The image of Daddy Mike flashed into his mind—Daddy Mike and a Union flag proudly draped on the wall of the Shannon cabin. Back in the 1840s, Mike had campaigned to have Texas brought into the Union. He had fought for that flag in Mexico. He had sworn that nothing would ever cause him to fire upon it, though his passionate rhetoric had led to his being declared a traitor to the Confederacy.

Daddy Mike’s fierce patriotism had been burned into Rusty from the time he was old enough to grasp the meaning of the flag. He would rather face prison, or worse, than fight against the Union to which his foster father had proudly given full allegiance.

But Rusty thought of the Haines woman and the little girl. Other settlers would likely fall victim should these raiders not be turned back. Innocent blood would stain his hands if he rode away, taking care only of himself. Even before he decided at a conscious level, he turned Alamo eastward, going back the way he had come.

Perhaps the conscription officers had not yet arrived. Perhaps he could deliver his message and steal away before anyone had a chance to stop him. Perhaps . . . But more likely they would grab him like a wolf grabs a lamb.

He gritted his teeth and put Alamo into a long trot.

CHAPTER

THREE

Rusty judged that it was near noon when the Fort Belknap settlement loomed up ahead. All along he had hoped he might encounter a friend and impart his information, then slip away without actually entering camp. Unfortunately he saw no rangers or anyone else he knew well enough to trust. Some residents of the settlement had no liking for the rangers, who interfered with their chosen work of stealing reservation horses and running liquor to the same Indians they stole from. He would have to take his chances.

Len Tanner’s legs always looked too long for the rest of him. Ambling out of the open corral, leading his horse, he spotted Rusty. Surprise yielded to regret. “I thought you’d got clean away.”

Rusty sensed the answer before he asked, “The conscript officers here already?”

“Two of them, fixin’ to take most of the company away. Me included.” His eyes were solemn. “What in the hell did you come back for?”

“I ran into Comanches. The captain needs to know.”

“He won’t have enough men left to do much about it. They’re just waitin’ for the last patrol to report in so they can pick over the rest of the outfit.”

Rusty flared. “Strippin’ the frontier companies . . . I don’t know how they expect the settlers out here to hang on against the Indians.”

“That’s gov’ment for you . . . talk big about how much they care, then go off and leave you to fight the wolves by yourself.” Tanner looked uneasily toward the headquarters tent. “Tell me what you want the captain to know, then fog it out of here before they see you.”