Benjamin led the detachment up to the farmhouse, riding right past the two corpses in the plowed field, a man and a boy, shot dead. It was a good thing Thurlow and Callison were already dead, he'd have shot them himself and perhaps not in immediately fatal places. He was angry. The hard look of his softened though by the time he halted short of the place. Cantrell was there and holding the hand of a tearful girl, she looked physically alright like the Indian scout had reported. That much was good but he did not envy her her future life without a family. Unless, just maybe the mother had not been home? Now if she was inside the farmhouse, he knew then she too was dead. Or Thurlow would have probably had two hostages to hide behind.
He cast a dismissive glance at the two dead deserters then spoke to the rancher,"Good job, Mr. Cantrell. I am obliged to you and the Army thanks you also. I put an awful burden upon your shoulders."
He then dismounted and his bugler did too, reaching out to take the rein's of his officers horse. He'd never had any children of his own, no desire to frankly. He'd married the Army not a woman. But that didn't change that his heart went out to the poor girl.
"Hello, young lady. I am sorry you had to go thru all this. It was a terrible thing I realize. We are going to help you as much as we can now though. Could I ask you your name? I'm Cap..." oh to hell with that, he changed to, "Benjamin."
"Katie," she answered softly.
And that started a short conversation which greatly helped the veteran officer find out more about the family and the girl's situation.
Her mother had died of sickness a couple years back. Her father was named James Schneider and her brother, named after the father. She had no other siblings. When asked if she knew of any relatives close by or at least in Montana, she shook her head between sniffles and said none she knew of. He asked her age too. She was ten.
Damn, completely alone now at age ten. He tried not to show either sadness or anger but turned to his sergeant.
"Assign a married man, with children, to go into the house and help her gather whatever belongings she wants," he started.
Trooper Manders raised one hand, "I got a two daughters, I'll stick with her if you want, sir."
"You do that, trooper. Thank you."
Once Manners and the girl were inside, Barlow was definitely not done with orders.
"Sergeant, we are going to bury those two unfortunates out in that field. As for these ...." he refused to even say their names, "have them stripped of their uniforms, equipment, and make sure you include their horses, army property after all. As for the bodies, drag them out away from the farm a ways then leave them for the scavengers or to rot."
"Mr. Cantrell, I believe that rifle there belonged to your hand, of course you can have it now," he pointed toward the weapon next to Thurlow.
He had one other thing to say, "I have to fill out a report on this whole sorry affair. Rest assured it will state both deserters died trying to resist arrest. I can include your name in it or not, depending upon your preference."
Cantrell nodded. "I'll take it...send it on to his family with the rest of his things. No need to say what all it was involved in."
He listened as Barlow talked about the report he had to write. "Put my name on that report. Feel free to say why I was along. I've been killing vermin for a lot of years, two more does not matter to me." Cantrell looked around at the ranch and the trooper walking back toward the house with the girl. He then looked back at the captain and stuck his hand out. "Can't say this has all been a pleasure, but it was a pleasure to work with you, Captain..."
ooc: Guess Flip is done with this one.
"Put my name on that report. Feel free to say why I was along. I've been killing vermin for a lot of years, two more does not matter to me."
"Very well then. They were both vermin alright. World's a better place without them," Benjamin was still angry about the entire sorry incident. Even one innocent person dead was one too many but the deserters had killed four.
Cantrell looked around at the ranch and the trooper walking back toward the house with the girl. He then looked back at the captain and stuck his hand out. "Can't say this has all been a pleasure, but it was a pleasure to work with you, Captain..."
"Thank you, I feel the same about you. You didn't have to do this but you came in damn handy. Perhaps we'll meet again under better circumstances, Mr. Cantrell," Barlow shook hands as he spoke.
"I got a patrol to get back to the fort and, sadly, a little girl to find someplace for. Hopefully she has some close relatives."
OOC: I believe this is as good a place to end as any!
It's a wrap!