“For them nigger soldiers? I’ll bet none of them could even sign their name to the company roster. They’ll be forgotten about before we get to the Nations.”

Scully’s nervousness had been getting under Pete’s skin. Even after Pete had freed himself from his bonds and had broken the first guard’s head with a shovel, Scully had been whimpering that they would never get away, that they were sure to be hanged for what he had done.

“We were goin’ to hang anyway,” Pete had argued. “They can’t do it to us but once.”

The second soldier had come awake just in time for Pete to give him the same trea I’ment. Pete then had cut Scully loose, gathered the soldiers’ rifles, and saddled the first two horses he could catch. Daylight had shown both to bear the U.S. brand.

“Now we are in trouble,” Scully had complained. “We’ve stolen army horses.”

“The worst they can do is use a heavier rope.”

Pete did not walk when he could ride. Though it was a short distance from the corrals to the big house, he mounted the fresh horse he had just taken. Scully followed along, leading his.

Caleb Dawkins met them at the door, standing in it to block their entry. He seemed smaller now than Pete had remembered him. He had lost weight, his clothes were hanging loose. His shoulders had a tired slump as if he carried a heavy yoke. “I told you the last time, Pete, you are no longer welcome in this house.”

“Jethro tell you what I want?”

“He told me. I have nothing here for you. Go, before I summon all the hands and have you forcibly thrown off of this place.”

“You’d better not summon anybody you wouldn’t want to see dead.” Pete flourished the army rifle. “You’re standin’ in my way, old man. I’m comin’ in.”

He gave his father a push. The colonel stepped back, almost losing his balance. Pete felt exhilarated at his sense of new power. For most of his life, his father had only to give him a fierce look and Pete would shrink away. Colonel did not even have to say anything.

The old man’s already dead and doesn’t know it, he thought.

“I told Jethro to sack us up some grub. Where’s it at?”

“I told him to forget it. If you came empty-handed, you’ll leave the same way.”

Frustration boiled into anger. “Damn you, old man, you owe me somethin’. I’m your son.”

“A fact that a heavy heart has brought me to regret.”

Pete jerked a thumb toward the kitchen door. “Scully, go in yonder and see what you can find. Hurry up.” He turned back to his father. “You keep tellin’ me how poor you are, but I believe you’ve still got money stashed away. I want it.”

“All the money I had went to the cause. You know that.”

“I just know you told me that, but I think you lied. Now, where’ve you got it?”