Sergeant Emerson mounted first, then started up the dry creek bed.
“Sergeant Emerson, where do you think you are going?” Trevathan called to him.
“I’m going to take the point, sir,” Emerson replied.
“I want no one at point to give away our position.”
“Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but in terrain like this, you have to have someone riding point,” Emerson said.
“Sergeant, you are forgetting your place,” Trevathan said. “One more word from you and I will charge you with insubordination. Now, return to the company at once.”
“Yes, sir,” Emerson said and, as ordered, he returned to the main body as the others started toward their horses.
“Captain, if we are going to be riding up the creek bed without a point, then we should at least have flanker riders on either side,” Matt said.
“Thank you, Mr. Jensen, but you were hired as a scout, not as a tactician. Please refrain from any further suggestions along those lines. Flanker riders will slow us down.”
“It’s your command,” Matt replied.
“Yes, Mr. Jensen, in that you are correct,” Trevathan said. He stood in his stirrups, held his hand over his head, then brought it down.
“Forward, ho!” he ordered, and the company started forward at the trot.
Half an hour later, the dry creek bed narrowed precipitously, and Matt felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, Mr. Jensen?” Sergeant Emerson asked.
“If you mean do I think it looks like we’re riding into a trap, yes,” Matt said.
“Maybe the cap’n ain’t noticed it,” Emerson suggested. He called up to Trevathan, who was riding at the head of the column. “Captain Trevathan, have you noticed how them walls is closin’ in on us?” Emerson asked. “This ain’t good, Cap’n. This ain’t good at all.”
“Thank you for your concern, Sergeant Emerson,” Trevathan replied. “We will continue according to the operational plan.”
“Captain Trevathan, sir, I agree with Sergeant Emerson,” Trooper Jones said.
“You, Trooper Jones? You agree with Sergeant Emerson? And so now I am to take advice from a private?”
“I haven’t always been a private, sir.”
“I’m well aware of the fact that you were an officer during the Civil War, Trooper Jones. But you are a private now, and I am in command.”
“Yes, sir,” Trooper Jones replied.
“Captain, you are aware of what happened to Custer, aren’t you?” Matt asked.
“That will be enough from you, Mr. Jensen,” Trevathan said. “As soon as we return from this scout, I intend to see Colonel McKenzie and have your service with the U.S. Army terminated.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Matt replied. “As soon as we get back—assuming we do get back—I intend to resign from the scout service.”
“Please do,” Trevathan said. “I think that would be best for you and the army.”
To Matt’s relief, they were not attacked while they were in the narrow ravine, but they made contact with Bristol without ever encountering the Apache.
“Where are they?” Trevathan said, obviously angry that they had not encountered the Indians. “Your signal said you had spotted them and they were coming toward us up Bitter Water Creek.”
“They were between us, sir. I don’t know what happened to them,” Bristol said.
“Are you sure you spotted them?”
“Yes, sir, we all saw them,” Bristol replied.
“Well, they couldn’t have just disappeared like—”
“Smoke, Captain?” Bristol said.
Trevathan glared at Bristol. “That’s enough, Lieutenant. You are bordering on insubordination.”
“Yes, sir,” Bristol said.
“Lieutenant Manning,” Trevathan called to his second lieutenant. “I want you to—”
“Injuns!” someone shouted, interrupting whatever order Bristol was about to give. A veritable cloud of arrows rained down on them, obviously a coordinated attack. The whishing sound of arrows was followed by cries from the horses, many of which had sustained multiple hits. There were also cries of fear and groans of pain from some of the men who had been struck.
“Dismount! Dismount! Form a skirmish line!” Trevathan ordered.
“Trevathan, no! We can’t dismount here! We have to get to more open ground!” Matt shouted.
“Goddamnit, Jensen, I’m in command here!” Trevathan screamed. “I said dismount!” he ordered again.
“Cap’n, Mr. Jensen is right!” Emerson shouted. “We can’t—
