Until Day Breaks (A Saga of Texas) by Will Cook

Author:Will Cook [Cook, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-10-04T21:58:00+00:00

This was the fourth day on patrol for A Company, Captain Paul Einsman commanding, and he had swung south, making a big circle of it, until they reached the buffalo hunters’ new camp. Had Einsman been given a choice, he would have stayed clear of the buffalo hunters, but it was his duty to observe closely their activity, so he made a night camp within easy walking distance of theirs.

The hunters were building another trading post, but they hadn’t made much progress on it - the wall was barely three feet high in spots. Einsman could see at a glance that it wasn’t squared up properly. Any dirt farmer would have had the walls up by now, but the native laziness of the hunters slowed them to a crawl. They liked to hunt and drink and run down Indian women and fight, but they simply were not builders.

Graves, who bossed the hunters, came over to Paul Einsman’s camp after the evening meal. He sat down by the captain’s fire and took out a pipe. After he filled it and got it going, Graves said: “How far south do we have to go before we lose the Army?”

“The Gulf of Mexico,” Einsman said dryly. “But then you’d have to contend with the Navy.” He looked at Graves. “You’re going to go broke here. Can’t you see that?”

“The buffaloes will come back,” Graves said. “There’s a big herd in the south.”

“The buffaloes are gone,” Einsman said. “It’s only fools like yourself and the Indians who won’t admit it. So why build here and stir up the Comanches? Take what profit you have and quit the game.”

“1 haven’t any money,” Graves said. “You know how it goes after a month or two in a town.”

A hunter came into the soldiers’ camp then and approached Einsman’s fire. He said: “I’ve got to talk to you, Graves.”

“Talk then,” Graves invited.

The hunter glanced at Einsman, then said: “Maybe it don’t mean anything, but there’s a heap of Indians out there.”

“Out where?” Einsman asked.

“To the northeast and the northwest,” the man said. “Maybe two miles. A couple of the men took a scout, and they both spotted the camps.”

Graves’s expression was serious. “Get all the men inside the wall. Split them into three shifts, a third on guard at a time.” His glance touched Einsman’s. “Now, here’s your chance to earn your pay.”

“My pay isn’t enough for you to bother with,” Einsman said and stood up. He snapped his fingers and brought a sergeant over on the double. “Sergeant, inform the two section officers that we’re moving into the shelter of the walls. Graves, I’ll take charge of your men and post them as 1 see fit.”

“Like hell you will!”

“You’re in my camp,” Einsman said quietly. “A whistle would make you a prisoner. Now…is it on my terms… obeying my orders?”

Graves thought about it, but he didn’t take too long. “All right,” he said. “You’re the boss.”

“Good. I don’t believe the Indians will move until dawn, if they move at all.

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