The Galvanized Yankees of Company D by Troy D. Smith

Author:Troy D. Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: frontier, troy d smith, galvanized yankees, confederate prisoners, indian fighting
Publisher: Western Trail Blazer

Chapter Seven

Far in the distance, barely visible in the moonlight, a dark mass writhed. After staring at it for a few seconds, Joe realized it was a herd of ponies—the writhing effect caused by their milling around. Beyond the herd, over another small rise, the sky glowed faintly. Someone had made a large fire.

"How many ponies is that, do you reckon?" Sims asked.

"Hard to tell from here," Augie replied. "Plenty enough, I reckon."

Joe exhaled harshly. "I didn't think they'd be pow-wowin' this big."

Augie nodded. "And for all we know, they could be waitin' for more of their buddies to show up. You still anxious to nab their ponies, Evans? This was your idea, after all."

"I wasn't anxious to start with," Joe mumbled. "I sure ain't anxious now."

“Come on then." Augie crawled down the small hill then stood, but in a stooped position to avoid being skylighted in the moonlight. The other four followed, as cautious as their guide. They did not clank.

Their advance slowed as they approached the pony herd. Augie gestured for Sims, Adam, and Willie to stay put; Joe, he motioned closer. Augie leaned over, so close Joe could smell the sweat and the fear.

Joe found the smell of fear surprising in his friend, although he knew it shouldn't be.

Augie whispered, so softly his words were barely audible above the rustling of the horses.

"Over there." He pointed, slowly, toward a corner of the herd.

Joe stared, peering closely, shocked to see an Indian standing there, stock-still. The Sioux warrior faced away from them.

"Stay," Augie whispered. Then he disappeared into the darkness as swiftly as a fox.

In the other direction, to Joe's left, a couple of the ponies nickered. The Indian's head jerked around. Joe almost panicked, sure the man looked directly at him. And then, so quickly Joe was not certain he'd seen anything happen, the Indian lay dying on the ground and Augie stood over him with a bloody knife. He waved Joe forward with the blade.

Joe stepped over the dead Indian, a little leery of the body. He was not squeamish around corpses, by any means, not after the carnage he'd seen in the past few years. His hesitation was of a more practical nature; for Joe did not trust the Sioux to be as dead as he appeared.

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