The Flying Cavalier

by Gilbert, Morris

  “Then I’ll be the first!”

  As soon as the news of the declaration of war came over the radio, Jo had made up her mind. She had slept little the previous night but had walked the floor, thinking of arguments that would persuade her boss to send her to Europe to cover the coming conflict. She had known beforehand there would be a battle, but now she saw it was going to be even more difficult than she thought.

  “Look, Ed,” she said in a pleading tone of voice. “I know I can do this thing, and you don’t have any other reporter who can take pictures like I can.”

  “That’s beside the point!” Kovak shook his head stubbornly. He was a stocky individual, and someone had said of him, “He looks like he’s about to lower his head and run it through an oak door.” His stubbornness was now at full tide, and he chomped on his cigar while shaking his head with an angry motion. “I absolutely, positively refuse even to consider the idea! War is no place for a woman!”

  “They used to say a newspaper room was no place for a woman, but I’m here, and so are other women. Somebody’s going to get great stories out of this war, and it might as well be the Times, and I might as well be the one to do it!”

  “Look, Jo. In the first place, this isn’t our war. In the second place, some of the experts are saying it’ll be over before Christmas.”

  “Then they’re nincompoops! Idiots!” Jo snapped. “You ought to know better than that! It’s not going to be a quick war! There’s too much at stake. France and Germany, Russia and Austria will fight till the last man before they’ll give up.” She pleaded impassioned for some time and finally saw she was getting nowhere.

  “Look, just give me a chance. Let me go for a month. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll come back.”

  “No. You could get killed, and I’m not going to be the one writing a letter to your family saying how sorry I am. Fat lot of good that would do.” Kovak maneuvered his stub of a cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other, then leaned forward. “I’m sorry, Jo, and I’ll make it up to you. You did a good job on that story about the West. You’ve got a good future here. Why, I might even let you cover the World Series this year. That’d be something a woman has never done before.”

  Ordinarily an assignment like that would have been a great victory for Jo, but somehow she had set her sights on bigger things. She was well aware that the big news in the future was going to be the European war, not the World Series, except in those cities where it was played. She saw, however, that it was useless to plead anymore, so she sighed and her shoulders drooped. “I think you’re making a big mistake.”

  “I may be, but at least this mistake won’t get you killed. Now, go on to work, Hellinger. You’ve got a bright future. You’re sharp, you’re tough, and one of these days you may be sitting right here in my seat.”

  The rest of the day Jo went about her work in a mechanical fashion. She had been assigned to cover a meeting of the legislature, which proved to be intensely boring. She took pictures of some of the politicians, who smiled and smirked like Hollywood movie stars in front of the camera, and finally at the end of the day made her way home. When she stepped inside she was greeted, as always, by enthusiastic advances from Bedford. He insisted on rearing up on her no matter how many times she stepped on his feet to convince him that such an action was wrong. Shoving him down, she moved over to the table, dumped her camera and purse, then went to the bed and threw herself on it. She felt the bed creak as Bedford leaped up beside her and began nuzzling her. “All right, Bedford. We’ll go for a walk in a minute. Let me rest, can’t you?”

  But Bedford was in no mood for resting. As always, his energy built up so that by the time she got home, he was ready for his exercise. Jo arose and left the apartment, and for the next forty-five minutes, Bedford romped through Central Park. He chased squirrels but never seemed to catch any. “Don’t you ever learn anything, Bedford?” Jo asked crossly. “You’re never going to catch one of those things.”

  Finally, when it was time to go, Jo said, “Come on. I’ll stop by and get you a treat at the grocery store.”

  The two arrived home, and as soon as Jo had given Bedford the huge bone the butcher had saved for him, the phone rang. Moving across the room, she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Hi, is this you, Jo?”

  “Yes. Logan?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “Where are you? In Montana?”

  “Montana? No. I’m right here in New York City.”

  For a moment Jo could not answer, her surprise was so great. “In New York! Well, where are you? I want to see you.”

  “That’s why I called. I’m lost in this place. I’ve got your address, but I don’t have any idea how to find it.”

  “Just get in a taxicab and give him my address. He’ll bring you here. Come as quick as you can. We’ll go out and eat.”

  “I’ve got Revelation with me.”

  “Bring him. We’ll all three go out to eat.”

  Jo waited impatiently until finally she heard a knock at the door. Bedford at once came to full attention and positioned himself, waiting to see who was invading his territory. Opening the door, Jo saw the grinning face of Logan Smith and immediately behind him Revelation Brown.

  “Hi, Josephine,” Logan said. He impulsively reached forward and caught her up and squeezed her so hard she lost her breath.

  At that instant a low-pitched, frightening snarl suddenly penetrated the room, and Logan got a glimpse of the white fangs of the huge dog that now faced him. He saw the hair rising on the back, and the teeth looked like those of a great white shark.

  “Be quiet!” Jo commanded. She reached down and petted the dog, and said apologetically, “He’s a little bit possessive. He’s kind of my antiburglar device.” She turned at once and hugged Revelation, which gave that gentleman quite a surprise.

  “Well,” he said, grinning broadly, “I ain’t been welcomed like that in quite a spell. Is that there animal safe?”

  It took a few moments to introduce Logan and Revelation to Bedford, but the big dog, finally satisfied that all was well, proceeded to give the two a good going-over, sniffing them carefully and finally sitting down on Revelation’s feet to show his approval.

  “Let’s go out and eat. I’m starved to death.”

  “We’re not interrupting anything, are we, Jo?”

  “No. Just a lonely evening at home. Come on. Let’s go.”

  The three left the apartment accompanied by Bedford, and Logan asked, “Does he go eat with you?”

  “He goes pretty much anywhere I go. Some restaurants won’t have us, but I’ve found out those who will. What do you want? Chinese food, Mexican, American?”

  “If the hair and hide’s off of it and the horns have been removed, I’ll eat it,” Revelation said, then added, “Well, as the Good Book tells us, ‘Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.’ That’s in Leviticus chapter eleven verse three. So as long as it fits them qualifications, lady, lead me to it.”

  Jo laughed and said, “Well, I expect a cow fits that. So how about a first-class steak?”

  “I feel strongly led to eat one, Miss Hellinger,” Logan said. “And I’ll even buy one for your dog there. What’s his name?”

  “Bedford.”

  “Odd name for a dog,” Logan observed.

  “He’s named after General Nathan Bedford Forrest, the finest cavalry commander the world ever saw.”

  “I know. Sherman said about him, ‘We’ve got to get rid of that devil Forrest before we can win this war.’ ”

  “You know your history, Logan. Come on. Let’s go eat.”

  Two hours later the three two-legged guests were at the Elite Café, and the four-legged one had done his best to annihilate the steaks that the owner, George Grierson, had provided for them. Jo Hellinger was a favorite of his, and he liked dogs, so he had provided a juicy hamburger patty for Bedford. He had eaten it in two swif
t gulps and watched every bite that went down the throats of the other guests.

  As they ate, Jo listened avidly as the two men, between bites, told the story of their odyssey to New York.

  “As soon as the news of the war came, which we both knew it would,” Logan said, chewing on a morsel of his rib eye and swallowing it, “we decided we had to get in on it.”

  “Get in on the war?” Jo asked blankly. “What do you mean?”

  “Why, I mean we’re joining up. We’re going to fight for the French.”

  “That’s right,” Revelation said. For such a lean man, he had put away an inordinate amount of food, and now he was working on his second piece of pie. “It was Logan here that brought it up, but I prayed over it, and I’m convinced that it’s the thing to do.”

  “How did you come to that conclusion, Revelation?”

  “Don’t know, but sometimes I hear a voice, and it’s the Lord, and when He says go, I goeth. When He says come, I cometh.” He grinned at her, finished off his pie, and then picked up the huge coffee mug and washed it down thirstily. He wiped his lips with his sleeve and then said, “In any case, it’s all written down.”

  “What do you mean all written down?” Jo asked uncertainly.

  “Well, I mean before this here earth was ever created, God had plans for all of us. Didn’t you know that, Miss Jo? I’m plum surprised at you.”

  “Oh, I see, then you’re a Calvinist.”

  “Sure am! That feller Calvin had it figured out right. Whatever God decides, it’s going to be.”

  “Why, Rev even parks the car on the railroad tracks.” Logan smiled fondly at his ungainly friend. “He believes it’s going to happen whether it does or not.”

  “You go on and make fun of me, Cowboy, but you’re going to find out that I’m right. And God meant for us to go to this here war, and we’re both going. Before it’s over this cowboy is going to fly them airplanes, and I’m going to fix ’em and keep ’em to where they’re fit to fly. You wait and see if it don’t happen like that.”

  Jo was somewhat confused. She had never imagined such a thing. “Aren’t you being a little bit idealistic?” she asked.

  “I don’t know about that, but I know we’re doing the right thing.” A worried frown swept across Logan’s face. “Had trouble with Mom and Dad, and then Frank, of course, wanted to come, too. But I talked him out of it.”

  The three sat there talking until finally the manager came and said apologetically, “Got to close up, Miss Jo.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, George! I didn’t realize we were here so long.”

  As she fumbled in her purse, Logan said quickly, “We don’t ever let a lady pay.”

  “That’s right. We don’t,” Revelation nodded. He plunged his hand into his pocket, but Logan beat him to it, handing several bills to the waiting manager. “Fine steak,” Revelation said. “Are you saved, brother?”

  George Grierson stared at the gangly, long-legged, long-armed man with the apple-pinched face. “Am I what?”

  “Are you saved? Are you under the blood? Have you been redeemed by the Lamb?”

  Jo stood there watching the bewilderment on George’s face. She knew he was a devout Catholic, but all of this would mean nothing to him. Finally Revelation reached into his pocket, pulled out a handful of tracts, and handed one to him. “Read this. Wrote ’em myself and had ’em printed up in Billings. It will show you the way to the throne room, brother. God bless you, and may I see you when we cross the River Jordan.”

  Jo patted George on the arm and said, “It’s all right, George. Don’t worry about it.”

  “What is he? Some kind of a preacher?”

  “I think so,” Jo said. She smiled at Revelation, who beamed back at her. “Come along. You can preach at me, Revelation.” When they were outside, she said, “Where are you staying?”

  “We got us a hotel room, but tomorrow we’re gonna sign up.”

  “I don’t think it’ll be that easy. You’d better meet me down at the newspaper office. We’ll talk to some of the men there. My boss, Ed Kovak, might know about things like this.”

  “All right. We’ll be there.” Logan Smith reached over suddenly and hugged Jo. “I’m glad you’re here. I need me a big sister to guide me through the world, and you’re elected.”

  “And I guess I’m not quite old enough to be your pa, but I’m old enough to be your big brother,” Revelation said. He took Jo’s hand and squeezed it carefully. “We’ll be there in the morning.”

  ****

  As soon as the two cowboys from Montana arrived at the newspaper office, Jo introduced them to Ed Kovak, who stared at them blankly as Jo explained why they had come to New York.

  “Going to join the French army? Do I hear you right?”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Kovak. That’s what we’re both going to do,” Logan smiled.

  Revelation nodded cheerfully. “Yes, the Lord’s done spoken. Are you saved, brother?”

  Jo had known this would happen, for she had discovered that Revelation Brown’s evangelism was boundless. He put the question to almost everyone he met. He was not obnoxious about it in the least, always cheerful, and when he encountered resistance, he never grew bellicose or seemed upset. She hurried on to prevent Rev from going on by saying, “Where could they go enlist, Mr. Kovak?”

  “Why, in France, of course,” Kovak said. “You don’t think France has an enlistment office down on Thirty-first Street, do you?”

  When they realized it wasn’t possible to enlist in America, the three left the office quite deflated.

  “I never thought of such a thing as this,” Logan said. “I don’t know where the French Embassy is, but we’ll find out.”

  That began two days of hard searching, but at the end of that time all three were convinced there was no way to join the French army in New York City.

  They went back to George Grierson’s Elite Café for another meal. George greeted them warmly, although he eyed Revelation warily. Revelation, however, seemed to feel that he had done his duty as far as the stubby owner of the Elite was concerned.

  They ordered, and midway through the meal Jo asked, “What are you going to do?”

  “Well, we’re going to France, of course,” Revelation said. “ ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.’ ”

  “Why, you can’t do that!” Jo said.

  “Why can’t we?” Logan asked.

  “Why, it takes a passport for one thing, and then you’d have to pay your way on a ship.”

  “The Lord’s going to take care of those things, Miss Jo,” Revelation said firmly. “Everything’s under God’s hands. He owns all the steamships. Didn’t you know that? He can sure get two cowboys a place on one of them.”

  Jo was stunned by what she heard. She listened as the two excitedly made plans to go to Europe, but that night when she went home, she stayed up for a long time. Bedford watched her from his accustomed position on the bed, but finally even he dozed off.

  Jo sat down in the chair beside her bed and thought of how her own plans to get to Europe had failed. Somehow seeing the determination and excitement of Logan and Revelation did something to her. She was not at all sure of their proclamation that God was sending them, but she was very certain of her own determination to get there.

  She went to bed, slept fitfully, and rose the next morning with her mind made up. When she arrived at the office, she knocked on Mr. Kovak’s door, and when a gruff “Come in!” sounded, she entered.

  “Well, you’ve learned to knock on doors, I see. Where did the two cowboys go?”

  “They’re getting passports this morning.”

  “You mean those two clowns are going to France?”

  “That’s right.”

  Kovak pulled a match from his shirt pocket, struck it on his desk, and lit a fresh cigar. When he had it going, he gave her an odd glance. “Do you believe all that religion stuff that the tall one was spouting about God sending him and all that?”
/>
  “I . . . I’m not sure about all that, Ed. But I am sure of one thing.”

  “What’s that, Jo?”

  “I’m going to France myself. I know you can’t send me—” Here she interrupted Ed by raising her hand and lifting her voice. “So I’m quitting today. You’ve been good to me and taught me a lot, but I’ve got to go, Ed.”

  Ed Kovak stared at the young woman before him with mixed feelings. He had developed a great affection for her, which he took great care not to show, but now that she had made this announcement, he was disturbed. “It’s dangerous over there, Jo. I’d hate to see anything happen to you.”

  “I’m going, Ed. That’s all there is to it. I’m going to be a free-lance writer. I’ll send you some stories. If you like them, you can use them. If not, I’ll send them to other newspapers. And I’m going to write a book, too, and take lots of pictures. I’m going to this war, Ed, and that’s all there is to it!”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Paris!

  The Lusitania seemed enormous to the three passengers who stood looking up from the docks. Revelation Brown shook his head and said, “There ain’t no such ship this big!”

  Both Logan and Jo laughed, and then the three started up the gangplank. The hour was late, after ten o’clock in the evening, and it had been a struggle to find any accommodations on an Atlantic ship. The Lusitania had been the only one they could obtain passage on.

  When they reached the top of the gangplank, they were met by a steward in white, who said, “Yes. May I see your tickets?” After glancing at them casually, he said, “You are on the second deck, miss. And you two gentlemen are on the fourth deck. And the dog will have to be kept in the kennel. Come. I will show you.”

  Finding their way on the monstrous vessel would have been difficult, for, as Revelation said, “It’s about twice as big as the little town where I was born, in Shropshire.”

  After dropping Bedford off in the kennel—which was one of the finest accommodations Jo had ever seen for a dog—the steward led them to Jo’s cabin. It was in the first-class section, that being all that was available. She found the cabin more exotic and luxurious than any room she had ever had. As soon as she stepped inside, agreeing to meet her friends for what dinner could be had at that late hour, she walked around, studying the cabin. It was a large stateroom done in Queen Anne style and consisted of two small suites and a private bath. She moved to the wall, ran her fingers over the polished oak, and murmured, “I had to spend too much for this, but I will admit it is really impressive.” She unpacked her suitcase, then went at once to find the dining room. She found it without too much trouble on the second deck.