Maine."
"Well. But, Daisy, what will your father and mother say toyou?"
There was no use in considering that question. I dismissed it,and got ready for the major and my horse. Mounted, mycompanion asked me, where should we go? I had considered thatpoint; and after a little pause asked, as coolly as I could,where there were any troops drilling in cavalry or artilleryexercises. Major Fairbairn pondered a minute and told me, withrather a rueful countenance.
"Let us go there first," I said. "It is an old story to you;but I never saw such a thing. I want to see it and understandit, if I can."
"Ladies like to see it, I know," said the major.
"You think, we cannot understand it?"
"I don't see how you should."
"I am going to try, Major Fairbairn. And notwithstanding yourhopeless tone, I expect you to give me all the help you can."
"I think, the less you understand of it, the better," said themajor.
"Pray why?"
"Doesn't seem comfortable knowledge, for those who cannot useit."
"Men think that of many things," I said. "And they are muchmistaken. Knowledge is always comfortable. I mean, it iscomfortable to have it, rather than to be ignorant."
"I don't know -" said the major. "Where ignorance is bliss -"
"Ignorance never is bliss!" I said energetically.
"Then the poet must be wrong."
"Don't you think poets may be wrong as well as other people,Major Fairbairn?"
"I hope so! or I should wish to be a poet. And that would be avain wish for me."
"But in these war matters," I resumed, as we cantered on, "Iam very much interested; and I think all women ought to be -must be."
"Getting to be serious earnest -" said the major, resignedly.
I was silenced for a while. The words, "serious earnest," rangin my heart as we went through the streets.
"Is it getting to be such serious earnest?" I asked as lightlyas I could.
"We shall know more about it soon," the major answered. _His_carelessness was real.
"How soon?"
"May be any day. Beauregard is making ready for us at ManassasJunction."
"How many men do you suppose he has?"
"Can't tell," said the major. "There is no depending, I thinkmyself, on any accounts we have. The Southern people generallyare very much in earnest."
"And the North are," I said.
"It is just a question of who will hold out best."
I thought I knew who those would be; and a shiver for a momentran through my heart. Christian had said, that the success ofhis suit with my father and mother might depend on how the warwent. And certainly, if the struggle should be at allprolonged and issue in the triumph of the rebels, they wouldhave little favour for the enemies they would despise. How ifthe war went for the North?
I believe I lost several sentences of my companion in thedepth of my musing; remembered this would not do; shook off mythoughts and talked gayly, until we came to the place where hesaid the drilling process was going on. I wondered if it werethe right place; then made sure that it was; and sat on myhorse looking and waiting, with my heart in a great flutter.The artillery wagons were rushing about; I recognised _them;_and a cloud of dust accompanied and swallowed up theirmovements, a little too distant from me just now to give roomfor close observation.
"Well, how do you like it, Miss Randolph?" my major began,with a tone of some exultation at my supposed discomfiture.
"It is very confused -" I said. "I do not see what they aredoing."
"No more than you could if it was a battle," said the major.
"Won't they come nearer to us?"
"No doubt they will, if we give them time enough."
I would not take this hint. I had got my chance; I was notgoing to fling it away. I had discerned besides in the distantsmoke and dust a dark figure on a gray horse, which I thoughtI knew. Nothing would have drawn me from the spot then. I keptup a scattering fire of talk with my companion, I do not knowhow, to prevent the exhaustion of his patience; while my heartwent out at my eyes to follow the gray horse. I was rewardedat last. The whole battery charged down upon the point wherewe were standing, at full gallop, "as if we had been theSecession army," Major Fairbairn remarked; adding, thatnothing but a good conscience could have kept me so quiet. Andin truth guns and horses and all were close upon us before theorder to halt was given, and the gunners flung themselves fromthe wagons and proceeded to unlimber and get the battery inworking order, with the mouths of the cannon only a few yardsfrom our standing-place. I hardly heard the major now, for thegray horse and dark rider were near enough to be seen,stationed quietly a few paces in the rear of the line of guns.I saw his eye going watchfully from one point to another ofhis charge; his head making quick little turns to right andleft to see if all were doing properly; the horse a statue,the man alive as quicksilver, though nothing of him moved buthis head. I was sure, very sure, that he would not see me. Hewas intent on his duty; spectators or the whole world lookingon were nothing to him. He would not even perhaps be consciousthat anybody was in his neighbourhood. I don't know whether Iwas most glad or sorry; though indeed, I desired nothing lessthan that he should give any sign that he saw me. How well helooked on horseback, I thought; how stately he sat there,motionless, overseeing his command. There was a pause now;they were all still, waiting for an order. I might haveexpected what it would be; but I did not, till the wordssuddenly came out -
"Battery - Fire!"
The voice went through my heart; but my horse's nerves wereimmediately as much disturbed as mine. The order was followedby a discharge of the whole battery at once, sounding as theburst of one gun. My horse, exceedingly surprised, lifted hisfore feet in the air on the instant; and otherwise testifiedto his discomposure; and I had some little difficulty to keephim to the spot and bring him back to quietness. It wasvexatious to lose such precious minutes; however, we werecomposed again by the time the smoke of the guns was clearingaway. I could hardly believe my eyes. There lay the cannon, onthe ground, taken from their carriages; the very carriagesthemselves were all in pieces; here lay one wheel, there layanother; the men were sitting around contentedly.
"What is the matter?" I exclaimed.
"The officer in charge of the drill, seeing what mischief hisguns have unwittingly done, you see, Miss Randolph, has takenhis battery to pieces. He will not fire any more while you arehere. By George!" said the major, "I believe here he comes totell us so."
I wished myself away, as I saw the gray horse leap over someof the obstacles before him and bear down straight towards me.I bowed low, to hide various things. Mr. Thorold touched hiscap gravely, to the major as well as to me, and then broughthis gray horse alongside.
"Your horse does not like my battery," he remarked.
I looked up at him. His face was safely grave; it meantbusiness; but his eyes sparkled a little for me; and as Ilooked he smiled, and added,
"He wants a spur."
"To make him run? I had difficulty enough to prevent his doingthat just now, Mr. Thorold."
"No; to make him stand still. He wants punishing."
"Miss Randolph deserves a great deal of credit," said themajor. "But all Southern women know how to ride; and the mento fight."
"We are going to have a hard time then," said Thorold; with awilful presuming on his privileges.
"But what have you done with your battery?" I asked.
"Taken it to pieces - as you see."
"Pray, what for? I thought something was the matter."
"Nothing was the matter, I am glad to know," Thorold saidlooking at me. "It is sometimes necessary to do this sort ofthing in a hurry; and the only way to do it then in a hurry,is to practise now when there is no hurry. You shall see howlittle time it will take to get ready for another order tofire. But Miss Randolph had better be out of the way first.Are you going farther?"
The major said he hoped so, and I answered certainly.
"I shall fire no more while
you are here," Thorold said as hetouched his cap, and he gallopped back to his place. He satlike a rock; it was something pretty to see. Then came anorder, which I could not distinguish; and in an incrediblyshort time wheels were geared, guns were mounted, and thedismantled condition of everything replaced by the most alertorder. The major said it was done very well, and told me howquick it could be done; I forget, but I think he said in muchless than a minute; and then I know he wanted to move; but Icould not. I held my place still, and the battery manoeuvredup and down the ground in all manner of directions, forming invarious forms of battery; which little by little I got themajor partially to explain. He was