'Really, man, this is outrageous.'
'I reckon outrageous is a regiment of horse-sitters coming here to Hattersburg and just eating and drinking and stealing as they like.'
The Norillian snorted. 'It is all right and proper. We are here at the Queen's command. All good citizens of Mystria are required to give aid and comfort to Her Majesty's soldiers. Once our Colonel gets here with our horses and our treasury, the people will be reimbursed at a proper rate for the provisions we have taken.'
'I will be powerful pleased to see that, Captain.' Nathaniel smiled. 'Now you go and get dressed, then get your men out of here on account of Mister Gates is coming back in residence. This here is going to be Major Forest's headquarters.'
'Now see here, a Colonial Major does not outrank me. I will not give up my headquarters.'
Nathaniel squatted. 'Well, I reckon this is how I sees things. You got fifteen men downstairs with five carbines between them. I'm gonna reckon more than your horses is being sent on upriver. I got a hundred forty of the hardest fighting, best shooting men in all of Mystria. They ain't had a drink in two weeks. They are going to be powerful sore angry if you done drunk this town dry. They ain't gonna let you stand between them and this tavern.'
Abberwick stared at him incredulous. 'Do you mean to tell me you would attack soldiers of Her Majesty's government?'
'No. I am just telling you that out here there are places where your children and your grandchildren could search every day of their lives, and they'd not find hide nor hair of you. We'd just tell folks the Ryngians got you. Now I reckon that any Mystrian here in Hattersburg would back us up on that. Ain't that right, ma'am?'
The woman, who was buttoning up her dress, nodded emphatically.
'So you see, Captain, you are going to make the right choice.'
'You have not heard the end of this.'
'No, but I reckon I've seen more of your end than I want. Get dressed. Give orders. You'll want your men on parade to welcome Major Forest when he gets in.'
Forest eyed Nathaniel curiously as he sat at a table in the tavern. 'Do I want to know how you organized that welcome, Captain?'
'I don't reckon you do.' Nathaniel half-filled an earthenware cup with whisky and slid it across the table before filling one for himself. 'Drink up. You ain't gonna like the news.'
Forest picked up the cup, sniffed, then set it down again. 'Tell me.'
'Supplies ain't made it up from Temperance. They was supposed to go first, but Colonel Thornbury got it stuck in his craw that supplies going afore his men was disrespectful. He done changed orders, sent his men with no grub nor money, and here they be. They's waiting for horses and all. And they're thinking that will be slow as there ain't enough barges for to ship it all upriver.'
Forest shot the whisky, wiped tears from his eyes, then held the mug out for more. 'So you're telling me we have no food, no spare shot or brimstone?'
Nathaniel refilled his cup. 'Well, these here cavalry ain't the first raiders Hattersburg ever done seen. Last winter came early and spring wheat weren't much, but folks did put some stuff by. Makepeace done tole folks we was part of the Prince's procession, so that loosened up some provisions. Shot and brimstone not as much, but we will be fine.'
'I trust you are correct.' Forest sipped at the whisky, wincing as he did. 'We have decisions to make. Men to leave here.'
Nathaniel nodded. The journey out had been arduous. Major Forest had chosen two extra squads because he assumed that sickness, injury, accident, and desertion would deplete his numbers. He was not disappointed as much as he might have hoped to be. Two men had broken legs and three broken arms or wrists. Two men had simply vanished and Nathaniel figured they'd gone off on the winding path. Many more, however, were feeling the effects of the long journey, including most of the Bookworms.
'How long we gonna stay here to Hattersburg?'
'Not as long as I would have liked.' Forest ran his good hand over his stubbly jawline. 'I wanted at least a week, but I expected us to be here a week ago.'
''Cept for the rain slowing us down, we woulda been.'
'I can only imagine it caused more problems for those following us. I don't like it that no runners have come forward.'
'Kamiskwa will find them.'
'I hope. I want him and his men to be leading us from this point forward.' Forest shook his head. 'If we had powder and shot we could try some close order drills. We've got good men. Many of them hard men, but I need them acting together. I can still drill them, but resting would do them more good.'
'I reckon.'
'The question remains: Who will we be drilling?' Forest reached inside his jacket pocket and produced a small notebook and the stub of a pencil. 'We have five casualties who can go no further. Two men are missing. Second company has three more men who are hurting badly.'
'You counting Benjamin Beecher?'
Forest sighed. 'I was rather hoping he would choose to remain behind here of his own accord.'
'He cain't even tote his own Bible, Major. You should leave him here to tend to the spiritual needs of our wounded.'
'I'll have a talk with him.'
Nathaniel looked into the whisky cup. 'I reckon 'bout half the Bookworms is close to done in. Them what hasn't had their boots rot off their feet has raw blisters.'
'Reason enough to leave them behind.'
'Well, now, I ain't saying it ain't. What I is saying is what you said. You need men acting together, that's them Bookworms.' Nathaniel smiled, remembering them fixing their bayonets and giving the cavalry savage stares. 'And I reckon the rest of the men is gonna have to do more iffen they don't want the Bookworms to be the better of 'em.'
'Are you saying that, Captain, because you believe it, or because you know Caleb is one of the ones I'd have to leave behind?'
'You'd be making a big mistake leaving him here.'
Forest arched an eyebrow. 'Nathaniel, he's exhausted. He can barely stand up.'
'On account of he's doing more than anyone else, you and me included.' Nathaniel drank, letting the raw whisky torch his throat. 'He's the last one asleep, first one up, doing all the duty anyone could ask of him, and volunteering for more. Ain't a man in that column don't owe him a favor or three.'
'I'm not in an easy position here, Nathaniel. If I keep him on and he cannot do the job, it will be seen as favoritism.'
'And iffen you leave him behind, he ain't gonna be right the rest of his life.' Nathaniel gave Forest a nod. 'You go make up your list, but give me a week. I reckon with a little work, things will come together just fine.'
Supplies still had not come upriver by the second of July, when Forest determined his force would leave Hattersburg. The locals, happy for the relief from the Norillian cavalry, opened their larders and magazines to the Rangers. Each man was able to refill his supplies and add another fifty rounds of ammunition and powder. Every squad carried an additional two pounds of brimstone, the burden of which rotated through the squad.
During the week Nathaniel had a course of discussions with men in both companies. Looking the force over, it wasn't too difficult to pick out men who were the natural leaders, even if they'd not been the ones who had been voted an officer. All the soldiers looked up to these men, for their leadership, their encouragement, and their favor.
Nathaniel found a way to have a conversation that, in part, got around to pointing out just how hard-working Lieutenant Caleb Frost really was. Nathaniel allowed as how Caleb was working himself to death, doing all the things that other men ought to be doing. He suggested that a man who let another man do all that wasn't really a man, and it was a shame to let a young buck like Caleb ruin himself.
Things began to change. Men started doing all the things Caleb had done, and without being asked. Squads took it upon themselves to pitch his tent for him, or invite him to share their supper. Men always brewed an extra cup of tea or found an extra pinch of salt for him.
