The Troopers by Mike Jameson

Author:Mike Jameson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

RANSOME looked from Dan Ryan to the three troopers and back again. “You men know each other?” Ransome asked.

Ryan responded with a curt nod. “Yeah. From the Seventh Cavalry.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. The three of you transferred over from there, didn’t you, Brundage?”

“Yeah,” Brundage said. “I mean, yes, sir.”

“I knew you weren’t with General Crook in Arizona. So you all are acquainted with each other.” Something about the tension that had suddenly sprung up between the men made a thought occur to Ransome. “There wasn’t bad blood between you, was there?”

Lamont spat in the dust of the street. “You could say that.”

“But it’s all over now, ain’t it?” Brundage hastened to add. “We’ve patched things up, haven’t we, Dan?”

Ryan grunted. “If you say so.” He didn’t sound completely convinced, though.

Ransome felt a surge of irritation and impatience. “Well, if it’s going to cause trouble for these men to come along with us, maybe I’d better find someone else to give me a hand, Ryan. Or I can dismiss them and assign some other troopers to be our escort.”

The former sergeant shook his head and said, “That’s not necessary, Major. Like Brundage said, the trouble’s all behind us, I reckon.”

“Good. Then let’s mount up and move out, shall we? The sooner we complete this mission, the sooner we can get back here.”

And the sooner he could see Arabella again, Ransome thought. Now that he had made up his mind to pay at least one more visit to the Gem, he didn’t want anything to interfere with that.

Not that he planned to go to bed with her or even go upstairs with her, he told himself as he swung up into the saddle and sent his mount trotting along Main Street. But there was nothing wrong with having a drink and some conversation with her. Despite the fact that she was a prostitute, she seemed intelligent. It would be pleasant just spending some time with her in more innocent pursuits.

“Best head northeast toward the Belle Fourche,” Ryan suggested. He rode alongside Ransome with the three troopers following abreast behind them. “The country’s more open there. There are so many hills and ridges and gulches right around Deadwood that I don’t think you could find enough level ground for a fort. You don’t have to go very far toward the river, though, before the terrain flattens out some.”

Ransome nodded. “That sounds like an excellent suggestion, Mr. Ryan. Lead the way.”

“Is the army really gonna build a fort around here?”

“That’s not my decision to make. I have my orders to follow, whatever the outcome may be. As a former sergeant, I’m sure you understand.”

“Yeah,” Ryan said. “Be nice if they did, though. Folks around here have been scared of the Indians ever since they came to the Black Hills.”

Then they shouldn’t have come here in violation of the treaty, thought Ransome. But he agreed that it would be nice indeed if the army built a fort near here. Even nicer if he was posted there.

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