Frontier America

by William W. Johnstone

  “I reckon he’d risk almost anything to get what he wants,” Jamie said. “Especially if he’s mostly risking other people’s lives.”

  They reached Davidson’s tent. One of the troopers stood guard outside it. He held his rifle at a slant across his chest and said quietly, “Begging your pardon, sirs, Lieutenant Davidson has already retired for the evening and doesn’t wish to be disturbed unless—”

  He stopped short, as if realizing that he’d been about to say too much. Jamie glared at the sentry and said, “Unless it’s Sergeant O’Connor, right? Well, get out of our way, son, we’re going in.”

  The suddenly nervous trooper looked at Tyler and said, “Lieutenant?”

  “Step aside, private,” Tyler said. “This is important.”

  The soldier still hesitated, but only for a second longer before he muttered, “Oh, well, I suppose I can’t be busted down any lower than I already am.”

  He moved aside to allow Jamie and Tyler to reach the tent’s entrance flap. Jamie grabbed hold of it and jerked it aside.

  “Davidson!” His bellow filled the night.

  Lieutenant Davidson jerked up from his cot as Jamie bulled into the tent. He was the only member of the troop who didn’t sleep in a bedroll. But that also meant he was the only one who could fall off a cot in confusion when he was jolted out of sleep, as happened now. He landed hard on his butt and sat there blinking in confusion as Jamie snapped a lucifer to life with his thumbnail and held the flame to the wick of the candle on Davidson’s small folding table.

  The light from the candle revealed that Davidson was dressed only in his long underwear. His sandy hair was askew from sleep. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he gaped up at Jamie.

  “Good Lord, you’re a cool-nerved son of a bitch, I’ll give you that,” Jamie declared. “You send men off on a chore that’ll probably get them all killed and is liable to start an Indian war, and you’re still able to just turn in and go to sleep!”

  “What . . . what are you talking about?” Davidson managed to say. Then his features grew taut with his habitual expression of arrogant petulance. “What the devil are you doing, MacCallister? How dare you intrude on my personal quarters this way?”

  He stood up and started brushing himself off.

  “I know what you’re up to, Davidson,” Jamie grated. He had to keep a tight rein on his temper. If he gave in to the impulses that filled him, he would pick up that little brat and shake him the way a hunting dog shakes a rat. “I know you sent O’Connor and some of the other troopers to the Crow village to try to kidnap Butterfly!”

  “The woman’s name is Caroline,” said Davidson. “With any luck, we’ll find out what her last name is when we get her back to civilization, where she belongs.”

  “You really think you’re going to be able to do that?” Jamie waved an arm angrily and almost knocked over the candle with his hand. “I reckon the Crow are going to have something to say about that.”

  “Those savages are no match for a properly trained and well-armed troop of dragoons,” Davidson insisted. “Once we have Miss Caroline in our custody, they’ll see how futile it would be to try to steal her away from us, as they no doubt stole her to start with.”

  “Didn’t you listen to anything Preacher had to say about her?”

  Davidson shook his head and said, “I put no stock in anything said by a man who spends his time with those heathens by choice. He’s no better than they are.”

  Tyler spoke up, saying, “Is what Jamie says true, Edgar? You sent men to kidnap that woman?”

  “To rescue her. And be careful the sort of tone you take with me, Second Lieutenant Tyler.”

  Tyler didn’t seem to be worried about violating military protocol as he went on, “My God, I can’t believe you’d do such a thing! You’re going to get us all killed!”

  “Showing your true colors, eh, Lieutenant?” Davidson’s lip curled. “You’re nothing but a coward.”

  Tyler stepped forward, clenching his fists and tensing himself to take a swing, no longer caring that Davidson held a higher rank. Jamie moved to get between the two young men, not because he was worried about Davidson but rather because he didn’t want to see Tyler throw away his military career.

  “I’m going to head over there and see if I can put a stop to this before everything goes to hell,” he said. “If you’re lucky, Davidson, O’Connor and the men with him got caught trying to sneak into the village, and the Crow are holding them now. I don’t see how any other course will bring anything except grief.”

  “You’re not going to interfere, MacCallister. That’s a direct order—”

  “I don’t take orders from you. I never did, and I sure as hell don’t now!”

  Jamie swung around toward the tent’s entrance, but before he could leave, Davidson said, “Lieutenant Tyler, place MacCallister under arrest!”

  Tyler’s eyes got big in the candlelight. Jamie jerked back toward Davidson and said, “You can’t arrest me. I’m a civilian.”

  “You’re drawing pay from the army as a civilian scout for this mission. That means I certainly can arrest you. And as the only legally constituted authority in the area, that places you under my jurisdiction anyway!” Davidson glared at Tyler and went on, “Well? I gave you a direct order, Lieutenant. Do your duty!”

  Tyler moved his hand toward the flap of his holster as he said, “Jamie, I . . . I’m sorry about this—”

  “Lieutenant!” That was the sentry outside the tent. “Lieutenant, reports of gunfire comin’ from the direction of the Indian village!”

  “O’Connor got himself caught,” muttered Jamie. “Anybody surprised about that? Come on, Hayden, we’d better go find out just how bad things are over there.”

  This time Jamie didn’t stop when he turned toward the entrance. For a second, Tyler looked like he was about to step in front of him and try to block his path. But the young officer didn’t do so, and Jamie strode past him and out into the night.

  Behind him, in the tent, Davidson screeched, “Lieutenant!”

  Jamie brushed by the startled sentry and headed for the corral. A moment later he heard rapid footsteps and glanced over his shoulder to see Lieutenant Tyler hurrying to catch up with him.

  “I’m coming with you, Jamie,” he said.

  “Disobeying a direct order?”

  “Edgar will calm down and cool off and realize that someone in command has to go see what’s happening over there.”

  Jamie wasn’t going to count on Davidson calming down and cooling off, but it wasn’t his career at stake. He admired Tyler for standing up to the obnoxious little martinet.

  “Have there been any more shots?” Tyler went on.

  “Not that I’ve heard.”

  “Maybe that means the trouble is over.”

  Jamie wasn’t going to count on that, either.

  * * *

  Everyone who had gathered in response to the gunshots and the other commotion swung sharply toward the new arrivals as they reined in. Preacher lifted the revolver he still held, then relaxed slightly as he realized the bigger of the two riders was Jamie MacCallister. Jamie’s brawny figure was easy to recognize, even in bad light.

  “Sergeant O’Connor!” the other man said. Preacher recognized Lieutenant Hayden Tyler’s voice. “I’d ask what the devil you’re doing here, but I’m afraid I already know.”

  “Lieutenant Tyler!” O’Connor exclaimed. “You brought the rest of the troop with you, didn’t you, Lieutenant? These savages have murdered some of our men!”

  Preacher said, “That’s a damned lie. We defended ourselves from these varmints who were tryin’ to kidnap Butterfly!”

  Jamie and Tyler hadn’t dismounted. Jamie leaned forward in the saddle and asked, “Any of the Crow hurt, Preacher?”

  “Big Thunder took a lickin’ from O’Connor, believe it or not, but I don’t think anybody else was hurt.”

  “What about our men?” Tyler asked tightly.

>   Broken Pine straightened from where he had been kneeling, examining the sprawled bodies of the soldiers, and said, “Four of them are dead. Another is unconscious. I do not know how badly he is hurt. These two—” he gestured curtly at O’Connor and the trooper who had surrendered—“are unharmed.”

  “You see, Lieutenant,” O’Connor said. “They killed soldiers! They admit it! That’s an act of war. Lieutenant Davidson’d be justified in wipin’ out the red-skinned bastards!”

  The arrival of Jamie and Lieutenant Tyler seemed to have convinced O’Connor that he was no longer in imminent danger of losing his life. He wasn’t thinking about the fact that those two couldn’t stop the Crow from doing anything they wanted to. If Broken Pine gave the order, O’Connor could still die in the blink of an eye.

  The chief looked just about mad enough to give that order, too. Preacher holstered his gun and stepped forward to say, “Broken Pine, I think you should let Jamie and Lieutenant Tyler take O’Connor and the others back to the army camp. Let their superior officers deal with ’em. That’s the best way to keep the peace.”

  One of the warriors spoke up, repeating in a loud, disgusted voice, “Keep the peace? The white men will not punish one of their own, no matter what they do to the Crow!”

  That was Many Pelts, Preacher realized, letting his dislike for the whites cloud his thinking again.

  And yet, was Many Pelts really wrong? Preacher couldn’t help but wonder. If it was up to Lieutenant Tyler, O’Connor would face some sort of discipline, even though it probably wouldn’t be as much as he deserved.

  But it was Lieutenant Davidson who was in command, and Davidson had shown that he supported O’Connor in whatever the sergeant did. Hell, Preacher thought suddenly, stealing Butterfly away from the village could have been Davidson’s idea. He might have ordered O’Connor to take some men and abduct her. Preacher wouldn’t put that past the arrogant young officer at all.

  O’Connor must have been starting to get nervous again. He said, “Lieutenant, I think you’d better get us out of here while you still—”

  “No!” Broken Pine cut in. “The white soldiers will stay here. The other chief, the one called Davidson, must come and give the Crow his word that they will be punished before he can have them back.”

  Jamie grimaced and said, “That’s actually a pretty reasonable suggestion, Broken Pine, but the problem is, I don’t think you’ll ever get Lieutenant Davidson to agree to it. He’s going to insist that you release his men on his terms.”

  “Which will mean unconditionally,” added Tyler.

  Broken Pine shook his head.

  “Go and tell Davidson what I have said,” he insisted. “Until then, his men stay here.”

  O’Connor took a step forward and said, “Lieutenant, don’t do it! You can’t just leave us here. You know these savages are gonna kill us as soon as you ride off!”

  Tyler looked torn about what to do. Jamie said to the lieutenant, “I’ll stay here while you go talk to Davidson. I reckon that’s the best thing we can do for now.”

  Tyler started to nod. He lifted his reins, ready to turn his horse and ride back to the army camp.

  Before he could do that, O’Connor suddenly burst into action. He lunged across the distance separating him from Tyler and leaped into the air to land on the horse’s back behind the young officer. Preacher and Jamie both drew their guns, but they couldn’t risk shooting in this bad light while O’Connor and Tyler were so close together.

  Tyler was no match for O’Connor’s animal-like speed and strength. He got hold of Tyler’s collar and literally flung him off the horse. Even as he was doing that, O’Connor rammed his heels into the animal’s flanks and sent it leaping away. He pulled himself forward into the saddle and clung desperately to the horse.

  Flame spouted from the muzzles of Preacher’s and Jamie’s guns before Tyler even hit the ground, but O’Connor was bent low over the horse’s neck, not giving them much of a target. He didn’t fall, nor did the galloping mount break stride.

  Arrows whipped through the air, too, as the Crow opened fire on the fleeing sergeant. O’Connor seemed to be living a charmed life, though. In a matter of heartbeats, he was at the very edge of effective range with either bows or revolvers. Preacher’s Sharps might have bought him down, but the mountain man didn’t have the heavy carbine with him. It was back in the lodge he’d been using while he was here.

  “Hold your fire!” Jamie said as he wheeled his horse. “I’ll get him!”

  Jamie raced after O’Connor as the arrows stopped flying.

  The other captured trooper fell to his knees as several warriors crowded around him. He held his arms over his head and sobbed, “Don’t kill me, please don’t kill me!”

  Broken Pine barked an order, and the men who had been raising tomahawks in a threatening manner reluctantly lowered them. While that was going on, Preacher stepped over to Lieutenant Tyler and helped the young officer to his feet.

  Tyler’s hand went to the scabbard buckled at his waist. He exclaimed, “My saber! It’s gone. O’Connor must have my saber!”

  Preacher peered off into the darkness where Jamie and O’Connor had disappeared, wishing there was some way he could warn his old friend that O’Connor was armed.

  CHAPTER 27

  Lieutenant Tyler’s horse was fast, but Jamie’s big stallion had more speed and stamina. If this chase had been taking place during the day, Jamie would have caught up fairly quickly.

  The fact that it was dark, though, make him hold back his mount to a certain extent. He couldn’t let the stallion run at full speed because of the chance that the horse might stumble and hurt himself or even take a spill.

  O’Connor was fueled by fear for his life, though, so he wasn’t that careful. Jamie could hear the swift rataplan of hoofbeats in the distance ahead of him as O’Connor rode hell-bent for leather.

  Even so, the stallion’s long strides began to make a difference. Jamie could tell by the sound of the horse he was pursuing that he was cutting the gap. After several minutes, he was able to see O’Connor up ahead, in the dim light from the moon and stars.

  The army camp was about half a mile away. Jamie could see the small fires burning there. He wanted to catch up to O’Connor before the sergeant reached the camp. If O’Connor got there first, Jamie wouldn’t be able to take him back to the Crow village, and that would put even more of a strain on the situation.

  Since they were on a flat, straight stretch now, Jamie let the stallion have his head. The big horse loved to run and practically flew over the ground. He drew up almost alongside the horse O’Connor had taken from Lieutenant Tyler.

  Without warning, O’Connor twisted in the saddle and slashed at Jamie with something. Jamie saw moonlight reflect off the object and realized O’Connor had a saber in his hand. Jamie jerked back. The blade barely missed him. While O’Connor was a little off-balance from that, Jamie crowded in, hoping to get a hand on O’Connor and unseat him.

  Instead, O’Connor whipped the saber at Jamie’s face in a snake-quick backhand, and again, Jamie practically felt the cold steel kiss his skin.

  Jamie didn’t wait for O’Connor to recover and try again. He launched himself from the saddle in a diving tackle that carried him into the other man with bone-jarring force. O’Connor let out a startled yell as they both toppled from horseback and crashed to the ground.

  The impact of landing broke them apart. Jamie rolled over several times before coming to a stop on his belly. He pushed himself onto hands and knees and lifted his head to look around, searching for O’Connor as the horses continued running toward the army camp.

  Jamie spotted O’Connor a few yards away. The sergeant was sprawled on his back. He rolled onto his side and groaned as he shook his head groggily.

  Knowing that he needed to seize the advantage, Jamie forced himself to his feet and started toward O’Connor. O’Connor was stunned, but not so much that he didn’t hear Jamie coming. He rolled again and slashe
d upward with the saber. Somehow he had managed to hang on to it.

  Jamie caught himself just in time to keep the blade from ripping through his guts. He darted to the side to come at O’Connor from a different angle, but O’Connor twisted on the ground and jabbed upward with the saber, forcing Jamie to jump back again. That gave O’Connor time to get his other hand and a knee underneath him and push himself up.

  “Come on, you son of a bitch,” he gasped as he stood unsteadily and waved the saber back and forth in the air in front of him. “I’ll cut you to pieces, you Indian-lovin’ bastard!”

  Jamie’s Colt was still in its holster. His fingers brushed against the weapon’s grips as he stood there trying to catch his breath. He was sorely tempted to haul out the hogleg and blow a hole through O’Connor.

  That would sure simplify matters.

  But it might not be the best solution in the long run, the course of action that would stand the greatest chance of preserving the peace between the whites and the Crow. Preacher claimed that once folks back east realized there wasn’t a good route for wagon trains through the mountains in this area after all, the whites wouldn’t have any more reason to come this way and possibly run into problems with the Crow.

  Jamie knew it wouldn’t stay like that in the long run, though. He had seen how settlers were spreading out in every direction, all the time. He knew how many thousands—no, millions—of people there were who dreamed of making a new start and finding a new home in the West. The frontier was an irresistible lure that would always be answered, as long as people had hopes and dreams.

  And that meant the whites were coming. Maybe not in great numbers, maybe not anytime soon, but they would be here, even in this wild, untamed country, and it wouldn’t do anybody any good for the current inhabitants to hate them before they ever got here.

  Those thoughts raced through Jamie’s mind in a split second as he considered gunning down O’Connor and getting it over with. He discarded the idea. There had to be rule of law if civilization was going to get a toehold here. Might as well start establishing it now.