Ahead Barlow spotted their Indian scout waiting and watching something thru the trees. Of his own vantage point that's all the captain could tell, he did not know where MacIntosh was but kept the patrol moving in that direction. Then he heard hard to make out shouting. Not shouting in anger but more in conversation at a distance though. He sure hoped MacIntosh wasn't crazy enough to try and parley with the deserters. He would be asking to get gunned down!
He soon reached Ki Ne-tay. He put up one hand to halt the troopers behind him.
"What's going on?" was the obvious question.
"MacIntosh speaks to rancher. man killed, maybe sojer men." The Apache conveyed. "We can go now that you here." Ke-Na-Tay was a bit concerned that his presence might stir up a problem, but he led out ahead of Barlow's patrol, but close enough that they were all seen by the rancher and his men when they left the trees.
"There, that's Captain Barlow and the patrol chasing them that done this." MacIntosh said to Cantrel. "The Apache, Ke-Na-Tay, he's with me. Like I said friend, this wasn't no Injun, it was the men we're after." And now they had a repeating rifle and no telling how much ammunition, and they would surely think that they would be followed, and that there was a tracker with the pursuit.
Ke Ni-Tay quickly filled the army officer in on what was apparently going on. Benjamin nodded.
"Very well, might as well join the conversation."
He turned to his detachment, "Relax, gentlemen. Move out."
They rode up to their scout and some obvious cowboys. Barlow also glanced down at the body. Had the man been scalped?
"Good day, I'm Captain Barlow from Fort Sumner. I trust Mr. MacIntosh may have already informed you as to why we are out here?"
Cantrell turned from the grizzled scout as the patrol walked their horses up from the wood line. He stepped over closer to the army captain and extended a hand for the officer to shake.
"Quentin Cantrell...I'm one of the owners of Lost Lake ranch. This is my land..." Cantrell looked down at the body then poked a thumb at Mr. MacIntosh. "Your scout told me about your deserters. This had to be their work." Cantrell looked at the captain. "My men can take Hap back to the ranch for burial. If it's all the same to you, I would like to come along. Benyon was one of my hands. I'm responsible for what happened to him. I need to see this through to the end. Either their death or arrest. I've um...fired a few shots and had my share of bullets fired at me...I assure you I can take care of myself."
Benjamin shook hands with the rancher.
"Quentin Cantrell...I'm one of the owners of Lost Lake ranch. This is my land..." Cantrell looked down at the body then poked a thumb at Mr. MacIntosh. "Your scout told me about your deserters. This had to be their work."
Barlow glanced down, "Possibly. Wouldn't put it past'em." But the plain truth of it was there could easily still be hostile Indian war parties around especially once word spread amongst the Indians of the Big Horn disaster. Had to be the biggest Indian success in their wars with the whites.
Cantrell looked at the captain. "My men can take Hap back to the ranch for burial. If it's all the same to you, I would like to come along. Benyon was one of my hands. I'm responsible for what happened to him. I need to see this through to the end. Either their death or arrest. I've um...fired a few shots and had my share of bullets fired at me...I assure you I can take care of myself."
Benjamin seemed to think on it but then nodded in that laconic manner of his, "Very well. Just so you know this isn't going to be some lynching. The aim is to bring these deserters back to the fort for a military trial and then we hang'em."
"That said, if they resist, well.....then we bring them back dead."
He knew that the colonel would be just fine with that.
Benjamin seemed to think on it but then nodded in that laconic manner of his, "Very well. Just so you know this isn't going to be some lynching. The aim is to bring these deserters back to the fort for a military trial and then we hang'em."
"That said, if they resist, well.....then we bring them back dead."
Quentin nodded as Barlow finished talking. "Fair enough. If they give up, I'm fine with them facing military justice. A rope's as good as a bullet..." He lightly patted Barlow's saddle and turned to walk back to where his men stood.
"I will be going with the captain and his party to hunt down these deserters..." He looked at the men one by one as he spoke. "...Once the wagon gets back, take Hap back to the ranch. Do like I said earlier with burying him and seeing about getting word to his family."
The next few minutes were spent with Cantrell gathering some extra food from the other hands to go in his saddlebags. He had already grabbed a few boxes of shells before he had left the ranch, so he was set there. Once he had everything he thought he needed, he checked over Paladin's rig and his own gear. His Mare's Leg, revolvers and Winchester in it's saddle scabbard were all checked and ready. He then mounted Paladin and walked the horse out of the treeline. He paused to exchange some final words with the hand he had put in charge, then he spurred on up to fall in beside the captain.
"Reporting for duty, Sir..." Cantrell smiled. "...It's been a few years since I rode a patrol."
The man was motivated and had the look alright of someone who certainly could handle himself in a rough situation. Watching him get ready to join them he certainly was well equipped for it. Benjamin hoped they wouldn't need an extra gun but if they did, he'd probably be a good addition alright.
"Reporting for duty, Sir..." Cantrell smiled. "...It's been a few years since I rode a patrol."
Benjamin raised one eyebrow, "Oh so you were in the service. I take it during the late unpleasantness? And if so might I ask which army did you serve in?"
Benjamin had been in the Union army but he took no offense to those who served in the rebel army. It was all over as far as he was concerned. A few men in his company even had been Confederates.
Benjamin raised one eyebrow, "Oh so you were in the service. I take it during the late unpleasantness? And if so might I ask which army did you serve in?"
Cantrell gave a cough and realized that the situation was suddenly a bit awkward. "Ahem...well, yes. I ended the war as a major in Hampton's Legion, Cavalry, of South Carolina..." Cantrell let a little bit more palmetto drift into his South Carolina accent. "...I'm not ashamed of the choice I made, but it was a long time and a different person ago. I'm not the same angry young man who came home in '65."
"Ahem...well, yes. I ended the war as a major in Hampton's Legion, Cavalry, of South Carolina..." Cantrell let a little bit more palmetto drift into his South Carolina accent. "...I'm not ashamed of the choice I made, but it was a long time and a different person ago. I'm not the same angry young man who came home in '65."
Benjamin seemed unperturbed, merely nodded.
"Major huh? I heard of Hampton's Legion. I was in the army of the Potomac for just a short time. My unit, 15th Pennsylvania, served with it until after Antietam. Then we were transferred out to the Army of the Cumberland," he replied.
"No matter, Mr. Cantrell, water over the dam far as I'm concerned. I was just curious is all," he gave a bit of a smile.
"Well, we are out here for a reason," he suddenly snapped back to the present and turned to the veteran scouts.
"Gentlemen, if you'd take the lead again and look for signs of our murdering cowards, " he declared to MacIntosh and Ke Ni-Tay, " we will be following."
"Sure thing Captain," MacIntosh said, wheeling his horse around, Ke-Na-Tay was already on the move following a trail even a whiteman could follow. The deserters were not that smart to be sure. The Apache studied the tracks carefully, reading the stole mounts hoof prints. They could be on them in no time until they made the trees, and then it would be a bit more difficult, but not impossible, not following these two.
Ke-Na-Tay led them into the trees where a competent rider would have lost the followers, but the trail, a bit more difficult was easy to decern until they reached a dry streambed, and contrary to what the two men had exhibited so far, they did not come out the other side. For whatever reason known only to them, they took the bed. It was mostly rock, loose gravel, broken limbs, and branches, not enough soft sand to aid the Indian's tracking. He stopped.
As MacIntosh closed on him, the Apache looked back and said, "Be slow now, trail is there but harder to see. shod horses mark rock, break old branch, We follow, we catch, but no so fast as we like."
