eable was they
to throw their hoofs outta heah. My, my, lookit them millin' round down
theah. Jus' like a bunch of ants, ain't they? Had us one of Cap'n
Morton's bull pups now, we could throw us a few shells as would make that
nest boil right over into the gully!"

"We'll do something when the General gets here," Drew promised.

Kirby nodded. "Yes, an' this heah General Forrest, too. He sure can
ramrod a top outfit. Jus' prances round the country so that the poor
little blue bellies don't know when he's goin' to pop outta some bush,
makin' war talk at 'em. You know, the kid's gonna be hoppin' to think he
missed this heah show--"

"At least we know where he is and what he's doin'."

Kirby propped his chin on his forearm. "Jus' 'bout now he's sittin' down
at the table back theah in Meridian with a sight of fancy grub lookin'
back at him. How long you think he's gonna take to bein' corraled that
way?"

"General Buford gave him strict orders personally--"

"Nice to have a general take an interest in you," Kirby commented. "You
Kaintuck boys, you're scattered all through this heah army. Want to stay
with Boyd 'cause he's ailin', so you jus' find you a general from your
home state an' talk yourself into a transfer--"

"Notice you wanted me to talk you into one, too."

"Well, Missouri, Mississippi, an' Tennessee are a sight nearer Texas an'
home than Virginia. Anyway, theah warn't much left of our old outfit,
an' this heah Forrest is headin' up a sassy bunch. So I'm glad you did
find you a general to sling some weight an' git us into his scouts jus'
'cause he knew your grandpappy. Kaintucks stick together...."

There was a second of silence through which they could both hear the
faint sounds of life from the stockade.

"M' father was a Texan," Drew said suddenly.

"Now that's a right interestin' observation," Kirby remarked. "Heah I
was all the time thinkin' you was one of these heah fast-ridin',
fine-livin' gentlemen what was givin' some tone to the army. Not jus'
'nother range drifter from the big spaces. What part of Texas you
from--Brazos?"

"Oh, I wasn't born there. You had a war down that way, remember?"

"You mean when Santa Anna came trottin' in with his tail high, thinkin'
as how he could talk harsh to some of us Tejanos?"

"No, later than that--when some of us went down to talk harsh in
Mexico."

"Sure. Only I don't recollect that theah powder-burnin' contest, m'self.
M'pa went ... got him these he