Under the Stars and Bars (A Dusty Fog Civil War Western Book 4)

by J. T. Edson

  Putting on a burst of speed, Dusty reached the saber. Down stabbed his right hand in passing, entering the hilt and plucking the weapon from the ground. However, although armed, he did not halt and face the Volunteer immediately.

  Known to its users by the unflattering sobriquet ‘The Old Wrist-Breaker’, the Model of 1840 saber—copied from the French Army’s 1822 type—had been replaced in the Union Army by a lighter, slimmer-bladed variety in 1860. Following the lead of their Federal contemporaries, the Confederate arms manufacturers had produced the more easily-handled Model of 1860 pattern for their cavalry. Specially made for him by the company of L. Haiman & Brother, Dusty’s saber was even lighter than the standard type. So he needed a brief respite to adjust to the heavier weapon in his hand.

  With the knuckle bow of the guard hanging downwards, Dusty gripped the front of the handle by the first joints of the thumb and forefinger and curled the other fingers less tightly about it. The weight of the saber was mainly supported by the pommel-end of the handle pressing against the heel of his palm. Held in such a manner, the hand could be turned from pronation through to supination so as to make the best use of the blade’s cutting edge, the eight-inch long false edge on the back, or the point.

  Having obtained the necessary grip, Dusty thrust five more long strides that pulled him clear of Gilbertson. Then he brought himself to a turning halt and faced the Volunteer. Pointing his right foot in the fighting line towards his attacker, Dusty turned his left toe outwards to stand on parted, slightly bent legs. Keeping his trunk erect, he tucked his left hand’s thumb into his waistband. With his point raised, adopting an on-guard position in tierce, he waited for the Volunteer to reach him.

  On the rim, Kiowa removed his hand from the Enfield rifle. Grinning at Prince, the sergeant relaxed.

  ‘Likely the major’s done enough,’ the dark-faced Texan drawled.

  So swiftly had everything happened, that Dusty held the saber and prepared to engage Gilbertson before the majority of Troop ‘G’ realized that something had gone wrong with the parley. Then excited voices raised, drawing other Dragoons’ attention. Forgetting their duty, ignoring the possibility of a Rebel cavalry force lurking ready to attack, the enlisted men stood up to obtain a better view of the fight. No less interested, the captain and two lieutenants converged at the double on Galbraith.

  ‘What the hell’s happening, Tam?’ demanded Captain Miller worriedly.

  ‘Gilbertson wants to murder Captain Fog,’ the major answered, without taking his eyes from the combatants. ‘I just evened things up.’

  ‘But—But——!’ Miller croaked.

  ‘It’s better this way,’ Galbraith stated and told his subordinates why Dusty had come and asked for the parley.

  ‘The hell he did!’ Miller spat as he heard of Gilbertson’s escape. Although he shared with his superior a repugnance for the Volunteer’s behavior, he felt that he should say something more. ‘Are you letting this go through all the way?’

  ‘Right to the end, Fred.’

  ‘If Gilbertson loses—’

  ‘I think that Captain Fog won’t take the matter further.’

  ‘And if he wins?’

  ‘That’s what I’m counting on not happening, Fred,’ Galbraith admitted frankly.

  Miller watched Dusty and Gilbertson, wishing that he could share his commanding officer’s optimism. From what the captain could see, the issue was still very much in doubt.

  Without hesitation, probably because he could not stop himself in time, Gilbertson plunged towards the small Texan. Counting on his extra reach, weight and strength, the Volunteer delivered a barrage of slashes and cuts that kept Dusty on the defensive for almost a minute. Trying no such refinements as thrusts, feints or lunges, Gilbertson continued to expend his energy in a hurricane assault of orthodox speed and force.

  For his part, Dusty concentrated on following Beau Amesley’s often-repeated advice to let the eye and the feet save the arm. The weapon he held was longer and heavier than the one to which he had become accustomed, so he used the passing seconds in gaining its feel, hang and balance.

  Satisfied at last that he knew the saber, Dusty changed his tactics and took the offensive. Like a rubber ball rebounding after being thrown at a wall, Gilbertson went into a retreat. Forced to withdraw and parry desperately, he rapidly lost the ground gained during his abortive whirlwind, carpet-beating assault. With growing anxiety, the Volunteer began to admit that he might be facing a man approaching his own skill. Gradually, however, he was compelled to swallow his bigoted pride and accept that once again a Rebel was proving superior to him.

  ‘There,’ Kiowa said in satisfaction, watching Gilbertson being forced to give ground. ‘I told you there wasn’t nothing to worry over.’

  ‘You telled me,’ agreed Prince. ‘Only one thing worries me now.’

  ‘What’d that be?’

  ‘What’ll happen after Cap’n Dusty’s licked that Yankee son-of-a-bitch?’

  That point had also occurred to Kiowa, but he did not mention the matter to his companion.

  Dusty originated another attack, bounding forward with his blade in pronation as it went for a cut to flank. Down dropped Gilbertson’s point, executing a parry in low tierce. Falling back a little, with his blade held ready for a lunge, Dusty decided that the Volunteer intended to follow up the parry with a cut at his arm. When the blow came, Dusty made a parry in seconde and raised the attacking weapon. With his opponent’s blade taken out of line, Dusty disengaged it and brought off a rapid cut to the head.

  Seeing the danger, Gilbertson spread apart and bent his knees, to duck beneath the arc of Dusty’s blow. From the position he had gained, the Volunteer could have legitimately cut at Dusty’s chest or abdomen. Instead, while still crouching, he swept his saber around in an attempt to strike the small Texan’s legs.

  A low, angry mutter rose from the Dragoon officers, for such a tactic was regarded as a deliberate foul in a fencing match or during a serious duel. However, they saw that Dusty was aware of the danger and did not intervene.

  Realizing that he dealt with a man to whom honor, ethics and fair play had no meaning, Dusty had watched for and been ready to counter Gilbertson’s foul maneuver. Bounding into the air, bending his knees and tucking his feet beneath him, he passed over the Volunteer’s saber.

  On landing, Dusty stumbled slightly. Not sufficiently to throw him off his balance, but enough to make his saber waver from its hitherto near-perfect guard. Thrusting up from his crouch, Gilbertson brought around his own weapon in a savage inwards beat and tried for a sforzo disarmament. Using his extra weight, the Volunteer struck the side of Dusty’s blade with considerable force. Gilbertson hoped that the impact would so loosen the small Texan’s hand on the hilt that he would lose his hold of it and he would be unable to parry the coming lunge or cut.

  Although Dusty’s strength and control prevented the former from happening, he could not stop his blade being forced to his attacker’s left. Carried forward by his impetus, Gilbertson found himself approaching a position of corpse-a-corps. Before the sabers’ hilts met and their users halted chest to chest, the Volunteer saw a chance offered. Prompted by his fear of defeat, he took it. Bringing his left hand from his hip, he caught hold of the back of Dusty’s blade. Keeping his fingers extended, to avoid the cutting edge, Gilbertson prepared to take advantage of his latest piece of foul play. Up swung his saber, ready to smash the iron knuckle bow of the guard into the Texan’s face.

  Once again Dusty’s lightning fast reactions saved him. Feeling his blade gripped and immobilized, he guessed what Gilbertson intended to do even before the other’s right hand began to lift. This latest attempt at foul play warned Dusty that he could not treat the Volunteer as an honorable enemy and so must fight fire with fire.

  With Dusty Fog to think was to act.

  Up rose the small Texan’s right foot, then drove down to smash the heel of his boot against the top of Gilbertson’s forward instep. Pain
caused the Volunteer to yelp, flinch and relax his grasp on Dusty’s saber. Oblivious of the furious shouts that rose from behind him, Dusty rotated his wrist to the left almost 90o By tugging back on the hilt, he drew the cutting edge across Gilbertson’s involuntarily clutching fingers. Again the Volunteer cried out, even louder, as the edge bit into his phalanges. Jerking his hand from Dusty’s weapon, he took a long stride to the rear. Doing so caused his down-driving hand to miss.

  Having set his saber free, Dusty also started to withdraw. The knuckle bow of the Volunteer’s weapon almost grazed Dusty’s face in passing, but it failed to strike him.

  In a flash, the small Texan retaliated. With his hand in supination, he propelled his blade around to pass over Gilbertson’s left shoulder. Slicing into the side of the Volunteer’s neck, the saber almost removed his head from his shoulders. Throwing his weapon aside, the man spun around and went down. He landed on his back spread-eagled and lifeless.

  Sucking in deep breaths, Dusty stepped back and lowered his borrowed saber. He saw Surtees galloping towards him and heard the Dragoon officers running in his direction. Turning to the latter, he felt puzzled by the anger and disapproval they displayed. Then he realized what had caused the emotions. The Dragoons had been unable to see the reason for Dusty’s apparently unsporting action.

  ‘Look at his left hand, Major,’ Dusty suggested before any word of condemnation could be directed at him.

  Striding by the small Texan, Galbraith knelt at Gilbertson’s side. One glance informed the Dragoon that nothing could save the Volunteer’s life. In a way that was all to the good. Unless Captain Fog insisted on making the deplorable incident public, the affair could be kept a secret. Talking about it would do more harm than good.

  Having reached that conclusion, the major took up the Volunteer’s limp left hand. He looked for a moment at the bloody gash across the fingers and nodded his understanding. Satisfied, he came to his feet and faced his subordinates.

  ‘He grabbed Captain Fog’s blade,’ Gaibraith announced.

  ‘It wasn’t his first foul trick,’ Captain Miller went on coldly. ‘I don’t blame you for playing him at his own game. Captain Fog.’

  A mutter of agreement rose from the two lieutenants. Gathering a handful of grass, Dusty cleaned the saber’s blade. With that done, he reversed the weapon and held its hilt towards Galbraith.

  ‘My thanks, sir,’ Dusty said.

  ‘I suppose that I shouldn’t have let you fight him,’ Galbraith admitted as he returned his saber to its sheath. Then he stiffened and growled, ‘The hell I shouldn’t. He deserved all he got and I don’t regret him getting it.’

  ‘Comes to that, sir,’ Dusty answered ruefully, ‘I shouldn’t’ve killed him. Like I told you, he was due to be exchanged for one of our captains this morning.

  Looking at the small Texan—although he would never again think of Dusty Fog as being small—Galbraith saw the other’s predicament. By a convention of war, a prisoner could be exchanged for a man of equal rank held by the opposition. However Captain Fog no longer had a prisoner to offer in exchange. Another convention of war was that an officer’s word must be his bond. Gilbertson had admitted to giving his parole with the full intention of breaking it. If he had lived, he would have been handed back to his escort.

  Any way that Major Galbraith looked at the problem, he saw only one honorable solution. The Army of the United States must uphold its obligations and preserve the conventions of war.

  ‘As far as I’m concerned, Captain Fog,’ the Dragoons’ major said soberly. ‘You delivered Gilbertson alive and in good health. If you’ll accompany me to the Snake Ford, I’ll guarantee your officer is released in exchange for him.’

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  More on J. T. EDSON

  i Told in Kill Dusty Fog!

  ii Told in The Colt and the Sabre and The Rebel Spy.

  iii More of Belle Boyd’s story is told in The Bloody Border, Back to the Bloody Border, The Hooded Riders and The Bad Bunch.

  iv These demands are explained in The Fast Gun.

  v Texans do not use the word ‘cinch’.

  vi The Californian or Mexican usually holds his reins beneath his little finger and up to hang forward over the top of his hand.

  vii Peckerwood: derogatory name for a white Southerner.

  viii Luff: uncomplimentary term for a 1st lieutenant.

  ix The standard, Army barrel was eight inches in length.

  x Told in Quiet Town, The Trouble Busters, The Making of a Lawman, The Small Texan and The Town Tamers.

  xi He later served, in his peacetime rank of Major, with General George Armstrong Custer’s 7th Cavalry at the ill-fated Battle of the Little Bighorn.

  xii One example of this is given in Goodnight’s Dream

  xiii Told in the ‘The Futility of War’ episode of The Fastest Gun in Texas.

  xiv How Cogshill repaid Dusty is told in Cuchilo.

  xv Told in Kill Dusty Fog!

  xvi Mark Counter’s history is told in the author’s floating outfit stories.

  xvii How and why this came about is told in The Ysabel Kid.

  xviii Soda and hock: the first and last cards in a deck used for playing faro.

  xix Turkey buzzard: Cathartes Aura, the American Turkey Vulture.

  xx Material: in Artillery terms, the battery’s guns, vehicles and equipment as opposed to its personnel and horses.

  xxi The use of a rope-corral is described in Trail Boss.

  xxii Brio escondido: hidden vigor, stamina of a high order.

  xxiii More of General Smethurst’s story can be read in Back to the Bloody Border and in The Hooded Riders.

  xxiv Hard wintering: gossiping or storytelling, from the old men’s habit of discussing the severity of the winters in their younger days.

  xxv The standard-size Army Colt had an eight-inch barrel.

  xxvi How is told in The Bad Bunch.

  xxvii Rosaderos: wide, vertical shields stitched to the back of the stirrup leathers.