by Sally Six
Lucy knelt down and took a small quart canteen from off her belt and poured some water onto her shirt sleeve to wipe her brother’s face. She was wearing one of Barry’s shirts. He had been bigger than her for a couple of years now.
Her canteen was something she always carried. There had been times in the last two months since they had been captured that it had meant life and death for her and Barry. While on the marches from one place to the next, they were tied together at the neck and no one was allowed to stop for anything. Last week the woman beside her had died of dehydration. That was the only time the line stopped. When someone fell and if they couldn’t get back up they were already dead or shot on the spot. Then untied from the two around them, retied to someone else and on they marched again.
Barry tried to open his eyes and smile at his sister to ensure her that he would be all right and not to worry. But it wasn’t possible. His bottom lip was swelling and both eyes were almost swelled shut already. He moved and let out a groan. “I must have some broken ribs,” he thought to himself. He would have to try and get up. He had to get these clothes to Captain Tanner.
All of a sudden his sister gasped. He couldn’t make out what was going on. She had gasped when someone walked up to them. There standing beside her was Lt. S. Sam Lee (Septimus Samson Lee). Lucy really hadn’t had anything to do with him as yet. He was in charge of a mess tent, but she had heard his yelling and massive rage many times.
“What are you two doing? Gold bricking in the middle of my path.” He bellowed at them.
“Get your butts up and out of my way, NOW!”
With that last bellow anyone that was near them disappeared quickly, Army and slave alike. They all knew of Lee’s temper. No one wanted to be around when he lost it.
Lucy noticed a tiny smirk on Lt. Lee’s face as he looked around and saw no one was around them. She thought, “OH NO, now what are we in for.” She looked around but she knew no help of any kind would be forth coming.
The famed mad bull of a Lt. looked around to see if anyone was still about. Seeing no one, he bent over and picked up Barry in his massive arms. Calvin over in the thicket watched this with rapt attention even he had been scared for the kids. He didn’t think he would be able to take anything else happening to the poor boy. He thought he would have to blow his cover and shoot anyone else who started to harm either one of the kids and in the boy’s case even more. Lucy was scared out of her scull for her brother and could only whimper.
Barry was trying to say something. “Croothes Capiaan Tayner’s croothes.”
Lee looked over at Lucy with a question in his eyes. She then looked at the ground at the clothes flung here and there. She was still scared and afraid to talk.
“What’s he saying?” Lee whispered down at the young lady.
At that moment Lucy realized they both weren’t going to be beaten senseless or in Barry’s case even more senseless. She then looked up at Lt. Lee.
In a voice Lee could hardly hear the young lady began to whisper back to him.
“Sir Captain Tanner’s clothes. That’s what he is trying to say. He has to get them to Captain Tanner’s tent before the Captain gets back from late mess.”
Lee only had to think for a second. “What’s your name young lady?”
“It’s Lucy sir.”
“Lucy quickly pick up these clothes and neat them up as best as you can. Then you can run them over to Captain Tanner’s tent over there and call inside to the Captain’s servant. Hand them to him or her. Don’t say a word. I will be standing right beside the tent with your brother. Can you do that?”
Lucy looked up. “Yes sir. I can do that.”
“Ok go ahead as quickly as you can.”
Lucy picked up the clothes shaking them off and folding them over her left arm. It sure was good there weren’t any uniforms in this pile. After delivering the clothes to the servant in the tent and not saying a word to her, Lucy turned and met Lee and Barry a few feet from the side of the tent.
In a low voice Corporal Lee whispered. “Just follow me and keep your eyes facing the ground young lady and don’t say a word.”
A few minutes later they were at Lt. Lee’s tent. He went in with Barry in his arms. She became terrified and stopped right outside the tent door.
Over in the thicket Calvin had noticed how gentle the giant of a man was being with the boy when he had picked him up. That he had said something quietly to the girl and then the girl seemed to lose the outright terrified look on her face. He thought, “Well I’ll be horn swaggled. It looks like they have a good one in among the rotten apples. I will have to pass this along. He might be of help in the days to come.” He also wondered if maybe there weren’t a few more good apples in the woodpile of snakes just biding their time.
Meanwhile Lt. Sale was standing at the front of General Smith’s tent asking to see the General. Private Tate who was one of the General’s body guards was one of the two stationed at the outside of the tent told Sale he would be right back. He would see if the General’s next set of guards inside would pass along the message to the General. Tate turned and took five steps to get to the door of the tent as the tent had a nice canopy for the General to stand under when it rained or be out of the hot sun. Tate stood at the entrance to the large tent and called in to the next set of guards that stood just inside the tent facing the tent entrance.
“Lt. Sale here to see General Smith at the General’s convenience.”
They were left standing where they were waiting for an answer for almost ten minutes. Then permission was given for Lt. Sale to enter as it was passed from the inside guard to the outside guard. Lt Sale entered the semi-light tent of General Smith. He heard whimpering coming from the portioned off area. Sale heard a slap. “Quiet I told you.”
The General flung open the flap and walked into his main area of the tent. Chairs, a table and a sofa were set up inside. The General wasn’t what you would call a big man. He was 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighed 155 pounds. He had steel blue eyes that reminded Lt. Sale of a snake and salt and paper hair. The General was strapping his German Luger to his waist. That thing was never far from him. At night it was under his pillow. He just knew someone was going to try and assassinate him. All famous men had that problem.
The General sat down at the table. It was solid oak and so were the chairs. He stared up at the Lt. and the Lt. gave a salute which the General returned.
“Now just what did you need to see me about Lieutenant Sale that you needed to interrupt my morning routine?”
At that moment Lt. Sale realized that he had made a terrific blunder. He had let his curiosity get the best of him. There was no way the General had gotten that note he had sent here. He wasn’t disturbed in the least and Lt. Sale was the first one to have been in to see the General this morning. When he got his hands on that private, he would never forget this day. He quickly tried to think of something to talk to the General about. There was no way in the world was that he going to deliver bad news to the General. “Think man think.”
“General Smith.”
“Go on Lt. Sale you are beginning to try my patients.”
“General, I was wondering if you would mind if we made tomorrow a day of celebration sir. A day to commemorate to you sir in honor of your leadership and great ingenuity in getting us this far.”
Lt. Sale began to sweat as the silence went on for several moments without a word from the General. Then all a sudden he heard a, “Ummmm.”
“A day to celebrate me. How novel Lt. Sale. You may get an accommodation for this suggestion. See to it Lt. Sale. I expect it to be worthy of me. You are dismissed.”
Lt. Sale was well out of sight of the General’s tent when he finally took a deep breath and wiped his brow.
“How in the world do I get myself into these messes, but it was better than being shot. Now to get things going for this made up celebration. Man when I get my hands on that private.” He growled as he walked away further from the Gener
al’s tent.
* * *
The Rangers had gathered back at the motor pool. Most of the guides coming in with them. Tinker Bishop and Burl Williams had left the group to relieve Calvin and Miles from their watch at the valley camp around 8:00 AM. They had made sure they had plenty of time to get there so their passage through the forest would not be hurried. All the bird calls they were using had been agreed on a few days before. As a bird call was heard by Calvin a few minutes before he was due to be relieved, he called one back at the trees. Tinker crawled into the thicket. The same thing was happening on the opposite side of the camp with Roger Gilliam and Burl. Each filled the new men in on what had elapsed during their watch and went on their way to a scout that would then relay the information on to the next one who would then relay what they learned up to the base contact.
Inside the base, Bill and Larry were hauling their captive over to the conference room to be interrogated. Hank went along as he would be getting word back to the other locals on just what and who these people at the valley camp were. It just didn’t seem possible that these people could really be part of their own countries military.
Chapter 29
Planning
The Rangers that were interrogating the prisoner stayed dressed in their Ranger garb. After a little while they were joined by Sergeant Brigham Lightfoot, a full-blooded Blackfoot Indian. Let’s just say Brigham instilled fear in the prisoner at first sight. Bill and Elizabeth had helped both Brigham and Gail Lightfoot to make authentic ancient Blackfoot apparel. Brigham had come up with the grease paint to do a half black face and some other colors for body paint. He sure was a site to behold.
The husband and wife Lightfoot’s weren’t the only ones decked out in ancient Indian apparel. A few other of American Indian descent had seen these outfits and just had to have their own along with a few that weren’t. Yes, there were a few black Indian’s. They were delighted to be included as it was part of their heritage.
Escaped slaves in the 1800’s and many others that had been captured on their way west were brought into the tribes. The Cherokee people were considered Cherokee if their descent was through their mother no matter the amount of Cherokee blood. There was now a band of around 70 people running around in their ancient wear. If this didn’t throw the enemy for a loop, Bill didn’t know what would. They tied the young captured private to a chair in the middle of the room. He was getting a good look at them for the first time as they had blind folded him for the trip up to and through the tunnel.
Then as the young man looked toward the door as it open. In walked a horrifying looking American Indian. They let him get a good eye full and then Bill and Larry turned the chair around. The young man’s back was to the door as Brigham Lightfoot walked up behind.
The young man talked for the first time in a wavering voice.
“Who in the world are you people? What do you want? You’re in deep trouble. I’m U.S. Army.”
Then Brigham went to work. He walked up behind the young man and started to growl. Lightfoot then walked around to face the captive and glared at him. He started to tell the private just how the Blackfoot torture their enemies as he took out his deadly looking bowie knife and began to play around with it.
Some of the torture entailed skinning the captive alive, little bit by little bit while doing your best to make sure he stayed alive. Then they would start to whittle away at him piece by piece. They would throw toes, pieces of fingers, nose, eyelids and bits of him into a pot and how they would make a nice snack. They would give power and strength to those partaking in them later. He would be allowed to watch as they did so. That’s if he was still alive.
The private turned white and then a shade of green and lost the rations that he had eaten before he was captured. Bill, Larry and Hank had to walk behind the prisoner so their smirks wouldn’t give then away. General Williamson had come into the interrogation room from behind the private. He hadn’t been heard so he got to take in all that was being said and watching the shoulders of the two men in front of him heave as they tried not to laugh out loud. It didn’t take but five minutes in Lightfoot’s presence for the private to sing like a bird.
After the private lost the contents of his stomach all over the floor and started to talk, the General let his presence be known. They found out the young man’s name was Private Matt Cane. He told them how different squads had joined together after different areas had been attacked by escaped convicts from prisons in Missouri and Arkansas. He was National Guard along with a few others who had been made part of the U.S. Army. The rest were regular Army out of bases in Ohio and Illinois. About 200 more they had picked up from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. All together he estimated they must have around five to six hundred men and women, not counting the slaves.
The young man was whining, “Please don’t kill me.”
General Williamson stepped forward in front of the prisoner. The young man gave a gasp as he took in the Five Star General tabs on the General’s shoulders.
“I am General James Williamson recently of the Pentagon. I want to know who is in charge of this so called Army camping down in the valley.”
“Sir, the man is charge is a General John Smith.”
The General’s face fell at this news.
“Crap in a hat. The Mad Hatter we called him. He was a joke. Always trying to pull something to get himself promoted and he managed it too as he became a three star General. I can’t believe he made it. He caused more good men and women to leave the Army than you could shake a stick at. I would have thought one of his own men would have shot the SOB by now.”
“Whoa,” thought Bill. He had never in all this time seen or heard General Williamson get this riled up. In fact it had even shocked the men who had been under his command for all these years.
Private Cane still tied to the chair was relieved for the moment because the attention was off of him. He kept glancing over at the huge Indian. Just as Cane glanced over at Brigham, Brigham caught Cane’s eye and smiled a feral grin that chilled the heart of the young man. After that he sat very still real intent on the floor until he was spoken to.
“Look up at me Private.”
It was the General speaking to him.
“Private Cane we need information. Your troop strength is just the beginning and now that we know who your Commander is all the better. Don’t try to give us misinformation or your will suffer the consequences.”
The General said this last sentence while nodding toward Brigham. Private Cane again looked over to the Indian standing not far away and shuddered.
Two hours later all the information that the young private knew about the arms and men was written down and ready to be transferred to those that needed it to figure out just how they were going to take the army in the valley.
Private Cane was taken off to the brig where he was given a meal and allowed to lay down as he wished. After eating a decent meal, he was dead to the world a few minutes later on a nice soft bunk.
A meeting was called while this young man slept away and plans were made. The rest of the day and the night to come were going to be very busy. That evening the base was like a hornets nest. They wanted to go to the enemy before the enemy came to them. Everyone grabbed a few hours’ sleep in shifts, prepared and by 3:00 AM the mission was a go.
Every spare person both military and civilian sixteen years old and up were utilized for the mission. The base would be left with a skeleton crew with young adults twelve to fifteen helping with many duties including guard duty to babysitting.
Not all had the training as yet to make 17th to 18th century era clothing. Many had been working on it for months after many lessons from Bill and Elizabeth and from others that had learned from them. Many of the things that they were learning had to wait until they had arrived here so they could put much of it into practice. So far only around two thirds had the costume of choice. Not all took to making leather, cleaning wool, spinning and clothing making with rapt attention.
Those necessary lessons had been a command to be learned by everyone by orders from the General. Also they had to learn cooking from scratch and gardening as well as learning to recognize and collect edible wild plants for food. Woods medicine had to be pushed on many women and men. They thought the Army and mess hall would always provide for them and the General had put many straight on that one. There were 1,932 Army personal of which 1,603 were able to take to the field and out of 771 civilians of which 384 were able to join in on the mission. Some of the people who weren’t up to muster yet would be used for smoke and noise.
They had the group of 18th Century back woods Rangers and a group of blood thirsty Indians from many nations. A few were attired as terrifying Vikings, lots of people were dressed as Scots, a group that decided to be early Pict’s and the rest as mountain men and women. All that material Elizabeth had them picking up on their way through the towns that they encountered really came in handy. Some of the outfits that looked like they were made of leather and weren’t would make do until they could get more made.
The ones dressed as Scots didn’t exactly have their clan’s colors on, but what they had would do for now. Everyone looked fierce and deadly. The part blue colored Scots and the red and blue painted swirled Pict’s with the spiked blue hair running around in loin cloths should scare a few out of their ever loving minds. Then throw in the Indians painted black faces with a bit of red and white thrown in. The enemy should feel like they have hit the twilight zone. The Berserker Vikings (they decided on loin cloths too as they really didn’t want to be naked, same for the Picts) would join the fray along with the Mountain men and everyone would be in high form.
Most were anxious for the battle to begin and have it over with. They knew as in all battles some of the innocent oft times fell along with the enemy. The adrenaline was running high as the time got closer to leave the base by the front gates,back gates and the tunnel. They would hit the valley camp on all four sides while it was just getting light.
