“This isn’t your business, Mr. Singh.”

Sikhs “Mr. Allingham, may I suggest you and Francis get back to town. You will be needed there. You will need to help fight these men and your people will be outnumbered and taken unawares. I’ll go get the ones who’ve ridden north.”

“This isn’t your business, Mr. Singh.”

The Sikh looked at the corpses of the ladies lying nearby. Then he looked Allingham in the eye. “You know well enough that is not true, Mr. Allingham. This is all my business. To the very core of my being, this is my business.” He turned slowly and mounted up. He looked down on Francis and grabbed the young man firmly on the shoulder, giving it a fatherly squeeze. “Fight well, Francis. Fight well.” He kicked his mount’s sides and was gone. Allingham