The Big Gun (Dusty Fog's Civil War Book 3) by J.T. Edson Page B

confirmed. ‘Take him and his battery with you. But
don’t forget that your primary objective is to destroy the big gun, not to try to
capture it.’
    Affirming that he understood
his duty, Dusty discussed a few other points and then left the
building. Mounting his horse, he rode to the Texas Light
Cavalry ’s
camp. As he approached the wall tent which he was sharing with his
second-in-command, Red came out. Red was dressed, apart from his
hat, tunic and weapon belt.
    ‘ Is
everything ready for tomorrow, Cousin Red?’ Dusty asked, remaining
on the bay’s back.
    ‘ Why
sure,’ agreed the redhead, without displaying any great enthusiasm.
‘Fifty rounds a man for the revolvers, same for their shoulder
arms. Food for three days, just like you told me.’
    ‘ Bueno, ’ Dusty said.
    ‘ Do
we have to take that damned ride?’ Red asked, for he was not
looking forward with any pleasure to carrying out the long training
march which Dusty had arranged.
    ‘ Nope,’ the small Texan replied, watching his cousin with
amused anticipation and awaiting his reaction to the
word.
    ‘ Maybe
we ought to get them doing some shoot—’ Red began, then realized
what Dusty’s answer had been. ‘Did you say “no”?’
    ‘ That’s just what I said. Get your horse and go ask Doug
Staunce if he and his Limeys would like to come along with us and
see how a good horse-outfit does its work. Tell him Uncle Devil
reckons the exercise will do them good.’
    ‘ Yo!
What’s doing—Just happen Doug wants to know?’
    ‘ We’re
going over the Ouachita after the big gun,’ Dusty explained and was
delighted by the expression that crossed his cousin’s face. Tell
Doug that I’m hoping to be moving out by one o’clock, if not
sooner.’
    Leaving Red, who dived back
into the tent to dress before setting off with the message, Dusty
made his way to his enlisted men ’s quarters. Going to the tent assigned to
the senior non-commissioned officers, he found only the sergeant
major present.
    ‘ Turn
out the Company, Billy Jack,’ Dusty ordered as the lanky figure
came in answer to his call. ‘Have the bugler sound “Boots and
Saddles”.’
    ‘ Yo!’ Billy Jack replied.
‘Only most of the new men’ve gone down to the Tavern. They were
paid and I figured they wouldn’t be wanted before
morning.’
    ‘ That’s all right,’ Dusty said. ‘You weren’t to
know.’
    ‘ I’ll
go fetch them—’
    ‘ Leave
that to me, you have the others making ready.’
    ‘ Livesey’s not going to be too happy about you taking them
away while they’ve still got money in their pockets,’ Billy Jack
warned. ‘I’d step careful, was I you, Cap’n Dusty. His uncle’s the
mayor.’
    ‘ I’ll
bear it in mind and be real polite,’ Dusty promised. ‘Have that big black
gelding we took from the Lancers for me to use, this bay’s been
pushed hard recently.’
    ‘ Yo!’
the sergeant major assented, but did not make an immediate start to
commencing his duties. ‘I could fetch Kiowa and Stormy Weather from
the pok—prayer meeting they’re at and have them come with
you.’
    ‘ Tell
them to come down after me,’ Dusty suggested.
    For all his mournful appearance and habit of
always pretending to expect doom and disaster, Dusty knew that
Billy Jack was no alarmist. If he felt that the owner of the Tavern
might prove to be difficult, the small Texan was willing to accept
his summation.
    Having accepted Billy
Jack ’s
offer, Dusty set his mount into motion. Holding the bay to a
canter, he wasted no time in covering the half mile separating the
camp from Camden. Once there, he made his way towards the river.
The Tavern stood about fifty yards from the bank, a one floor stone
building glowing with light and the sounds of merriment. Looking
across the water, Dusty could see little or no signs of life. As at
Arkadelphia, the Yankees had halted at long cannon shot and there
was only the red glare of their campfires to tell of their
presence.
    At that