“I’ll have a look anyways,” Truslow said, “so both you boys come on down.” Truslow was very calm. He even thrust his empty revolver into his belt as the two men climbed down to the stones of the railbed. “Hold your hands up. High,” Truslow ordered, then nodded at Starbuck. “Search them. You’re looking for guns.”

“I left mine inside!” the guard said.

“Search ’em, boy,” Truslow insisted.

Starbuck found it embarrassing to stand so close that he could smell the fat man’s terror. The fat man had a cheap gilt watch chain thick with seals stretched across his belly. “Take the watch, sir,” he said when Starbuck’s hand brushed against the seals, “go on, sir, take it, sir, please.” Starbuck left the watch alone. A pulse in the man’s neck fluttered wildly as Starbuck emptied his pockets. There was a flask, a cigar case, two handkerchiefs, a tinder box, a handful of coins and a pocket book.

“No guns,” Starbuck said when he was finished with both men.

Truslow nodded. “Any soldiers where you boys come from?”

The two men paused, almost as if they were preparing to lie, then the guard nodded. “There’s a whole bunch of ’em ’bout ten mile back. Maybe a hundred horse soldiers from Ohio? They said how they was expecting rebels.” He paused, frowning. “Are you rebels?”

“Just plain rail thieves,” Truslow said, then paused to jet a stream of tobacco juice onto the ties. “Now you walk back to those soldiers, boys.”

“Walk?” the fat man said aghast.

“Walk,” Truslow insisted, “and don’t look back or we’ll start shooting. Walk between the rails, walk real slow, and just keep going. I’m watching you real good. Start now!”

The two men began walking. Truslow waited till they were out of earshot, then spat again. “Sounds like someone knew we were coming.”

“I told no one,” Starbuck said defensively.

“I never said you did, never thought you did. Hell, the Colonel’s been talking about this raid for days! It’s just amazing there ain’t half the U.S. Army waiting for us.” Truslow climbed up into the caboose and disappeared into its dark interior. “Mind you,” he went on, speaking from inside the wagon, “there are men who think you’re a spy. Just ’cos you’re a Yankee.”

“Who says that?”

“Just men. And it ain’t anything to worry you. They’ve got nothing else to talk about and so they wonder what in hell’s name a Yankee’s doing in a Virginia regiment. You want some coffee off the stove here? It’s warm. Ain’t hot, just warm.”

“No.” Starbuck was offended that his loyalty had been so impugned.