"Who spoke?" asked the General.
"I!" answered Captain Crawford, commanding the right company, and consequently very near the commander.
"And what did you mean?" asked Pleasanton.
"My word was not for your ear, General, of course," said the young officer. "What I meant was that it was a shame that Hooker was coming just at this moment, and that we could not have a brush with those rebels on horseback, yonder."
"Eh?" said the General. "What consequence?"
"This," answered Crawford. "They brag of the rebel cavalry—they say that we have none. I should like to try them, if not more than two to one."
"Good!" said Pleasanton. "The right feeling, though a little imprudent. You are a young officer, Captain Crawford, but they tell me you have dash, and that sounds like it. Dash is what we want, if we can only have steadiness with it. Your eyes are younger than mine—how many of those rebels are there?"
[19] March 22d, 1863.
The rebel cavalry were now within four hundred yards, and still advancing, though at moderate speed. Crawford looked at them closely a moment.
"From two to three hundred, I should think," was the answer.