an' looked you over. Later,
Injun, he went back for a look-see, but he ain't found hide nor hair of
Anse--"

"He was hit bad--in the shoulder--" Drew looked pleadingly from one to
the other--"when we smashed into that brush he was pushed right out of
the saddle, not far from that crick where you found me. Injun, he could
still be out there now ... bleedin'--hurt...."

Croff shook his head. "I backtracked all along that way after we found
you. There was some blood on the grass, but that could have come from
one of the bushwhackers. There was no trace of Anse, anywhere."

"What if he was taken prisoner!" Neither one of them would meet his eyes
now, and Drew set his teeth, clamping down on a wild rush of words he
wanted to spill, knowing that both men would have been as quick and
willing to search for the Texan as they had to bring Drew, himself, in.
No one answered him.

But Croff stood up and said quietly: "This is a pretty well-hidden cave.
The Yankees probably believe they've swept out this valley. You stay
holed up here, and you're safe for a while. Then when you're ready to
ride, Sarge, we'll head back south."

He stopped to pick up his carbine by its sling.

"Where're you going?"

"Take a look-see for Yankees. If they got Anse, there's a slim chance we
can learn of it and take steps. Leastwise, nosing a little downwind
ain't goin' to do a bit of harm." He moved out of the firelight with his
usual noiseless tread and was gone.

17

_Poor Rebel Soldier...._

"Sergeant Rennie reporting suh, at the General's orders." Drew came to
attention under the regard of those gray-blue eyes, not understanding
why he had been summoned to Forrest's headquarters.

"Sergeant, what's all this about bushwhackers?"

Drew repeated the story of their adventure in Tennessee, paring it down
to the bald facts.

"That nest was wiped out by the Yankee patrol, suh. Afterward Private
Croff found a saddlebag with some papers in it, which was in the remains
of their camp. It looks like they'd been picking off couriers from both
sides. We sent those in with our first report."

The General nodded. "You stayed near-by for a while after the camp was
taken?"

"Well, I was hurt, suh."

He saw that General Forrest was smiling. "Sergeant, that theah story
about your belt buckle has had a mightly lot of repeatin' up and down
the ranks. You were a lucky young man!"

"Yes, suh!" Drew agreed. "While I was laid up, Privates Croff