The Cavalier

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The Cavalier

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Title: The Cavalier
Author: George Washington Cable
Release Date: February, 2006 [EBook #9839] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 23, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: "Stand, gentlemen! Every man is covered by two!"]
THE CAVALIER
BY
GEORGE W. CABLE
1901

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
She Wanted to Laugh II. Lieutenant Ferry III. She IV. Three Days' Rations V. Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty VI. A Handsome Stranger VII. A Plague on Names! VIII. Another Curtained Wagon IX. The Dandy's Task X. The Soldier's Hour XI. Captain Jewett XII. In the General's Tent XIII. Good-Bye, Dick XIV. Coralie Rothvelt XV. Venus and Mars XVI. An Aching Conscience XVII. Two Under One Hat-Brim XVIII. The Jayhawkers XIX. Asleep in the Death-Trap XX. Charlotte Oliver XXI. The Fight on the Bridge XXII. We Speed a Parting Guest XXIII. Ferry Talks of Charlotte XXIV. A Million and a Half XXV. A Quiet Ride XXVI. A Salute Across the Dead-Line XXVII. Some Fall, Some Plunge XXVIII. Oldest Game on Earth XXIX. A Gnawing in the Dark XXX. Dignity and Impudence XXXI. The Red Star's Warning XXXII. A Martyr's Wrath XXXIII. Torch and Sword XXXIV. The Charge in the Lane XXXV. Fallen Heroes XXXVI. "Says Quinn, S'e" XXXVII. A Horse! A Horse! XXXVIII. "Bear a Message and a Token" XXXIX. Charlotte Sings XL. Harry Laughs XLI. Unimportant and Confidential XLII. "Can I Get There by Candle-Light?" XLIII. "Yes, and Back Again" XLIV. Charlotte in the Tents of the Foe XLV. Stay Till To-Morrow XLVI. The Dance at Gilmer's XLVII. He's Dead--Is She Alive? XLVIII. In the Hollow of His Right Arm XLIX. A Cruel Book and a Fool or Two L. The Bottom of the Whirlwind LI. Under the Room Where Charlotte Lay LII. Same Book and Light-Head Harry LIII. "Captain, They've Got Us" LIV. The Fight in the Doorway LV. Rescue and Retreat LVI. H?tel des Invalides LVII. A Yes and a No LVIII. The Upper Fork of the Road LIX. Under Charlotte's Window LX. Tidings LXI. While Destiny Moved On LXII. A Tarrying Bridegroom LXIII. Something I Have Never Told Till Now LXIV. By Twos. March
ILLUSTRATIONS
"Stand, gentlemen! Every man is covered by two!"
"I surrender," he said, with amiable ease
"Well, you air in a hurry!"
With the rein dangling under the bits he went over the fence like a deer
Ferry saluted with his straight blade
"Don't you like him?" she asked, and tried to be very arch
Ferry fired under his flash and sent him reeling into the arms of his followers
Springing to the ground between our two candles, she bent over the open page

I
SHE WANTED TO LAUGH
Our camp was in the heart of Copiah County, Mississippi, a mile or so west of Gallatin and about six miles east of that once robber-haunted road, the Natchez Trace. Austin's brigade, we were, a detached body of mixed Louisiana and Mississippi cavalry, getting our breath again after two weeks' hard fighting of Grant. Grierson's raid had lately gone the entire length of the State, and we had had a hard, vain chase after him, also.
Joe Johnston's shattered army was at Jackson, about forty-five miles to northward; beleaguered Vicksburg was in the Northwest, a trifle farther away; Natchez lay southwest, still more distant; and nearly twice as far in the south was our heartbroken New Orleans. We had paused to recuperate our animals, and there was a rumor that we were to get new clothing. Anyhow we had rags with honor, and a right to make as much noise as we chose.
It was being made. The air was in anguish with the din of tree-felling and log-chopping, of stamping, neighing, braying, whooping, guffawing, and singing--all the daybreak charivari beloved of a camp of Confederate "critter companies." In the midst of it a chum and I sat close together on a log near the mess fire,