Neighing horses were hitched2 to the swaying limbs. They pawed theground, wheeled and whinnied their impatience3 at inaction. Every man whosat in one of those saddles owned his mount. These boys were the flowerof Southern manhood. The Confederate Government was too poor to furnishhorses for the Cavalry. Every man, volunteering for this branch of theservice, must bring his own horse and equipment complete. The South onlyfurnished a revolver and carbine. At the first battle of Bull Run theydidn't have enough of them even for the regiments4 Stuart commanded.
Whole companies were armed only with the pikes which John Brown had madefor the swarming5 of the Black Bees at Harper's Ferry. They used thesepikes as lances.
The thing that gave the Confederate Cavalry its impetuous dash, its fireand efficiency was the fact that every man on horseback had been bornin the saddle and had known his horse from a colt. From the moment theyswung into line they were veterans.
The North had no such riders in the field as yet. Brigadier-GeneralPhillip St. George Cooke was organizing this branch of the service. Itwould take weary months to train new riders and break in strange horses.
Until these born riders, mounted on their favorites, could be killed ortheir horses shot from under them, there would be tough work ahead forthe union Cavalry.
A farmer approached at sunset. He gazed on the array with pride.
He lifted his gray head and shouted:
"Hurrah6 for our boys! Old Virginia'll show 'em before we're through withthis!"A sentinel saluted7 the old man.
"I've come for Colonel Stuart. His wife and babies are at my house.
He'll understand. Tell him."The farmer watched the spectacle. Straight in front of the littleportico on its tall staff fluttered the Commander's new, blood-redbattle flag with its blue St. Andrew's cross and white stars ripplingin the wind. Spurs were clanking, sabers rattling8. A courier dashed up,dismounted and entered the house. Young officers in their new uniformswere laughing and chatting in groups before the door.
An escort brought in a Federal Cavalry prisoner on his mount. The boysgathered around him and roared with laughter. He was a good-naturedIrishman who could take a joke. His horse was loaded down with a hundredpounds of extra equipment. The Irishman had half of it strapped9 on hisown back.
A boy shouted:
"For the Lord's sake, did you take him with all that freight?"An escort roared:
"That's why we took him. He couldn't run."The boy looked at the solemn face of the prisoner and chaffed:
"And why have ye got that load on your own back, man?"Without cracking a smile the Irishman replied:
"An' I thought me old horse had all he could carry!"The boys roared, pulled him down, took off his trappings and told him tomake himself at home.
Inside the house could be heard the hum of conversation, with anoccasional boom of laughter that could come from but one throat.
Work for the day completed, he came to the door to greet his visitor.
The farmer's eyes flashed at the sight of his handsome figure. He wasonly twenty-eight years old, of medium height, with a long, silken,bronzed beard and curling mustache.
He waved his hand and cried:
"With you in a minute!"His voice was ringing music. He wore a new suit of Confederate graywhich his wife had just sent him. His gauntlets extended nine inchesabove the wrists. His cavalry boots were high above the knee. Hisbroad-brimmed felt hat was caught up on one side with a black ostrichplume. His cavalry coat fitted tightly--a "fighting jacket." It wascircled with a black belt from which hung his revolver and over whichwas tied a splendid yellow sash. His spurs were gold.
A first glance would give the impression of a gay youngster over fondof dress. But the moment his blue eyes flashed there came the glint ofsteel. The man behind the uniform was seen, the bravest of the brave,the flower of Southern chivalry10.
For all his gay dress he was from the crown of his head to the soles ofhis feet, every inch the soldier--the soldier with the big brain andgenerous, fun-loving heart. His forehead was extraordinary in heightand breadth, bronzed by sun and wind. His nose was large and nostrilsmobile. His eyes were clear, piercing, intense. His laughing mouth wascompletely covered by the curling mustache and long beard.
He had darted12 around the house on waving to his visitor and in a minutereappeared, followed by three negroes. He was taking his minstrels withhim on the trip to see his wife.
The cavalcade13 mounted. He waved his aides aside.
"No escort, boys. See you at sunrise."The farmer's house was only half a mile inside his lines. When the armyof the North was hurled14 back into Washington he had sent for his wifeand babies and arranged for their board at the nearest farmhouse15.
The little mother's heart was fluttering with love and pride. Richmondwas already ringing with the praises of her soldier man. Theywere recruiting the first brigade of Cavalry. He was slated16 forBrigadier-General of the mounted forces. And he was only twenty-eight!
Stuart sprang from his horse and rushed to meet his wife. She waswaiting in the glow of the sunset, her eyes misty17 with joyous18 tears.
It was a long time as she nestled in his arms before she could speak.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You've passed through your first baptism of blood safely, my own!""Baptism of blood--nothing!" He laughed. "It wasn't a fight at all. Wehad nothing to do till the blue birds flew. And then we flew after 'em.
Oh, honey girl, it was just a lark19. I laughed till I cried--"She raised her eyes to his.
"And you didn't see my dear old daddy anywhere?""No. I wish I had! I'd have taken the loyal old rascal20 prisoner and madeyou keep him till the war's over.""It _is_ over, isn't it, dear?""No.""Why, you've driven the army back in a panic on Washington. They'll askfor peace, won't they?""They won't, honey. I know 'em too well. They'll more than likely askfor a million volunteers.""It's not over, then?""No, dear little mother. I'll be honest with you. Don't believe sillytalk. We're in for a long, desperate fight--""And I've been so happy thinking you'd come home--""Your home will be with me, won't it?""Always.""All right. This is the beginning of my scheme for the duration of thewar. I'm going to get you a map of Virginia, showing the roads. I'll getyou a compass. There'll always be a little farmhouse somewhere behind myheadquarters. Our home will be in the field and saddle for a while."He kissed his babies and ate his supper laughing and joking like aboy of nineteen. The table cleared, he ordered a concert for theirentertainment.
Bob, the leader of his minstrels, was a dandified mulatto who played theguitar, the second was a whistler and the third a master of the negrodance, the back step and the breakdown21.
Bob tuned22 his guitar, picked his strings23 and gazed at the ceiling. Hewas apparently24 selecting the first piece. It, was always the same, hisfavorite, "Listen to the Mocking Bird." He played with a plaintive,swaying melody that charmed his hearers. The whistler amazed them withhis marvelous imitation of birds and bird calls. The room throbbed25 withevery note of the garden, field and wood.
The mother's face was wreathed in smiles. The boy shouted. The babycrooned. The first piece done, the audience burst into a round ofapplause.
Bob gave them "Alabama" next, accompanied by the whistler and his birdchorus.
Stuart laughed and called for the breakdown. Bob begins a jig26 on hisguitar, the whistler claps and the sable27 dancer edges his way to thecenter of the floor in little spasmodic shuffles28. He begins with hisheel tap, then the toe, then in leaps and whirls. The guitar swelledto a steady roar. The whistler quickens his claps. And Stuart's boyishlaughter rang above the din11.
"Go it, boy! Go it!"The dancer's eyes roll. His step quickens. He cuts the wildest figuresin a frenzy29 of abandoned joy. With a leap through the door he is gone.
The guitar stops with a sudden twang and Stuart's laughter roars.
And then he gave an hour to play with his children before a mother'slullaby should put them to sleep. He got down on his all fours andlittle Jeb mounted and rode round the room to the baby's scream of joy.
He lay flat on the floor with the baby on his breast and let her pullhis beard and mustache until her strength failed.
The children were still sound asleep when they sat down and atebreakfast before day.
At the first streak30 of dawn he was standing31 beside his horse ready forthe dash back to his headquarters and the work of the day.
The shadow had fallen across the woman's heart again. He saw andunderstood. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it.
"No more tears now, my sweetheart.""I'll try.""We may be here for weeks.""There'll be another fight soon?""I think not.""For a month?""Not for a long time.""Thank God!"A far-off look stole into his eyes.
"It will be a good one though when it comes, I reckon.""There can be no _good_ one--if my boy's in it.""Well, I'll be in it!""Yes. I know."She kissed him and turned back into the house, with the old feargripping her heart.
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收听单词发音
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1
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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8
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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9
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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10
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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slated
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| 用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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tuned
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| adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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sable
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| n.黑貂；adj.黑色的 | |
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shuffles
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| n.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的名词复数 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的第三人称单数 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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