i Pope took a square biscuit out of a paper
wrapper and held it out. "These worm cakes is pretty lively, but dip 'em
in the coffee a couple of times and you'll boil the little buggers to
death."

Raoul shut his eyes and waved the weevil-riddled hardtack away.

"What the hell is that bunch doing down by the river?"

Hodge Hode grinned. "They call it a 'pub-lic in-dig-nation' meeting." He
drawled out the words, amused. "Say they won't go across the river into
Michigan Territory. Say they want to go home."

"Any of our men talking that way?"

"Oh, a heap of them, Colonel," said Levi.

"I'll see about that."

"Hodge and me ain't quittin'. We won't go home till we've killed us some
Injun trash." Levi lovingly stroked the handles of his six holstered
pistols, three on each side of his belt.

But Levi and Hodge made no move to get up and join Raoul. They would go
with him across the river, he saw, but they were not about to help him
discipline the other men. He thought of ordering them to come with him,
but decided not to test their loyalty that far. Eli had walked out on
him. He didn't know who he could trust.

Hell, he could do it without these two, anyway.

For reassurance Raoul took a grip on the handle of his Bowie knife as he
approached the crowd. Could he cow dozens of men if they were determined
not to obey him?

_Sure. Might have to carve a few bellies, but the rest will fall into
line._

That was how he ran Smith County.

The man standing on the barrel was saying, "You know what the Injuns
call that country up there? The Trembling Lands. It's all swamp, water
and quicksand. You take a horse out on what looks like solid ground,
before you can blink, he sinks belly deep."

That kind of talk made Raoul want to use his knife. But that would
probably only rile these rebellious bastards all the more.

_Got to put a stop to this. Line them all up by the boats. Tell the
first man to get in. If he won't, shoot him. Then go on to the next.
That'll change their minds in a hurry._

He told himself disgustedly to quit dreaming. Not even in Smith County
could he get away with shooting white men just because they wouldn't
obey him. Not in broad daylight, anyway.

The man standing on the barrel said, "If Black Hawk has holed up in that
country, that means he's finished. Hell, his people will starve to death
up there. What do we got to follow him for?"

Pushing his way through the crowd, Raoul heard a man near