The Cavalier | Page 6

THREE DAYS' RATIONS
In the vocabulary of a prig, but in the wrath of a fishwoman, I
execrated Scott Gholson; his jealousies, his disclosures, his religion, his
mispronunciations; and Ned Ferry--that cockerel! Here was I in the
barrel, and able only to squeal in irate terror at whoever looked down
upon me. I could have crawled under a log and died. At the door of the
Major's tent I paused to learn and joy of one to whom comes reprieve
when the rope is on his neck, I overheard Harry Helm, the General's
nephew and aide de-camp, who had been with us, telling what a
howling good joke Smith had just got off on Gholson!
"We shall have to get Ned Ferry back here," the Major was saying as I
entered, "to make you boys let Scott Gholson alone."

The young man laughed and turned to go. "Why doesn't Ned Ferry
make her let Gholson alone? He can do it; he's got her round his finger
as tight as she's got Gholson round hers."
"Harry," replied the Major, from his table full of documents, "don't you
know that any man who's got a woman wrapped round his finger has
also got her wrapped round his throat?"
The aide-de-camp laughed like a rustic and vanished. "Smith," said the
Major, "your eyes are--"
"I've been awake for forty-eight hours, Major. But--oh, I'm not sleepy."
"Well, go get some sleep.--No, go at once; you'll be called when
needed."
But I was not needed; while I slept, who should come back and do my
work in my stead but Ned Ferry. When I awoke it was with a bound of
alarm to see clear day. The command was breaking camp. I rushed out
of the tent with canteen, soap and comb, and ran into the arms of the
mess-cook. We were alone. "Oh, yass, seh," he laughed as he poured
the water into my hands, "th'ee days' rairtion. Seh? Lawd! dey done
drawed and cook' befo' de fus' streak o' light. But you all right; here yo'
habbersack, full up. Oh, I done fed yo' hoss. Here yo' jacket an' cap;
and here yo' saddle an' bridle--Oh, you welcome; I dess tryin' to git shet
of 'em so's I kin strak de tent."
As I mounted, our wagonmaster rode by me, busy as a skipper in a
storm. "Oh, here!" he cried, wheeled, and reaching something to me
added, "that's your pass. Major Harper wants you as quick as you can
show up. He says never mind the column, ride straight after him. Keep
this road to Hazlehurst and then go down the main Brookhaven road till
you overtake him. He's by himself--nearly."
As the rider wheeled away I blurted out with anxious loudness in the
general hubbub, "Isn't his brother with him?"
He flashed back a glare of rebuke and then bellowed to heaven and

earth, "Oh, the devil and Tom Walker! I don't keep run of sutlers and
citizens!" He took a circuit, standing in his stirrups and calling orders to
his teamsters, and as he neared me again he said very gently, "Good
Lord! my boy, don't you know better than to shoot your mouth off like
that? You'll find nobody with the Major but Ned Ferry, and I don't say
you'll find him."
I galloped to the road. Away down through the woods it was full of
horsemen falling into line. With the nearest colonel was Lieutenant
Helm, the aide-de-camp. I turned away from them toward Hazlehurst,
but looked back distrustfully. Yes, sure enough, the whole command
was facing into column the other way! My horse and I whirled and
stood staring and swelling with indignation--we ordered south, and the
brigade heading westward! He fretted, tramped, neighed, and began
hurriedly to paw through the globe to head them off on the other side.
He even threatened to rear; but when I showed him I was ashamed of
that, he bore me proudly, and I sat him as proudly as he bore me, for he
made me more than half my friends. And now as the aide-de-camp
wheeled about from the receding column and came our way saluting
cordially, we turned and trotted beside him jauntily. Our first talk was
of saddles, but very soon I asked where the General was.
"Out on the Natchez Trace waiting for the command. I'm carrying
orders to Fisher's battery, down here by the cross-roads. Haven't you
seen the General this morning? What! haven't seen him in his new
uniform? Whoop! he's a blaze of glory! Look here, Smith, I believe you
know who brought it to him!"
"How on earth should I know?"
"Oh, how innocent you always are! Look here! just tell me this; was it
the Major's brother brought it, or was it Ned