28 May; Twilight Trial

Pye looked at Vickery, though on it. Thought of their conversations and shook 'is head. " No. He hadn't done that. N' He wouldn't. He's not stupid, sir. N' bein' injured already... how far he could go? Not far, I tell ye, sir. So he couldn't have done anything.. but then.. he wouldn't even if 'e was as right as rain." He paused. "So.. uh, no sir. He didn't."

Vickery nodded. "Thank you." He turned to address the Colonel. "I have no more questions for Rifleman Pye, sir."

Pye hadn't been dismissed yet, so he knew he had to wait. He felt more at ease now that he was nearly done. Vickery didn't look dissatisfied with him, which was great news.

"Did you witness the start of the alleged attack, Rifleman?" Graham wanted to know, speaking after a short thoughtful silence.

It was obvious. "No sir. I came, after I heard a scream. T' lass had made me believe it had been something very terrible goin' on." He knew he had told them that before, but he needed only to repeat it. It was the officer's way, searching for holes in the story.

"Something very terrible. Yet you paused in your response to load your rifle. Remind me, if you will, roughly how long it takes to load a Baker rifle?"

"..If it were the enemy, sir. How would I be able to alert others?.. A rifle goin' of would do t' trick fer t' whole camp.." He shook his head. "M' shoutin', I doubt anybody would hear." He bit his lip, glancing at Vickery. "Thirty ter...fourty seconds, sir. That's how long it takes."

Graham nodded slowly. "And this was near the baggage train?"

"I happened ter be on a walk sir. N was where ye found it, sir. Or do you mean where I was, when I'eard it?" He shrugged.

"A walk. This whole affair, Rifleman. It was near the baggage train?"

"Well. Certainly no where else but where t' superiors came n' made themstop for good. " He shrugged.

"Yes or no, Rifleman."

"Not very near, sir. But.. 'twas within' sight I think." Why did it matter? He made a mental note not to get confused if the man would try going about twisting his words. Just concentrate and think of nothing else. He wanted the provosts to get found guilty and justice to be served for the sake of Newbury if not him as well as Jenny.

This fellow did not know how to give a straight answer, did he?

"So you were within sight of the baggage train when you heard the scream. You moved toward it then paused to load your rifle, an action that takes thirty or forty seconds. Now, considering the location of the baggage train, Rifleman, do you consider it likely that the enemy could honestly be nearby?" Graham eyed the fellow calmly. "A simple yes or no will do."

Pye opened his mouth to say that it was possible and explain why he thought so. Of course the location of the baggage wagons was behind the army, and the French were ahead of them. He shrugged his shoulders. "...yes."

"And throughout all of this, the scream, the fighting, no one else but you came to stop it?"

"They came later, sir. A bit later." He added. He didn't know where the man was going with it, but he had little else to do than to respond and hope it was good. "We sometimes hear otherlike screamin' ..as from wot' t' Portuguese do sir. I can't spec.. spe... uh, guess why it was as it was... but it was so."

"Later. Of course. Your own officer, in fact. I have nothing further, sir."

"Not just., sir.. t' firs' to come was a redcoated officer." He didn't know what to think of the questioning though. Good, bad? Just unsatisfactory for one or the other party?

Graham lifted an eyebrow. This was... unexpected. "Indeed. And were you the only one to take notice of this 'redcoated officer', Rifleman?"

"No, sir. Captain Vickery, who approached us, had addressed 'im as well. 'couse he thought he was there longer, 'e asked wot' was going on." He tried to recall the exact words. " I lowered m' rifle...hmmm... I dun' think Cotton real noticed him though. Or, uh.. saw him there .. 'Couse he was deathly worried 'bout his friends. Wanted to see 'em safe firs' thing."

Graham offered a tight smile. He had gotten more from this fellow than he had originally intended. "Of course. I have no further questions for this witness, sir."

"You may go, Rifleman," Colonel Trevor said and waved irritably toward the tent flap. "Sergeant Burr. The surgeon, Mister Todd, if you please."

Pye didn't know if he had any more to say, or if he should, but his mind was set more and more. Officers did not look for the guilty. They looked for a farce, a play. He saluted respectfully to Vickery, then somewhat dutifully - and confused since he did not know if he should - to the presiding, before turning on his heel. When he left it was in quick, even steps.

He was glad to know he had acted when he did. Glad he had tarred that man, that he had given him a rat in the pants. This court would not give anything useful. But that did. Instant justice. Even if they weren't successful now, he had been. He closed his eyes briefly as he ducked out , under the flap.

Formal occasions such as this never led to good things, Todd thought uneasily as he stepped into the tent. He nodded politely at the redcoat colonel and moved without preamble to sit in the empty chair near the middle of the little gathering. A sergeant came forward with a Bible to administer the oath.

Be steady, Todd thought to himself and waited for the first question.

OOC - If I've made an error with dates, etc, I can edit...

IC -

Cobb. Had Cotton even seen Cobb yesterday evening? Vickery couldn't be sure; the man hadn't mentioned him. Ah well, it was too late now.

He marshalled his thoughts and the questions he wanted to put to the surgeon.

"Rifleman Newbury has been under your care since the... 22nd instant, I believe. Would you please describe his condition when he came into your care on that date?"