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[Continuing chapter four]
Walker stopped the column at a crossroads a few miles east of the Canadian military post at Fort Edward for a final conference with his commanders before crossing the Sabine. They’d made pretty good time, traveling nearly twenty miles despite the column’s being strung out along the tree-lined road. We’ll move faster once we’re out of the trees and onto prairie, Walker reminded himself. Maybe a week from now, if all goes well.
“How far do you want us to go today?” Fontaine asked before Walker had had a chance to invite the men to sit and sip lemonade with him. Walker didn’t mind; that was the man’s way.
“We’ll split up at this crossroads,” Walker said, “so we should be able to move a bit faster. What I’d like is to get as close as possible to the river today before setting up camp. But if you find a good site that’s a little further from the river, you should take that. Good space for a camp’s going to be hard to come by in this forest.”
“I’ll get close to the river, then,” Fontaine said. “More likely to be cleared land there anyway.”
“Take care you stay away from houses, Fontaine,” Wheat said. “We don’t want to attract any undue attention.”
“I know how to handle the curious,” Fontaine said, kicking at a stone. “You want me to go north, south, or straight ahead?”
Walker opened the rough map he’d drawn coming through this way at the beginning of the year. “The southern route’s the furthest,” he said. “Why don’t you take that one? I know you’ll get the most out of your men and reach the river today.”
“What do you figure, Fontaine?” Wheat asked. “Another ten miles?”
“‘Bout that,” Fontaine agreed. “Them boys might as well get used to long marches, and sooner better’n later.”
“Hey, at least we’ve got horses this trip,” Wheat said with a laugh. “Not like Cuba.” He pointed to the map, traced his finger along the road to a ferry a few miles to the north. “This is my crossing, right?” When Walker nodded, Wheat said, “Looks like seven or eight miles for me. Long as the road’s in decent shape, I should make it pretty near the river not too long after dark. We won’t have much of a camp tonight’s my guess, but the boys won’t mind if it gets them out of Canada and away from redcoats any faster.”
“Yeah,” Fontaine said. “What about that fort, Walker? Can we fight ‘em if we have to?”
“I don’t anticipate that being necessary,” Walker said. “It’s a small garrison, and it seems mostly to patrol the road I’ll be taking. You two should be pretty much left alone—by the army, anyway. I want you to take care to look out for Mounted Police—they tend to watch the river crossings.” He looked directly at Fontaine. “But you are to avoid any entanglements unless you are directly threatened. Do you understand?”
Fontaine nodded, after a moment’s hesitation that made his objection clear to Walker. Wheat grinned. “If I can get to Washington-on-the-Brazos without having to fire a single shot, Colonel, I’ll be a happy man.”
“That’s the approach to take,” Walker said. “Our resources are limited; let’s husband them as long as we can.”
He got to his feet and untied Destiny’s reins from the branch around which he’d fastened them. “See to your commands, gentlemen. We’ll meet again on the other side of the river, at the Perry farm, the day after tomorrow.”
“Last one there stands the others to drinks,” Wheat said. “Hope you’ve still got some of that nice Cognac left, Colonel.”
“Don’t count your drinks before they’re poured, Wheat.” Walker mounted, noted with concern that he seemed somewhat stiff and sore after the day’s ride, but nudged Destiny forward anyway. “I’ve got the shortest route, don’t forget.”
“Command hath its privileges,” Wheat said, mounting his big bay stallion. “I’ll still beat you there.”
Fontaine grunted, though whether he was expressing distaste at Wheat’s japery or his own fatigue Walker couldn’t guess. The man left without further word to rejoin his company, at the rear of the column.
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