on the shoulder with his stick. Lucky picked him up and tossed him out of the stall. Carl could have walked away with a sore arm but he went back. When he stepped inside the stall and raised the stick Lucky turned and kicked him. The other man helped him out of the way and apparently to the infirmary."

Cyrus looked at Bo.

"Look where I come from Carl could have been up to two things, attacking Scarlet or stealing her horse, neither is a favorable reflection on the man." Bo replied.

"Sam is saying the same thing. I wanted to know if he was lying about his part in it all or not." Cyrus said taking a sip of his coffee.

"Cyrus I worry about the girls sleeping in those quarters. What happens when the right bribe passes the right guard?"

Cyrus looked into the fire thinking on Bo's question.

[Elegant Ella]

Cyrus looked up at Bo and asked, "I know Scarlet can fight.  Can Ella?"

"Well, she practices hand-to-hand fighting, but she doesn't go full out. She's better at avoiding being grappled than at breaking loose.  She knows how to fall. She knows how to fight with a knife, and does carry at least one, but again, she's better at defending than attacking. The only kind of combat where I'm really comfortable about her skill level is a gunfight. She doesn't shoot fast, but she hits her target, and she is very good about using cover."

[Scarlet Angel]

Cyrus thought for a moment. "It's never hard to find out who is on guard duty. They'd have to be a fool to let somebody bribe them."

"That gives me no comfort Cyrus. You know how easy I could take out a guard if I wanted to, no noise, and I am certainly not the only one in this fort that could do it."

"Dick says havin' women here is just asking for trouble." Cyrus commented.

"What do you say?" Bo asked.

Cyrus looked at his friend of many years. "Bo, you should know what I think by now."

Bo chuckled. "If you thought them being here was trouble you would have asked them to leave or at the very least keep to themselves and not make friends with the rest of the scouts."

Cyrus sipped his coffee again and looked up at the stars that were beginning to fade in the early morning light. "From where I sit and knowing what I know, Scarlet and Ella are just a different kind of trouble for Dick's men. If it wasn't for them I'd be breaking up fights between them and these men. Last time our two groups were in the same vicinity some of his men snuck into camp and tried to cut up some of my men. I don't have to tell ya what my men did and called it self defense." 

"The first thing to do is tell Ella and Scarlet about Carl trying to bribe the guard." Bo said.

"He's dead, you think someone else might try it?"

"When we ride together there is always someone on guard the group trusts. I don't trust all the soldiers that stand guard. Once in a while they fall asleep. I've seen it. Nobody would forgive themselves if something happened to one of the girls knowing what we know."

Cyrus shook his head in agreement. "Even in this camp they take turns guarding, as you already know."

"Yep." Bo replied having taken his turn keeping watch in camp. "I wonder if Fritz knows if he can trust the guards or not."

"Only one way to find out." Cyrus said pouring himself another cup. A silly half grin played on his lips. "Is Lucky house broke?"

Bo looked at him as if he'd asked a foolish question.

Cyrus leaned forward and filled Bo's cup. "You are kidding me."

Bo laughed. "He has been in the house, not for long periods of time but he's been in. Used to spend a lot of time sleeping on the porch outside Scarlet's room when he was small. You'd have to ask Fritz or Scarlet if he still sleeps out there."

[Scarlet Angel]

Cyrus returned the pot to the fire and leaned back. He looked passed Bo but at nothing in particular then back to his friend. "You are very protective of those ladies." Cyrus stated.

"I think the rest of the men are too. They've made themselves a part of this group." Bo replied.

Cyrus looked into his cup wondering if he should ask or not.

Bo looked at him and cocked his head. "Just spit it out Cyrus, we're to old to beat 'round the bush as they say."

"It's not unheard of for a widow to marry her brother in law, and that's what most the men think. Why didn't you?"

The corners of Bo's mouth slightly curled up. "Leave it to a Yankee soldier to out maneuver me." He chuckled.

Cyrus looked surprised not sure if Bo was kidding or not.

"Neither one of us were ready to take the chance at the same time I guess." Bo continued. "Ya know when we were younger we didn't seem to fuel the passion in one another. No doubt we would have been happy and comfortable. Who wants that when you can have that rolled up with the fire too?"

"I wouldn't know." Cyrus chuckled. "'bout know I would envy happy and comfortable."

"Well I would miss the fire. The things that are thought when those dark eyes are watching you and the way she makes you feel with a look or a touch, alone or in public."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

Bo smiled at a memory of his own wife. "There are looks Scarlet and I share, even Ella and I have a few private jokes you can share with just a look or one word. But there are looks a woman in love gives the man she loves. There's something else there. Something that will either bring a smile to his face or make him blush. At times I envy Fritz that. But I am lucky he tolerates me hanging around, sleeping with his wife under the stars." Bo's smile turned mischievous as he stood. "Usually I only discuss this kind of stuff with Scarlet or when I've had to much to drink. So if you repeat it I will deny it."

Cyrus chuckled. "Don't think anybody would believe the two of us would talk like that."

"I'm off to find Fritz and talk to him." Bo said.

"Make sure to tell him you are sleeping with his wife under the stars." Cyrus said raising his cup in a mock toast.

Bo grinned.

Walking among the tents of the Union army was had grown familiar over the years, but it always felt strange. Somehow Bo had to fight the urge to melt into the shadows and pass unseen. Old habits died hard he guessed.

"Mornin'" Bo said to the man that stood in front of Fritz's tent.

"Sir." The boy replied.

It always seemed they were getting younger Bo thought, maybe it was him just getting older, he couldn't remember himself looking like he should still be chasing after his ma though. "Is the Lieutenant up yet?"

The boy smiled. "It's Captain Sir."

"What?"

"Lieutenant King, he's a Captain now Sir." The boy said.

"Captain now is he. Every time I come round they've promoted him."

The boy grinned. It was obvious to Bo he was happy about pulling guard duty at the Captain's quarters. "I've not heard any evidence of him being awake yet Sir."

"It's Bo son, I ain't wearin' no stripes."

"Yes Sir."

Bo shook his head and chuckled. "Tell Fritz...Captain King I'd like to talk to him when he has a moment."

"Yes, Si...Mr. Corbin."

Bo was surprised the soldier knew his name, he'd not been over here.

"You're some kind of fighter Mr. Corbin. Some of the others said you're a real good teacher too. I was hoping next time we got to break into groups for hand to hand I would be in your group."

"Just ask, and remember to tell the Captain I want to talk to him."

"Yes Sir." The soldier paused. "Let me check for you Sir."

[Elegant Ella]

Once the sky started brightening towards dawn, Ella sent Jimmy to fetch more water while she built a fire for making coffee and breakfast.  The aroma of the coffee made the others admit to being awake.  Ella was pretty sure that at least Blackbeard had been awake the whole time while she and Jimmy were talking, and possibly all three. 

[1stSgt Fritz King]

Fritz had been going over the details of the mission for several hours.  He'd been impressed with the way Bill had taken to his new position.  Bill was a professional, just as he was.  But Bill on a staff was a scary thought.  About as scary as Fritz being in command again. 

When Captain Schurmann's horse was shot out from under him in the Shenandoah, Fritz hadn't thought...he acted.  He saw Bill in his mind's eye being torn by rounds, tossed about like a rag doll.  Ranger was a young horse back then, and nothing could touch him.  He rode in hard and fast, scooping up the Captain in his left arm.  He'd dislocated his shoulder in that move.  It ached him to this day.  Fritz had taken rounds in the legs during the rescue.  Bill told him, "take care fo the men for me."

He had.  To the best of his ability.  But it didn't last.  He relinquished command when the war was over.  It was a Brevet promotion after all.  He'd revert to his previous rank in peacetime.  "But here we are, ten years later," Fritz thought, "and I'm right back where we left off."

He was also impressed with the General.  George Crook was a fighter; one who understood his enemy.  He'd take the fight to them this time.  His use of muletrains meant no supply lines to fall back on.  They could run lean and fast...almost as fast as the indians they'd pursue.  But the Sioux were born to that life.  His men weren't.  He'd done all that he could.  In his pocket was the order of march.  I Company would ride near the middle of the column, which meant their scouts would be out on the flanks with the vedettes.  Ella would ride with the hospital staff, where she could do the most good. 

He'd been writing at his desk when he fell asleep.  It was a fitfull rest at best. 

There was a storm coming.  He could feel it in the air, and in his old wounds.  The screams of dying men fill the air.  It was hand to hand; a melee.  A Sioux warrior charged him with a fighting hawk held high.  He ripped the short Colt from its holster, cocking it in one swift motion.

"SIR!!!"

The young trooper's eyes bulged out of his head.  Fritz carefully lowered the hammer of his pistol, and returned it to his holster. 

"Son, don't ever sneak up on me.  I've got too many demons chasing me these days."

"Yes sir," came the shaky reply.  "Sir, Mister Corbin is here to see you."

Send him in," Fritz said.  And see if you can scare us up any coffee.  My fire's gone out."