Read Under the Sweetwater Rim (1971) for Free Online Page B

embassy. Major Devereaux said as much to Cahill. "Oh, he wouldn't have it, sir," Cahill replied. "I happen to know from other sources that he was offered something of the kind.
    He's like yourself, sir, he prefers the frontier, and active soldiering."
    After a moment he added, "He speaks five or six languages, sir, and reads them as well."
    "That's not altogether unusual," Devereaux commented, "I've learned never to be surprised at the men I meet on the frontier. The first sergeant of Company K of the First Cavalry was a Russian nobleman, and we have a man in this outfit who was an officer in the Austrian army."
    "Is that so?" Cahill was intrigued. "Now, who would that be?" Devereaux smiled. "I will leave that one to puzzle you, Lieutenant. He doesn't want anyone to know, and has no idea that I do."
    "How did you find out?"
    "Remember that viscount who reviewed the troops before they came west? That was his brother. He told me in confidence."
    They fell silent, hearing only the beat of hoofs on the turf, as the dust rose from the thin grass.
    Mark Devereaux was thinking of Mary. Where was she now? Was she frightened? Oddly, for all his dislike of Ten Brian, he was reassured by the thought that she was with him. Whatever one might think of him, he had always conducted himself as a gentleman. He remembered something he had heard the man say when an officer of another unit had resigned his commission over a love affair with a prostitute.
    "Right or wrong," Brian had said flatly, "I respect him for his action. He respects the woman, and that is as it should be. Any woman I am with"-he paused a moment "would be treated as a lady, no matter who or what she was." Damn it all, Devereaux said to himself, when there is so much about the man that 1 respect, why do 1 dislike him?
    They were gaining on the renegades. Even Devereaux could see the increasing freshness of the tracks. Did they know they were pursued? He asked himself that question and could come to no conclusion. So far there was no indication of any change of route.
    Twice he halted the column for short breaks, each time choosing a spot with cover and some shade.
    At the second stop he ordered coffee, and while the men drank it he listened to Turpenning's report.
    "It'll be dark in an hour, sub, but they've gone into camp. Built theirselves some fires, and settled down like they figured to have themselves a time"
    "Guards posted?"
    "Yes, suh. Leastways they taken position.
    I got close enough for that. Picked theirselves some good spots, good cover, and all the country a body would want to look over."
    Devereaux studied the Tennessean thoughtfully.
    "What's the matter, "Iurpenning? Is there something about it you don't like?" "Yes, suh. There surely is. Somethin" about it feels wrong, you see? Like maybe they've got that ambulance treed, or somethin' up their sleeves. I can't put a finger on what's wrong, but it's surely there."
    "All right. I'll accept your word." He knew too much about such men not to recognize their sensitivity to a situation. He had had the same feeling himself on several occasions, and had ignored it to his cost. "Turpenning," he said now, "you need rest and I want you to get it. At the same time I need a report on that camp, and I need a couple of men who could scout around and see if they do have the ambulance pinned down. You've worked with a good many of my men. Who would you suggest?" Devereaux had his own ideas, but the Tennessean had worked with most of the outfit, and he wanted his opinion.
    "Well, suh, with Gogarty gone-and he was one of the best-there's Chancel, Boner, and Halleck, all three good men."
    Devereaux was startled. Stub Boner had been a hunter, Halleck was a soldier who had served in Dakoto and Wisconsin, knew Indians and their ways, and spoke several tongues . . . but Chancel?
    Turpenning answered the question before it was asked. "You might be a-wonderin' about Chancel," he said; "but the man's knowin', suh, mighty knowin'. His