BELIEVED THAT HARRIS SOLD THOSE GUNS TO THE SAME INDIANS THAT GENERAL CUSTER WILL BE CONDUCTING HIS EXPEDITION AGAINST STOP
I HOPED TO GET EVEN MORE INFORMATION BUT SOMEHOW POTTER HAS MANAGED TO ESCAPE STOP
IN THE MEANTIME GOVERNOR ROUTT REQUESTS THAT YOU EXTEND HIS APOLOGY TO GENERAL CUSTER FOR ANY PROBLEM THESE REPEATING RIFLES MAY CAUSE HIM AND HE ASKS YOU TO ATTEMPT TO FIND THE GATLING GUNS STOP
ADRIAN BRISBANE
MAJ COMND’G OFFICER (ACTING)
COLORADO HOME GUARD
“Damn,” Falcon said, when he finished reading the telegram.
“What is it, Colonel? Trouble?” Kellogg asked.
Falcon folded the telegram up and put it in his pocket. “Yeah,” he said. “In fact, it could be a lot of trouble. I need to talk to Custer.”
Although Custer had been out and around through the company area most of the day, Falcon found him back in his tent. Standing outside and calling, Falcon was invited in by Libbie.
The tent was actually a double Sibley tent, which was twelve feet high and thirty-six feet in diameter. Its large size allowed it to be divided into rooms by use of canvas walls. The tent was also well furnished with folding tables and chairs.
“Colonel MacCallister, how nice of you to call,” Libbie said. “Won’t you have a cup of hot tea? It will help to push away the gloom of this cold, rainy day.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Custer, but I need to speak to the general if he is here.”
“Yes, he is here. He is in the back putting on some dry clothes. I’ll get him. Lorena, you don’t mind entertaining Colonel MacCallister for a few moments, do you?”
“Of course not,” Lorena said. “I would be happy to entertain the colonel.”
“Lorena,” Falcon said after Libbie left them alone together. “I’m sorry that such awful weather is spoiling your adventure.”
“Oh, don’t be silly, Falcon. Weather like this is part of the adventure,” Lorena replied. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like some tea?”
Falcon smiled and nodded. “All right,” he said. “Perhaps some tea would be nice after all.”
Lorena poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.
“Thank you.” As Falcon took a swallow of his tea, he looked at Lorena over the edge of his cup. “Am I like the weather?” he asked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Am I a part of your adventure?”
Lorena laughed, a rich, throaty laugh. “Why, Falcon MacCallister, how clever you are,” she said. “Is that what you want to be? A part of my adventure?”
“Colonel MacCallister,” Custer said, coming from behind the canvas wall and speaking, thankfully, before Falcon had to answer Lorena’s question. “Are you staying dry?”
“I am, yes, thanks to Mr. Kellogg generously sharing his tent with me,” Falcon said.
“Libbie said you wanted to see me.”
“Yes, I do,” Falcon replied. He showed Custer the telegram he had received from Major Brisbane.
Custer read it, then nodded. “Am I to understand that this man, Porter, is responsible for supplying the Sioux with repeating rifles?”
“I’m afraid so, General,” Falcon answered.
Custer stroked his mustache as he contemplated the telegram. Finally, with a sigh, he handed the telegram back to Falcon.
“You were right to come to me with this,” he said. “What are you going to do now?”
“Well, General, as you can see from the telegram, Governor Routt wants me to find the Gatling guns before they, too, wind up in Indian hands. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m afraid I’m going to have to borrow a horse from you.”
“Yes, yes, of course, see the saddler sergeant. Tell him I said to let you pick out any horse you want.”
“Thank you, General.”
“Do you have any idea where to start looking for these guns?”
“Not exactly.”
Custer chuckled. “You aren’t going to just go out hither and yon, searching for your Indians like Diogones, carrying his lantern in search of an honest man, are you?”
“Whatever works,” Falcon replied with his own chuckle.
“Well, I do have an idea—that is, if you are amenable to it,” Custer said.
“At this point, General, I am open to any suggestion.”
