Festus stirred from his sleep and noted that the sun was just on the far side of the hills and ready to poke up to make its appearance for the day. His hazel eyes drifted up to the sky and noticed that a cloud bank was moving in from the west and it felt like it was going to rain sometime later.
The deputy adjusted his hat back on his head and sat up looking around at the sleeping soldiers. No one was stirring. Festus shook his head and proceeded to break camp. He made enough noise to wake some of the soldiers who followed the deputy's lead knowing that they still had to find Hodgson, Elcombe and Doris.
Slowly sergeant Cox opened his eyes to the light noise and sat bolt up. He looked over to his men who were hastily packing up. Slowly his eyes drifted back to where Williams was sleeping. The sergeant wasn't there. Cox scrambled to his feet and looked around.
"You won't find him that way," Festus said as he threw his saddle over his mule's back and began to buckle the cinch under the animal's belly.
Sergeant Cox walked defiantly toward the deputy, "And just what do you mean by that?"
Festus stopped what he was going, "Your friend left camp about two hours ago," the hill man said.
"Where? Why?" Cox questioned.
"I don't know. But I do know this, he wants that money," Festus ticked his head.
"You're crazy. Sergeant Williams is an outstanding military man. He wouldn't go off looking for money that was stolen!" Cox waved his arms.
"I guess you haven't seen the look in his eyes then, huh?" Festus said.
"I don't know what you mean," Cox looked at the deputy.
"Oh, he'll catch up to them yahoos that robbed the stagecoach, and I will bet my mule that he will killed them fer that money and ride off into the hills. Just like they were going to do. If we catch up to him he'll fight us. I've seen all sorts of greed, and he's got a case of it that only death will stop," Festus stated.
"I don't believe you," Cox huffed.
"Get yer pony ready to ride and find out," Festus motioned with his right hand to the sergeant's horse. Cox glared at the law man, "If you are pulling my leg and this is some sort of hoax, there will be a court marshal with your name on it," he wagged his finger in an angry manner.
"It appears to me that you orta be pointing this finger to the fellas out there," Festus motioned over his shoulder to hills in the direction where the tracks lead.
Cox pursed his lips and began to saddle his horse. His mind worked back through the past few days and he began to see a pattern - Williams was slowly changing. But why, he asked himself. Cox's eyebrows knitted together in thought as he continued to ready his horse.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sergeant Williams threw all caution to the wind. He was determined more then ever to find Hodgson and his men. The sergeant was now three hours into his ride when he came across the corpse of John Doris. He pulled his horse to a stop and studied the man - he'd been shot twice. Williams made a face as his horse seemed spooked by the dead man. Williams nudged his horse with his spurs and continued to follow the tracks made by Hodgson and Elcombe. The sergeant wasn't a good track and had no sense of how far ahead the other men were, but he didn't seem to care either.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Festus was quick on the trial and moved along faster than he had the evening before. He had better light, more time, but was also conscious of the clouds that were building. He pulled Ruth to a stop at the top of a knoll and sergeant Cox pulled his horse along side, "What's up?" Cox asked.
"Jist getting my bearings, that's all," Festus said and slowly looked over at the sergeant. "Still don't believe what I said, do you?"
Cox huffed, "I have been giving some thought. But what I don't get, is why Williams would do it..." he looked out over the rolling hills.
"Hard to know what turns a fellow into a thief, killer or rotten scoundrel," Festus' eyes slowly looked back out over the land. "One thing is for certain, once we catch up to them, we'll be in for a good fight," he said ticking his head.
"Well, lets not waste time. I'm sure the major is wonder what's taking so long already," Cox said as he spurred his mount and the horse moved forward.
The small group travelled another hour before they too came across John Doris' body. Cox stepped down from his horse and looked around the camp.
Festus was quick to join him, however, his interest lay with the dead man, "This here's the one Doc was trying to help," Festus stated as he stood up from the body.
Cox looked down, "I assume the wound in his side is the one that the doctor was working on," he said. Festus nodded, "And it looks like his so-called friends were tired of him holding them back," he concluded.
Cox looked up at his men, "Quickly bury this man and lets not waste any more time," the sergeant's tone was growing cold and tired as he moved back to his horse and pulled the canteen from over the saddle horn. He watched the troopers as they prepared to dig a shallow grave in the rocky soil. Cox swallowed back some water. Festus continued to look around the camp site to see if he could spot any more clues about far ahead the other troopers where and how far ahead the other sergeant was.
Festus moved back to his mule and pulled himself up onto his saddle, "Yer sergeant friend is about two hours ahead of us. If we hurry, we can at least catch up to him," Festus spoke.
Cox nodded and climbed up onto his horse, "Men, finish what you are doing and do a good job. Catch up to us when you are finished," Cox stated.
"Sure serge," one of the troopers said as Festus and Cox rode off into the hills in search of Williams and the other two troopers.
