Quicksilver Passion (118 page)

Good God! War makes men do crazy things, doesn’t it?”

Dowdy nodded and looked around at the handsome arrogant Rand Erikson, who had just crossed the prison yard.
Who’s the fella who struts like a rooster?”

Cherokee frowned and looked at the tall blond aristocrat the blacksmith pointed to.
Oh, him? A real Southern gentleman—rich and spoiled. He only joined up so he could wear a pretty gray uniform to all the cotillions and thrill the plantation belles. Then he got captured and even his daddy’s money hasn’t managed to get him released. He’s a pain in the—”

What’s the prison camp itself like?”

Point Lookout?” Cherokee asked.
compared to what? Hell? Some days I’m not sure I’m not there already. Some die every day from bad food or disease. There’s no trees, just sand and wind. It’s cold in the winter and sweltering in the summer.”

Can we escape?”

Cherokee shook his head.
But I’m getting desperate enough to do anything to get out of here. We’ve heard gossip about the Union enlisting prisoners to join up and go west to fight Indians. They call them Galvanized Yankees.”

You gonna join if you get the chance?”

Cherokee scratched the world
Silver” in the sand thoughtfully.
I don’t know. My own tribe is fighting on both sides of this war. The South has promised the Indians their own separate nation if the Confederacy wins, so you can see why the Plains tribes are trying to help the South. A man will do a lot of things to live and I’m not sure I can survive another six months in this place.”

Whatever you do, I’m gonna do,” young Dowdy said.
At least we will be outa this place and we won’t have to fight against our own people!”