After the news had been given, Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch quickly returned to their duty clothes and were walking around the parade ground checking on the guard posts.

Sgt Chesterfield: "Hey Bryan, see anything out there."

Bryan: "No Sergeant nothing, like a silent fuse, I keep waiting for something to explode."

Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch nodded in agreement, then they noticed two men walk into the stables, since the announcement the northerners and southerners had been split up into different barracks' so no fights broke out among the enlisted men.

Sgt Chesterfield: "Hey Corporal, you see that light in the stables?"

Cpl Blutch: "Yeah, you figure something's up?"

Sgt Chesterfield: "Knowing Slocum, after he heard the announcement he might get all the southerners in for a meeting, let's listen in."

Cpl Blutch (Nervously): "U-um S-Sarge, I d-don't think t-that's a good idea."

Sgt Chesterfield: "Chicken." The Sergeant went over to the stables, Cpl Blutch tried to call him back, but it was no use.

Cpl Blutch: *Sigh* "Here he goes again." He followed, but reluctantly.

The two NCO's ducked behind a pile of hay and laid low while the southerners talked.

Trooper Caswell: "Alright, that's everybody Sarge."

Sgt Slocum: "Okay, well now, we might as well be in the Confederate Army by now."

Tripps: "Yeah, but we're outnumbered two to one, we'll never make it."

Trooper Caswell: "Not if we strike first, the Sergeant has it all figured out."

Sgt Slocum: "Yeah, I'll lead a group of men to the armory, Caswell will lead another two the Stables, and a third led by Trooper Hicks will take the Quartermaster store."

Trooper Caswell: "We'll have the Ammunition, Supplies, Horses, and the Gold when it comes, the Yank's will surrender or fight with nothing, then we light out for Texas and join the Confederate Army."

Tripps: "If we still have our scalpes, we have to right through Sioux territory, look, I-I just don't wanna see a massacre."

Sgt Slocum: "Are you in, or out Tripps."

Tripps: "I can't exactly tell you yet, I haven't figured what I'm gonna do."

Sgt Slocum: "Alright fine, you'll tell me later, now the..." he was interrupted by Blutch accidentally tipping over a keg of water, the Southerners looked in their direction and saw nothing. "Tripps, go check it out."

Tripps: "Alright." he walked over, both Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch had their hands on their mouths to not make any noise, but Tripps ended up seeing them, he was shocked, he knew they might be killed if he said something, so.

Sgt Slocum: "Well, is something back there?"

Tripps: "N-No Slocum, nothing, just the horses fussin." Tripps winked at Sergeant Chesterfield and the Sergeant nodded in reply, Tripps walked back while Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch walked over to the Colonel's office.

Sgt Chesterfield (Pounding on the door): "COLONEL APPLETOWN, COLONEL APPLETOWN!"

Col Appletown (Groggily): "What is it Sergeant, it's 1:30 in the morning."

Sgt Chesterfield: "There's going to be trouble sir, it's the southerners." The Colonel immediately woke up instantly after hearing trouble and Southerners in the same sentence.

Col Appletown: "Sergeant, Corporal, please come in, my daughter prepared fresh coffee." The Non Commissioned Officer's sat down down in front of Col Appletown at his desk. "Now, what is the trouble?"

Cpl Blutch: "Well sir, we overheard them have a meeting tonight, talking about how there gonna take over the fort and head for Texas after."

Col Appletown: "That sounds serious, but can you confirm this."

Sgt Chesterfield: "You have our word sir, we were behind a pile of hay the whole time."

Just then, they heard a harmonica playing Dixie, and it was coming from the Southerner's Barracks, and they were singing loudly. Then the Northerners started singing John Brown's body from their barracks, Col Appletown put on his uniform just as Capt Tanner and Lt Walker got outside.

Col Appletown: "Capt Tanner, have the bugler sound assembly."

Capt Tanner: "Yes sir, Sgt Chesterfield, have the bugler sound assembly."

Sgt Chesterfield: "BUGLER, SOUND ASSEMBLY!"

Bugler: *Assembly* The troopers rush right into company formation with their respected companies, they are in perfect line and standing at attention, The Sergeant and Corporal fell in with the other ranks.

Col Appletown: "Within the walls of this fort, is three companies of soldiers, some from the North, and some from the South, we have been comrades in arms for a long time now, and you will all continue to be three companies of soldiers. That order does not come from me, that order come straight from Fire Bear and his warriors. Captain, dismiss the command."

Capt Tanner: "Yes sir, Sergeant, dismiss the command."

Sgt Chesterfield: "REGIMENT, DISMISSED!"

And all the men went back to the barracks for a restless night's sleep.

The Next Morning

Col Appletown called Capt Tanner into his office that morning to discuss the outbreak from the previous night.

Col Appletown: "Captain, I suppose you know who the ringleaders are from last night."

Capt Tanner: "Yes sir, but I can't exactly put my finger on what made them so roudy."

Col Appletown: "After making the announcement about Fort Sumter, it must have driven them farther apart than ever."

Capt Tanner: "And when you release them from the army, we'll be undermanned."

Col Appletown: "They won't be released until I get orders to release them."

Capt Tanner: "But sir."

Col Appletown: "No but's Captain, now then, the gold is in our reach now."

Capt Tanner: "You want me to get Company B ready sir?"

Col Appletown: "Actually, I want to send Sgt Chesterfield and a detail of men, a full company would arouse suspicion to Fire Bear."

Capt Tanner: "But I, I thought it would be my job to get the gold?"

Col Appletown: "It was, but I feel Sgt Chesterfield and Cpl Blutch will not only get the gold, but keep the peace with a small contingent of both Northerners and Southerners."

Capt Tanner (Saluting): "Understood sir."

Col Appletown (Returning Salute): "Oh, and please tell the Sergeant and Corporal to see me Captain."

Capt Tanner: "Yes sir." But when he opened the door, the Sergeant and Corporal stumbled in. "They're already here sir."

Col Appletown (Lightly Chuckling): "I can see that Capt Tanner."

Sgt Chesterfield: "P-pardon the intrusion sir, we were just..."

Col Appletown: "Never you mind that Sergeant, now, I want you to get a detail of twelve men together, your choice of course of Northerners and Southerners, to get the gold at the bend in the Red River."

Sgt Chesterfield (Saluting): "Yes sir." Cpl Blutch was behind him, he shook his head disapprovingly at the mission they had been given, when they walked out, he had a few words for the Sergeant.

Cpl Blutch (Under his breath): "Gloryhound."

Sgt Chesterfield: "Okay I'll bite, what are you on about now?"

Cpl Blutch: "The fact that you always welcome each assignment like it was a wagon load of candy for a baby."

Sgt Chesterfield: "Look Blockhead, Col Appletown gave us this assignment in confidence, and we won't let him down."

Cpl Blutch: "Yeah yeah sure, all I'm saying is that you should, I don't know, reject an assignment."

Sgt Chesterfield: "I can't reject an assignment, even if I could, I wouldn't."

Cpl Blutch: "Yeah, because of your sense of duty and all that." The Sergeant's temper fuse was lit and the bomb of which was his terrible rage would soon explode, but he then calmed down, this was no time to get angry.