Conspiring in camp

"That's... real risky. I can see why you need help. It'll have to be real quick, and real sure."

Jenny looked between the two men. "I think maybe you should explain exactly what you mean by jumping him," she suggested, still feeling wary.

There was a sound of footsteps and a crunch of a few stones, before all turned silent for a moment. Breathing was heard just as briefly, close by.

"Rifleman Pye!" Jenny exclaimed, forcing a smile.

"Miss." The owner of the sound stepped forward carefully. " 'ey." He nodded to Zeb and to Newbury. It felt like a properly tense moment, starting with that smile that was anything but true.

He exhaled sharply, slowly releasing his grip on his sword-bayonet. What the hell was Pye doing there?

All he could do was nod curtly to the newly-arrived rifleman. This was not good.

He nodded cautiously to Pye, wondering how much he'd heard, and how strong his ties were to his old regiment... or his new one.

No one said anything for an awkward moment. "I finished with your bowl. Thank you." She smiled as she handed it back to him. "It's not clean though - I mean, I haven't cleaned it."

He took the bowl with a quiet: "Thanks.", a look a lot more somber to his usual smiles and merry looks. he looked back at the two men, then at Jenny.

He hadn't meant to. "...Is.. " He began then grew silent. He really hadn't meant to but he did. Hear something. "..I'll clean it.. 's alright." His eyes on Newbury, his bowl held by his side, forgotten.

Jenny tried to remember what they had been saying, and when. She knew for certain that they had not mentioned a specific name, but... had they said it was a sergeant of the 33rd?

"And you know, Pye, I loaned by cup to Maggie too, but I could really use a cup of tea," she said, still gently smiling. "Do you know if they've made any?"

"Tea?.." He averted his gaze to the girl. "Ah..tea,.. sure.. I think. By the camp. 'fcourse they make it. Every evenin' miss." He looked eager to go.

"Will get it fer you." He said hurriedly and turned.

Jenny watched him go and swore quietly. "It's that new fellow - he's from the 33rd. Do you think he was listening? Do you think he heard anything?"

Lovely. Newbury cursed to himself and looked grimly at both Zeb and Jenny. "I hope he didn't hear anythin', but he didn't seem too easy bein' 'round us, did he?"

Jenny looked pointedly at Joe. "What are you going to do?"

What was he going to do?

"Can't very well go after him just 'cause he might've heard us," Newbury said dubiously. But Pye would still have friends in the 33rd, wouldn't he? Dammit. "If we're gonna do this, we better be quick now."

"But he'll know," Jenny protested, laying a hand on Newbury's arm. "When something happens to the sergeant and no one knows who did it, he'll know."

She was right. Dammit, again. Sighing, Newbury sagged back slightly. "So we should just let it go?"

"No!" Jenny darted a glance at Palmer, who simply shrugged. "What if... Do you like this new Pye?" She regretted the question almost as soon as it was out of her mouth.

"I think I knows what you're thinkin', Jenny," Newbury said, shaking his head. "An' no."

She took a deep breath and did not meet the eyes of either rifleman. "Then we'll just have to make sure no one finds out that anything's happened. The sergeant's gone missing. That's all."

"From what-all I've heared, ain't nobody in the 33rd as likes that partic'lar sergeant, anyhow," Zeb Palmer said, speaking quietly, calmly packing tobacco into the bowl of his clay pipe.

Newbury shook his head again, slowly. "So he goes missin', then. That don't solve the question of when we're gonna draw him out."

"Now," Jenny replied. "Or as soon as we're done here. I'll draw him out. Then you two - or three," she said, looking at Palmer, "will finish the job."

"You wanna be a mite careful, Jenny. He don't seem the sort of feller as would care whether he hurt a girl so long as he gets what he wants from her. Whether she's willin' or no." He put his baccy pouch away and got out his tinderbox to light his pipe.

She looked at him rather coldly then. "I know that. That's why you'll be there."