iley ▁and ▁ 1 6 ▁men ▁of ▁his ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁batt alion ▁who ▁( ag ain st ▁military ▁law ) ▁are ▁wh ipped ▁for ▁" des ert ion " ▁only ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁tra ve led — without ▁an ▁explicit ▁permission — to ▁the ▁Mexican ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁to ▁ful fill ▁their ▁religious ▁oblig ation ▁to ▁attend ▁Mass , ▁and ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁" P ap ists " ▁whose ▁loyal ty ▁is ▁i ps o ▁fact o ▁suspect ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁their ▁Protest ant ▁command ers . ▁S gt . ▁R iley , ▁with ▁regard ▁for ▁the ▁safety ▁and ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁his ▁men , ▁releases ▁them ▁at ▁gun - point ▁from ▁the ▁l ash . ▁He ▁esc ort s ▁them ▁across ▁the ▁border ▁to ▁Mexico ▁to ▁hopefully ▁find ▁at ▁V era ▁Cruz ▁a ▁ship ▁back ▁to ▁Ireland , ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁viol ently ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁revolution ary ▁Juan ▁Cort ina ▁as ▁enemies ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁R iley , ▁wounded ▁in ▁his ▁th igh , ▁is ▁n urs ed ▁by ▁Cort ina ' s ▁woman ▁Mart a . ▁As ▁Cort ina ▁cons iders ▁what ▁to ▁eventually ▁do ▁with ▁R iley ▁and ▁his ▁men , ▁news ▁arriv es ▁that ▁the ▁U . S . ▁and ▁Mexico ▁are ▁now ▁at ▁war , ▁and ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁captured ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁h anged . ▁Because ▁of ▁this , ▁the ▁Irish ▁deser ters ▁are ▁presented ▁with ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁joining ▁and ▁fighting ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of