

E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team



A SOLDIER OF VIRGINIA

A TALE OF COLONEL WASHINGTON AND BRADDOCK'S DEFEAT

BY BURTON EGBERT STEVENSON

1901






TO THE MEMORY OF THE GALLANT MEN WHO FELL WITH DUST OF FAILURE BITTER ON
THEIR LIPS THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE TAUGHT THE LESSON OF THE WILDERNESS




CONTENTS


      I. LIEUTENANT ALLEN GROWS INSULTING

     II. THE STORY OF FONTENOY

    III. IN WHICH I INTRODUCE MYSELF

     IV. THE ENDING OF THE HONEYMOON

      V. THE SECRET OF A HEART

     VI. I AM TREATED TO A SURPRISE

    VII. I DECIDE TO BE A SOLDIER

   VIII. A RIDE TO WILLIAMSBURG

     IX. MY FIRST TASTE OF WARFARE

      X. THE FRENCH SCORE FIRST

     XI. DREAM DAYS AT RIVERVIEW

    XII. DOROTHY MAKES HER CHOICE

   XIII. LIEUTENANT ALLEN SHOWS HIS SKILL

    XIV. I CHANCE UPON A TRAGEDY

     XV. WE START ON A WEARY JOURNEY

    XVI. THE END IN SIGHT

   XVII. THE LESSON OF THE WILDERNESS

  XVIII. DEFEAT BECOMES DISHONOR

    XIX. ALLEN AND I SHAKE HANDS

     XX. BRADDOCK PAYS THE PRICE

    XXI. VIRGINIA BIDS US WELCOME

   XXII. A NEW DANGER AT RIVERVIEW

  XXIII. THE GOVERNOR SHOWS HIS GRATITUDE

   XXIV. A WARNING FROM THE FOREST

    XXV. I FIND MYSELF IN A DELICATE SITUATION

   XXVI. A DESPERATE DEFENSE

  XXVII. I COME INTO MY OWN

 XXVIII. AND SO, GOOD-BY




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"I DO NOT LOVE HIM, TOM"

"FOR SHAME, GENTLEMEN!"

"STEWART, LISTEN!"

THE SAVAGES POURED OVEB THE THRESHOLD




A SOLDIER OF VIRGINIA




CHAPTER I

LIEUTENANT ALLEN GROWS INSULTING


It was not until he sneered at me openly across the board that I felt my
self-control slipping from me. "Lieutenant Allen seems to have a poor
opinion of the Virginia troops," I said, as calmly as I could.

"Egad, you are right, Lieutenant Stewart," he retorted, his eyes full
on mine. "These two weeks past have I been trying to beat some sense
into the fools, and 'pon my word, 't is enough to drive a man crazy to
see them."

He paused to gulp down a glass of wine, of which I thought he had already
drunk too much.

"I saw them this forenoon," cried Preston, who was sitting at Allen's
right, "and was like to die of laughing. Poor Allen, there, was doing his
best to teach them the manual, and curse me if they didn't hold their
guns as though they burnt their fingers. And when they were ordered to
'bout face, they looked like nothing so much as the crowd I saw six
months since at Newmarket, trying to get their money on Jason."

The others around the table laughed in concert, and I could not but
admit there was a grain of truth in the comparison.

"'Tis granted," I said, after a moment, "that we Virginians have not the
training of you gentlemen of the line; but we can learn, and at least no
one can doubt our courage."

"Think you so?" and Allen laughed an insulting laugh. "There was that
little brush at Fort Necessity last year, from which they brought away
nothing but their skins, and damned glad they were to do that."

"They brought away their arms," I cried hotly, "and would have brought
away all their stores and munitions, had the French kept faith and held
their Indians off. That, too, in face of an enemy three times their
number. The Virginians have no cause to blush for their conduct at Fort
Necessity. The Coldstreams could have done no better."

Allen laughed again. "Ah, pardon me, Stewart," he said contemptuously, "I
forgot that you were present on that glorious day."

I felt my cheeks crimson, and I looked up and down the board, but saw
only sneering faces. Yes, there was one, away down at the farther end,
which did not sneer, but looked at me I thought pityingly, which was
infinitely worse. And then, of course, there was Pennington, who sat next
to me, and who looked immeasurably shamed at the turn the dispute had
taken. He placed a restraining hand upon my sleeve, but I shook it off
impatiently.

"Yes, I was present," I answered, my heart aflame within me, "and our
provincial troops learned a lesson there which even the gentlemen of the
Forty-Fourth may one day be glad to have us teach them."

"Teach us?" cried Allen. "Curse me, sir, but you grow insulting! As for
your learning, permit me to doubt your ability to learn anything. I have
been trying to teach you provincials the rudiments of drill for the past
fortnight, without success. In faith, you seem to know less now than you
did before I began."

"Yes?" I asked, my anger quite mastering me. "But may not that be the
fault of the teacher, Lieutenant Allen?"

He was out of his chair with an oath, and would have come across the
table at me, but that those on either side held him back.

"I suppose you considered your words before you spoke them, Lieutenant
Stewart?" asked Preston, looking at me coldly, and still keeping tight
hold on the swearing man at his side.

"Fully," I answered, as I arose from my chair.

"You know, of course, that there remains only one thing to be done?" he
continued, with a glance I thought compassionate, and so resented.

"Certainly," I answered again. "I may be able to teach the gentleman a
very pretty thrust in tierce."

Upon this Allen fell to cursing again, but Preston silenced him with a
gesture of his hand.

"I am very willing," I added, "to give him the lesson at once, if he so
desires. There is a charming place just without. I marked it as I passed
to enter here, though with no thought I should so soon have need of it."

Now all this was merely the empty braggartry of youth, which I blush to
remember. Nor was Allen the blustering bully I then deemed him, as I was
afterwards to find out for myself. But I know of nothing which will so
gloss over and disguise a man's real nature as a glass of wine too much.

"I shall be happy to give the lesson at once," I repeated.

"Yes, at once!" cried Allen savagely. "I'll teach you, sir, to keep a
civil tongue in your head when you address an officer of the line."

"It seems that we are both to learn a lesson, then," I said lightly. "It
remains only to be seen which is the better teacher. Will one of the
other gentlemen present act as my second?"

"I shall be happy to do so, Lieutenant Stewart," cried my neighbor,
stepping forward.

"Ah, Lieutenant Pennington, thank you," and I looked into his face with
pleasure, for it was the one, of all those present, which I liked the
best. "Will you arrange the details for me?"

"May I speak to you a moment first?" he asked, looking at me anxiously.

"Certainly," I answered, and together we walked over to one corner
of the room.

"Believe me, Lieutenant Stewart," he said, in a low voice, "I deem you a
brave man, and I honor you for defending the credit of your countrymen.
I little thought, when I invited you to dine with us to-night, that there
would be an issue such as this, for it can end in but one way. Allen is
the best swordsman in the regiment, and a very devil when he is flushed
with wine, as he is now."

"You would have me decline to meet him, then?" I asked, looking at
him steadily.

"A word of apology," he stammered, but he did not meet my eyes. His heart
was not in his words.

"Impossible," I said. "You forget that it was he who insulted me, and
that an apology, if there be one, must come from him. He has insulted not
only myself, but the whole body of Virginia volunteers. Though I were
certain he would kill me, I could not draw back in honor. But I am not so
certain," and I smiled down into his face. "There be some good swordsmen
even in Virginia, sir."

"In faith, I am wondrous glad to hear it!" he cried, his face
brightening. "I could not do less than warn you."

"And I thank you for your interest."

He held out his hand, and I clasped it warmly. Then we turned again to
the group about the table.

"Well," cried Allen harshly, "does our Virginia friend desire to
withdraw?"

"On the contrary," answered Pennington quietly, "he has positively
refused to withdraw," and as he spoke,