CHAPTER 1

The Scout

* * *

April 30, 1876

Dan Murphy and Sam Streeter of Company A, Seventh Cavalry,were a half mile ahead of their squad that was scouting for twodeserters from Fort Abraham Lincoln. Dan didn't know thedeserters that well—Hogan and Snively from C Troop. Best guesswas they were heading for the Black Hills, gold fever being whatit was.

Reaching the crest of a long rise, they saw ten Sioux downbelow. The Indians were heading northwest at a slow walk, movinglike they still owned this part of the country. Hell, they'd given itup back in '68.

Dan was quite aware that stumbling across renegades wouldcomplicate the scout. Worse yet, it messed up a peaceful afternoonwhen a gentle wind bore the new grass smell of spring and the sunwarmed a man's bones after a hard winter stretched out by Marchblizzards. There was no choice now but to determine what theIndians were doing this far north.

Wiping the alkali dust off his face, Dan handed the field glassesto the eagle-eyed rookie from Massachusetts.

"I make out four braves," Dan said. "That right?"

"Three braves and one old man," Sam replied. "Four squawsdragging a travois, two boys."

"And one extra pony with a travois?"

"Yes," Sam said. He turned toward Dan. "We're going to stopthem, right?"

"Damn it! You spooked 'em."

Below, the lead brave pulled up and pointed at them, warnedwhen the glasses swung the sun's reflection past him. The othersdrew abreast and sat their horses facing the two cavalrymen, theuneasy quiet broken by the metallic clicks of cartridges being leveredinto the Indians' Winchesters. Meanwhile the two Indian boysgalloped their ponies up the little hill on the far side of them.

"Go tell Jim and get Charley up here quick!" Dan said.

"We're going to stop them, aren't we?"

"Just get Charley quick."

Studying the renegades, Dan squinted, the old lines deepeningabove his half-bent nose as he watched the two boys disappear overthe ridge. The sun disappeared behind a cloud.

"There's dust over that rise," Charley Smrka said when he cameup.

Dan said, "Two boys went over there when they saw us."

"More people too."

"You think so?"

"Five travois. That's two, maybe three lodges."

The two boys reappeared with four mounted braves. Onecarried a lance with strips of red cloth and eagle feathers tied to it.The other three had Springfields—two carbines and a rifle.

Three minutes later Sergeant Jim Lawton reached the crest withthe rest of the squad. Corporal Bull Judd and Jubal Tinker had beenwith Company A since '72. The other three were rookies who hadenlisted six months before: Jake Picard was from Chicago, ErnstAlbrecht from Germany, and Elvin Crane from Troy, New York.

At Jim's command the squad formed a line along the crest, ninecavalrymen on coal-black horses, carbines loaded and in hand. TheIndians stared back, unmoved by the show of force.

"What're they doing this far north?" Jim asked Charley.

"Don't know," Charley replied.

Sam said, "We've got them outgunned, Sergeant!"

Jim ignored him, watching as the women, the old man, andthe boys started northwest again. The seven braves remained still,staring up at the troopers. The one in the middle looked to beforty and well over six feet. He was a strong-looking man with hishead cocked back, not so much to look up the hill but to challengeanyone put off by the angry scar running from his left eye to hischin, narrowly missing the proud nose but cutting straight acrossthe lips. He rode a chestnut of fifteen hands—no pony, that.

"They ain't in no hurry," Jim said. "Charley, see what you canfind out."

Charley handed his carbine to Dan before starting down theslope. He dismounted a few yards from the leader and begantalking in a mix of halting Lakota and English. The Indian repliedwith a rapid-fire string of words until Charley cut him off with agesture and said something. Whatever it was, it brought a lopsidedsmile to the man's face, and he slowed down considerably. The twoconversed for a few minutes, and then Charley swung himself upinto the saddle and returned up the hill. When he reached thetop and turned, the Indian leader raised his rifle over his headand launched into a lengthy harangue. Finally finished, he turnedslowly and the seven braves started northwest again. It looked likeall of them were chuckling.

"They're Hunkpapa Sioux," Charley said.

"What'd he say?" Jim asked.

"Said there's buffalo three days west of here. After the huntthey'll go back to Standing Rock. "

"You believe him?"

"The buffalo part, not the rest. They'll prob'ly go on to PowderRiver an' find Sitting Bull."

"Okay. He say anythin' about the boys we're lookin' for?" Jimasked.

"Said they ain't seen 'em, but them two carbines say otherwise,"Charley said.

"Yeah. What was he spoutin' at the end?"

"The speech? Somethin' about they're real strong an' we ain't."

"Sure and he was taunting us," Dan said. He removed his hatand ran a hand over his balding pate.

Two more boys came over the rise and remained there, staringat the cavalrymen. They couldn't have been older than twelve. Jimstared back, and then he glanced over at the line of troopers—straightenough for parade. When he turned back, the boys wereangling down the slope to fall in behind the braves. Within minutesthe party gained enough distance so you couldn't tell one riderfrom another. Meanwhile, the dust cloud behind the hill moved,paralleling the Indians' course.

The smell of spring returned as the clouds moved on and thesun began warming Dan again, as if nothing had gone on downbelow. He wondered how many warriors were behind that hill.

Charley admired how the Hunkpapas used the rolling countryto half-hide the size of their party, and he was damn sure the twodeserters were dead. The carbines clinched that. The only thingin doubt was how many more braves were on the other side of thehill, but the answer wasn't important. Their orders were to find thedeserters and get back to Fort Lincoln.

Jim said, "Best thing is to follow them Indians' trail back. Prob'lywe'll find them poor boys south, southeast of here."

With that the squad started down the slope in a column of twosbehind Jim. Dan and Sam were first, followed by Bull Judd andElvin Crane, Jubal Tinker and Ernst Albrecht, and then Charleyand Jake Picard.

Jake figured he was lucky to have Charley showing him theropes. He was an old hand who was in the cavalry during TheWar, and he knew the ways of the Sioux, which was rare in thecompany.

"Them carbines, they got 'em off the deserters—you think?"Jake asked.

"Yeah," Charley said.

"How come you so sure?"

Charley pointed to a knoll three miles ahead. Four black speckswere circling high above it.

Sam had been watching the birds for five minutes when thesergeant motioned him forward and ordered him to follow at atrot. They dismounted on top of the next rise. Jim handed over theglasses and told him to scan the area under the vultures.

Sam took a quick look, stiffened, and lowered them instantlyto wipe the lenses clean. He took his time focusing carefully. Ascattering of shapeless scraps and two whitish objects littered theground. Maybe a couple of Yorkshire hogs stretched out sleeping, hethought, but that didn't make sense out here. He wiped his eyes.

"What do you see?" Sergeant Lawton's question had a...