Part 33 (2/2)
Croff flipped off the cooling compress as Webb applied the fresh one.
But Drew was no longer lulled by that warmth.
”He ain't here,” replied the Cherokee.
”Where then?” Drew was suddenly silent, no longer wanting an answer.
”Looky heah, Drew”--Webb hung over him, peering intently into his face--”we don't know wheah he is, an' that's Bible-swear truth! We saw you two come out into the valley, but we was busy pickin' off hosses so them devils couldn't make it away 'fore the Yankees caught up with 'em.
Then the blue bellies slammed in fast an' hard. They jus' naturally went right over those bushwhackers. Maybe so, they captured two or three, but most of them was finished off right theah. We took cover, not wantin'
to meet up with lead jus' because we might seem to be in bad company.
When all the shootin' was over an' you didn't come 'long, me and Injun did some scoutin' 'round.
”We found you down by that crick, an' first--I'm tellin' it to you straight--we thought you was dead. Then Injun, he found your heart was still beatin', so we lugged you up heah an' looked you over. Later, Injun, he went back for a look-see, but he ain't found hide nor hair of Anse--”
”He was. .h.i.t bad--in the shoulder--” Drew looked pleadingly from one to the other--”when we smashed into that brush he was pushed right out of the saddle, not far from that crick where you found me. Injun, he could still be out there now ... bleedin'--hurt....”
Croff shook his head. ”I backtracked all along that way after we found you. There was some blood on the gra.s.s, but that could have come from one of the bushwhackers. There was no trace of Anse, anywhere.”
”What if he was taken prisoner!” Neither one of them would meet his eyes now, and Drew set his teeth, clamping down on a wild rush of words he wanted to spill, knowing that both men would have been as quick and willing to search for the Texan as they had to bring Drew, himself, in.
No one answered him.
But Croff stood up and said quietly: ”This is a pretty well-hidden cave.
The Yankees probably believe they've swept out this valley. You stay holed up here, and you're safe for a while. Then when you're ready to ride, Sarge, we'll head back south.”
He stopped to pick up his carbine by its sling.
”Where're you going?”
”Take a look-see for Yankees. If they got Anse, there's a slim chance we can learn of it and take steps. Leastwise, nosing a little downwind ain't goin' to do a bit of harm.” He moved out of the firelight with his usual noiseless tread and was gone.
17
_Poor Rebel Soldier...._
”Sergeant Rennie reporting suh, at the General's orders.” Drew came to attention under the regard of those gray-blue eyes, not understanding why he had been summoned to Forrest's headquarters.
”Sergeant, what's all this about bushwhackers?”
Drew repeated the story of their adventure in Tennessee, paring it down to the bald facts.
”That nest was wiped out by the Yankee patrol, suh. Afterward Private Croff found a saddlebag with some papers in it, which was in the remains of their camp. It looks like they'd been picking off couriers from both sides. We sent those in with our first report.”
The General nodded. ”You stayed near-by for a while after the camp was taken?”
”Well, I was hurt, suh.”
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