Little Foot did not look back but gazed ahead with a blank face.
The lean man straightened up. "A mighty mean customer, sir."
Some of the other men in the ring around the Indians chuckled at this. Even Justus Bennett snickered.
Raoul was feeling angrier and angrier. He had looked forward to questioning Little Foot and the other Potawatomi, looked forward to having them resist and to breaking their resistance down with fear and pain. He'd even hoped they might give him reason to shoot them. These strange militiamen were becoming a nuisance.
"You seem to think this is pretty funny. Who the hell are you?" Raoul put a threat into his voice.
"I'm Captain Lincoln of the Sangamon County company, sir. We're with the Second Battalion."
Raoul let his gaze travel over the other Sangamon County men.
"Any of the rest of you able to talk?"
One man laughed. "When Abe's around we mostly let him do the talking."
"That so? If you let somebody else do your talking for you, he may talk you into a spot you won't like."