Son of the Hawk by Charles G. West

Author:Charles G. West [West Charles G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101662878
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2001-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

Luke Austen sat on his horse at the edge of the parade ground waiting for the formation to be assembled. In a few moments, the bugler sounded “Boots and Saddles” although most of the men already had their horses saddled and were standing around waiting. Sergeant J. C. Turley, a thirteen-year veteran, pulled his horse alongside Luke’s.

“The captain,” Turley commented, “he sure loves to go by the book when he leads a patrol.”

Luke only smiled in response, but he had been thinking the same thing. Most officers on frontier duty relaxed garrison regulations when in the field. Luke supposed Leach didn’t feel he received the respect he deserved from the men, and that probably accounted for his passion for military courtesy. At the command, “To horse”, Luke and Turley moved to their assigned places in the formation while each trooper stood at the head of his horse. When Leach was satisfied that all were standing ready, the commands, “Prepare to mount”, followed almost immediately by, “Mount”, were given. Leach paused for a long moment to make sure no one anticipated his next commands, then he instructed Luke to have Sergeant Turley put the detail in motion. Turley sang out, “Right by twos,” and the column was underway. This was not going to be a pleasant patrol. Luke was sure of that. Ordinarily, he would have led the detail himself, but Leach decided to lead this one, apparently to demonstrate to Luke that the captain did not have confidence in his ability to lead—Leach’s form of punishment for the loss of the patrol in the Black Hills. Since it had been decided not to publicize the massacre, it prevented Leach from court-martialing Luke. Deprived of that pleasure, Leach obviously sought to punish his lieutenant through a constant campaign of demeaning orders and comments.

The patrol was strictly a search mission, an effort to find Iron Pony’s band and punish them for the massacre in the Black Hills. Leach had ordered grain and rations for fifteen days, and the line of march was to be north to intercept the Belle Fourche River, where the trapper Trace McCall had reported Iron Pony’s last known camp. In Luke’s opinion, this was a useless patrol. It was highly unlikely that Iron Pony was still camped on the Belle Fourche. More than likely, he would have grazed off most of the feed for his ponies, depleted the game, and moved his village to a new site. Even if they were lucky enough to find Iron Pony, he might not choose to fight a force of sixty soldiers armed better than his braves. If that was the case, he would simply disappear into the prairie, leaving the patrol to scout endless gullies and coulees, and in constant fear of ambush.

Luke dropped back to ride beside Sergeant Turley. Turley said nothing, but his expression was enough to tell Luke what he was thinking. Luke smiled and shook his head. He wondered himself when Leach would give the command to march at ease.

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