Clyde’s eyes widened. “Private Shannon?”

“He is a member of my company. Therefore he is an officer of the state, as you claim to be. My authority as captain is superior to yours. He will go or not go, as I choose.”

Buddy Oldham’s face colored. “Authority! You sound like some kind of a Dutchman. Me and my brother don’t have to take orders from no immigrant.”

Burmeister’s mustache twitched in growing anger. “I fought for this country already before you were born. Private Shannon tells me you spent the last war hiding in the brush. You fought for nobody.”

Clyde said, “It wasn’t our war. We had no stake in either side.”

“But now you wear a badge that is too big for you and swear out charges against those from whom you would steal.”

“We ain’t stole nothin’—”

“You have taken Private Shannon’s land, have you not?”

“He owed back taxes. I paid them fair and legal.”

Rusty held his tongue. He wanted to refute what Oldham said, but the captain seemed to be doing a good job of it without his interference.

Burmeister said, “Once before you have arrested him, and you shot him in the back.”

“He tried to escape.”

“So you claim. It is an excuse as old as Pharaoh.”

Tanner put in, “If you let them take Rusty, he’ll never get halfway home. They’ll kill him.”

Burmeister nodded. “So we will put the boot on another foot. Mr. Oldham, if it is your will to take him I do not prevent you. But I will send Private Tanner and some of my other men as escort. If you make any move to kill him, any move whatever . . .” He did not finish. He did not have to.

Buddy Oldham’s face went crimson. “Don’t let them scare you, Clyde.”

Clyde looked at Tanner with dread. He said, “They do scare me. It’s us who wouldn’t live to get back. They’d kill us sure as hell.”

Burmeister agreed. “Possibly so. But is that not what you planned for Private Shannon?”

Clyde Oldham had the trapped look of an animal hemmed into a corner.

Buddy was too outraged to understand his brother’s fear. “Ain’t we goin’ to take him?” He raised the stump of an arm. “Look what he done. He left me half a man. You swore to me, Clyde. You swore we’d kill him for that.”

“Shut up, Buddy. You don’t see what we’re up against.”

“I see you’re givin’ up after we’ve rode all this way, after we been chased by Indians and everything. You’re fixin’ to turn around and leave him.”

“Sometimes you get dealt a bad hand. You fold and wait for a better deal.” Clyde cut his gaze back to Rusty. “So this time the pot is yours. But the game ain’t over.”