"Shining!" Bennett looked disgusted.
Woodrow shrugged. "Well, would'a been, if the soldiers hadn't always been chasing us."
Auguste heard the thump of boots. He turned to see Raoul storming up from the back of the room.
"That boy's lying!" Raoul roared. "Indians took me prisoner when I was his age—I know firsthand how kind they are, I got the scars to prove it. The half-breed's white squaw has made it worthwhile for the kid to lie. If I get my hands on him, I'll beat the truth out of him."
"Sit down, sir!" Lieutenant Davis jumped up from his seat behind Auguste and blocked Raoul's way. Auguste turned to see Raoul's big frame just a few feet from him, close enough for him to smell whiskey fumes.
"This is none of your business, Davis," Raoul growled.
"General Winfield Scott and Colonel Zachary Taylor commanded me to see that this man receives a proper trial," said Davis in a calm, steady voice.
Judge Cooper rapped his mallet. "De Marion, I won't allow you to disrupt this court."
Raoul shouted at Cooper over Davis's shoulder. "Don't you forget, Cooper, that when you're not wearing that black robe you're just a small farmer who bought his land from me and sells his crop to me."
Cooper was standing now, his jaw clenched. "That's enough, de Marion. Sit down."