Rhett, Bell and Douglas joined Hedges; and Seward and Scott followed Forrest into the house next door. They were little more than cabins, single storied with a sparsely furnished sitting room and a bedroom and kitchen each. In common with their outward appearance, they were neatly kept and extremely clean, but loose hinges, warped boards and sagging shelves witnessed the long absence of men to attend to such chores.“What the hell’s happening?” Bell wanted to know as the Captain assigned his section of the troop to keep watch from the windows.Hedges peered out through a cracked pane at the street. “You know the facts of life, trooper?” he hissed.“Aw, come on, Captain,” Bell answered. “You let me out with those dames and I’ll show you.”“So how come there’s that many women in this town and no kids around?”Douglas was guarding the kitchen window at the rear. “Hey, I never thought of that!” he exclaimed.Hedges grinned mirthlessly out at the empty street as he heard the church door slam shut.
