the sergeant's steady, boring
stare, and he glanced at the rest of his companions, the two disheveled
fighters, the lanky man picking up a forage cap and handing it to one of
them.

"I dunno, Sergeant. Th' boys ... they was jus' funnin'. They didn't meant
nothin', jus' funnin'. Then these here Rebs, they come right after Helms,
was gonna jump him from behind. An' Danny waded in jus' to keep that
one"--the boy pointed straight at Drew--"offa Helms. That's what happened.
Th' boys didn't mean no harm--jus' havin' a little fun--when these Rebs
jumped 'em!"

Drew pulled up his neckerchief and dabbed at his cut lip. Anse had
subsided, though he was still watching the sergeant with an unrelenting
gaze. The Kentuckian tried to remember where Fowler had been during the
fracas. He had spoken up for them already, but would Muller accept his
testimony over that of his own men? There was already ill feeling between
the army and the town. Drew remembered _Don_ Cazar's encounter with
Bayliss at Kells' stable. What had Reese Topham said then? That the
captain was only waiting to make trouble for Rennie. And now here he was
himself--one of Rennie's riders--involved in a saloon fight with troopers.
Drew began to realize that this could be even worse than the physical
punishment he and Anse had suffered.

"You ... bartender--" The sergeant now looked to Fowler. "What'd you see?"

"You ain't gonna take his word for it, for anythin' in this mudhole of a
town, are you, Sarge? They'd all lie their heads off to git a trooper into
trouble. Wouldn't you now?" The lanky man sidled along the bar to snarl at
Fowler.

"Stevens, shut that big mouth of yours, an' I ain't gonna say that agin!
All right, Fowler, tell me what _you_ saw!"

Fowler slid the shotgun out of sight, apparently sure that an armistice,
at least, was assured.

"Th' boys"--he nodded at Drew and Anse--"were sittin' at that table, mindin'
their own business. Helms, he went over an' picked up a book----"

"A book!" Muller's craggy features mirrored astonishment. "What book?
Why?"

Topham moved and suddenly they were all watching him. He stooped, picked
up the dark-brown volume, and a torn page fluttered to the floor. He
gathered that up, too, and tucked it back in the proper place.

"It would seem, Sergeant," he remarked, "that there _was_ a book involved.
And if your men didn't bring it in here, then Kirby or his friend must
have. This is certainly not a cantina fixture.