couraged his
men, made me feel as if he and I could not be killed. I had such perfect
trust in him that while he was guiding me I was ready to charge up
to the very cannon's mouth. I saw many brave men cut down, many fall
mortally wounded from their saddles. I had heard the cries and groans
of the dying, I had cantered over ground slippery with blood, and
frequently had to turn aside to avoid trampling on wounded man or horse,
but, until one dreadful day, I had never felt terror; that day I shall
never forget."

Here old Captain paused for awhile and drew a long breath; I waited, and
he went on.

"It was one autumn morning, and as usual, an hour before daybreak our
cavalry had turned out, ready caparisoned for the day's work, whether
it might be fighting or waiting. The men stood by their horses waiting,
ready for orders. As the light increased there seemed to be some
excitement among the officers; and before the day was well begun we
heard the firing of the enemy's guns.

"Then one of the officers rode up and gave the word for the men to
mount, and in a second every man was in his saddle, and every horse
stood expecting the touch of the rein, or the pressure of his rider's
heels, all animated, all eager; but still we had been trained so well
that, except by the champing of our bits, and the restive tossing of our
heads from time to time, it could not be said that we stirred.

"My dear master and I were at the head of the line, and as all sat
motionless and watchful, he took a little stray lock of my mane which
had turned over on the wrong side, laid it over on the right, and
smoothed it down with his hand; then patting my neck, he said, 'We shall
have a day of it to-day, Bayard, my beauty; but we'll do our duty as we
have done.' He stroked my neck that morning more, I think, than he had
ever done before; quietly on and on, as if he were thinking of something
else. I loved to feel his hand on my neck, and arched my crest proudly
and happily; but I stood very still, for I knew all his moods, and when
he liked me to be quiet, and when gay.

"I cannot tell all that happened on that day, but I will tell of the
last charge that we made together; it was across a valley right in front
of the enemy's cannon. By this time we were well used to the roar of
heavy guns, the rattle of musket fire, and the flying of shot near us;
but never had I been under such a fire as we rode through on that day.
From the right, from the left