The Flying Cavalier

by Gilbert, Morris

  “Yes, we do have the Lord’s blessing. It’s been the best church I’ve ever attended,” Danielle whispered back.

  Finally the minister got up and welcomed them all into the service. There were so many Englishmen there from the aerodrome that the pastor said, “For those of you who are not yet fluent in French, I have decided to use an interpreter this morning.” He nodded toward a small young man with a bright, cheerful face. “This brother will attempt to put my feeble sermon into the best English he can.” The minister, Reverend Devoe, smiled suddenly. “I hope he will not attempt to correct the theology, although I’m sure I need such correction.”

  He looked down at his Bible and said, “This morning we will look at one verse in the Old Testament for our meditation. It is found in the seventy-eighth Psalm, verse nineteen.” He waited and the room was filled with the sound of rustling pages as those who had Bibles found their place.

  “ ‘Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?’ ” Reverend Devoe said. “This is the question I would like to put before you. You know, of course, the circumstances, but I will remind you of them again.” He quickly reviewed the history of the children of Israel as God led them out of Egypt. He was a fine speaker and graphically portrayed the plagues that fell on Egypt and the miraculous journey of the Israelites through the Red Sea.

  Finally he said, “And so now the children of Israel have been delivered from all of their bondage. They are free because God himself set them free. They are on their way to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I would like to remind you and to point out this morning that they were a long way from home. They had been delivered, but they had not reached their final destination.”

  A silence had fallen over the church. Beams of light came in yellow bars down from the windows, illuminating the pulpit and seemingly lighting the face of the minister. He was one of those who took great delight in proclaiming the Gospel, Logan saw, and he was glad he was there.

  “Is this not our own situation?” Reverend Devoe said. “We have been delivered, but we are not home. As I have repeatedly told you, it is very easy to become a Christian. But being the Christian that we want to become is very difficult at times. Because between our point of departure and our final destination is a pathway beset with many difficulties. The Scripture mentions a wilderness, and I would have you think of what the children of Israel had to contend with. Those of you who have been in Israel know how barren that part of the world is. Rocks and heat and sand, wild beasts at every turn. There were no grocery stores or doctors’ offices. They had no help in that wilderness through which they had to travel. So on they walked. They had left the comfort of their homes and all they had ever known and held precious, and now they were in a burning furnace of a wilderness with the sun beating down upon them. They only had the food they had brought with them, and soon that was all gone.”

  For some time Reverend Devoe went on speaking of the difficulties of the children of Israel and what a terrible time it was for them and for their young ones. And finally he said, “So they were brought out of their homes into a wilderness, and that is what we must all understand.” He paused quietly and looked out over the congregation.

  As his eyes moved from face to face, Logan thought for a moment that the minister’s eyes met his and seemed to look deep inside of him.

  “Right now you are in a wilderness”—he paused and then shook his head slightly—“or you will be in a wilderness in the future. That is the nature of our lives. Job said, ‘Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.’ The New Testament says in the book of First Peter, ‘Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to envelop you.’ Over and over again the Old Testament and the New warn us that we will be entering into our wilderness, and we must not be unprepared. There are those who think that once they become a Christian, life will be nothing but smooth sailing and all their troubles will be taken away. But we know that this is not true, and they must soon come to realize this. God does not take us out of the wilderness.” He smiled then and nodded. “He walks with us through the wilderness.

  “Do not ask God to take you out of whatever wilderness you happen to be in. You remember the three Hebrew children? The fiery furnace was before them, and if they had been like many of us, they might have cried out, ‘Oh, God, deliver us from the fiery furnace.’ But they did not. They answered the king straightforwardly. Do you remember? They said, ‘Oh, King, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. God is able to deliver us. If not . . . ’ That is what I would have you remember. God is able to deliver you from any tribulation, from any trouble, or any pain, but sometimes He chooses not to do this. And like the three Hebrew children, we must cry out, ‘God is able to deliver us, but if not’—then we must simply expect Him to be with us. He was with the three Hebrews, and as the king looked in, he said, ‘Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’

  “The Son of God will be with you in the wilderness. This is His promise, and He is a gentleman who has never lied. He said, ‘I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.’ Isn’t that comforting to you?”

  For some time the preacher went on encouraging those who were faint of heart and were experiencing trials. Over and over he quoted the great promises of God’s presence from the Old Testament and the New.

  “I must point out also that there is more than one kind of wilderness. There is a physical wilderness when we are tried. Some of you here today are ill of body. Some of you may have faced a doctor who has said, ‘I am sorry. There is nothing I can do for you.’ For those of you who are enduring physical pain or for those of you men who face the danger of death almost daily, let me say that this wilderness is not without its comforts. The question was, ‘Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?’ You might translate that to say, ‘Can God deliver me from physical sickness?’ ‘Can God deliver me from death in battle?’ The answer the New Testament gives, in a resounding voice, is yes. He can deliver you.

  “The wilderness may also be spiritual or emotional. Are you suffering grief over loss? Oh, what a wilderness that is! When we lose that which we love, how we grieve and how we feel lost and alone. And how we cry out to God as the psalmist did. ‘Oh, God, do not cast us off forever!’ And in the twenty-first verse of the seventy-third Psalm, the psalmist cried out, ‘My heart was grieved and I was pierced in all of my thoughts.’ ”

  As the preacher spoke about enduring loss, Lance Winslow was sitting with his hand lightly resting on Gabby’s shoulder. She had moved to sit very close beside him, and her hand rested on his leg. She seemed to need his touch, and she continually reached out to touch him. Now as the preacher continued to speak of loss, Lance listened carefully. He knew that the preacher was right, for all of his life he had been taught that God was able to give comfort. But he had not yet come to that point where he could find it. The grief that overwhelmed him over the loss of Noelle was so sharp and bitter that he could barely endure it. Oh, God, he prayed, I know this preacher is right. You can give comfort, but I have not found it. Why, oh, Lord? Why have I not found peace?

  The sermon went on and finally the preacher said, “The most important question in life is, ‘Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?’ Is God able to provide in my life what I cannot provide for myself? Your table may be empty. I’m sure many of the Israelites looked around, and as the Scripture says, ‘They were stubborn of heart.’ They saw the burning desert and the barren rocks. They began to thirst, there were no water fountains in the desert. The only water they had was what they had brought with them, and surely that water ran out very soon. So they began to complain to Moses. ‘Were there no graves in Egypt?’ they cried out. ‘Thou hast brought us out into this wilderness to die.’ The Scripture says they tempted God in their hearts. They spoke against God, saying, ‘Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?’

  “I say to you this mor
ning, God is able to furnish the table that you need to be filled. I know some of you are grieved and have suffered terrible loss. Some of you do not know how to face tomorrow, but God is faithful. The Lord Jesus Christ is the source of every blessing. He is now at the right hand of God making intercession for sinners such as us. And I encourage you this morning to look unto Jesus. You may look around you at your circumstances and say you are in the middle of a wilderness and there’s no way out. But there is a way out. Call upon the Lord and He will answer you. This is His promise, and His promises are always true.”

  The service ended shortly, and as they filed out of the church, Logan was greeted by Doctor Laurent. “We’re expecting you for lunch today, and if it is not inappropriate, we would like to have your mechanic, Mr. Brown, join us.”

  “I’m sure he’d be happy to come.”

  “It won’t be awkward having an officer and an enlisted man eating together?”

  Logan grinned. “Revelation and I are old friends. I think we can put aside the formalities. I don’t know about the captain, though.”

  Doctor Laurent went at once to Lance, who was just emerging from the church holding Gabby’s hand. “Lance, I have invited Lieutenant Smith to come to lunch.”

  “That’s fine,” Lance said.

  “Ah, but I have also asked his mechanic, an enlisted man. Will that create difficulties?”

  “No. I think not. It wouldn’t do in a public place, but in your home it will be all right.”

  The doctor went to Revelation and issued his invitation. Revelation said, “Why, Doctor, I’d be glad to come.”

  As soon as they arrived at the house, Lance said, “We’ll have to be a little bit informal, Brown.”

  “Yes, sir! I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  Rev went to Gabby, who at first was apprehensive. The big man was rather homely, and even she saw that his long arms and legs made him look like a spider. But his face was bright with a smile, and she saw something in his eyes she trusted.

  “I’ll bet you have some dolls. I’ve got a niece at home, and she lets me play with her dolls sometimes.”

  “You play with dolls?” Gabby stared up at the tall man wearing the olive uniform of an enlisted man.

  “Susie and I played dolls by the hour. Nothing like it, I always say. Maybe you and I could have a tea party. Susie and I always did that.”

  Twenty minutes later Lance was standing at the door to the parlor looking in. Gabby was sitting on the floor, and across from her sat Private Revelation Brown cross-legged. They were surrounded by dolls and having a splendid tea party. Revelation was speaking with great excitement, it seemed, and Gabby laughed more than once at his remarks.

  “He does well with children,” Lance said to Danielle, who had come to stand beside him.

  “Yes. It’s amazing. Not many men have that gift.”

  “I don’t have it,” Lance said under his breath. “I’d give anything if I could just do what Brown is doing right now.”

  “You could, Lance. I’m sure you could.” Danielle reached out and put her hand on Lance’s arm. He turned to meet her eyes, and she saw the pain that was in them. “Gabby loves you, Lance. And you love her. When two people love each other, that’s all that’s necessary.”

  “Do you really believe that, Dani?”

  Danielle faltered for a moment, and then she met his eyes and said, “I believe in love.” She turned and would have left, but he took her arm. “Wait. Don’t go away. Talk to me awhile.”

  His remark took Danielle off guard, but she was happy to have the time together.

  “Come. Let’s go out in the garden. I don’t want to interrupt the tea party. They’re having such a good time.”

  The two went out into the garden and sat down on a bench. Logan looked out the window and saw them, and he was troubled. He could see how Danielle looked up at Lance and thought, She’s in love with him, and he doesn’t really see her as a woman. But he will someday. The thought brought a pang to him, for he knew that he had fallen in love with Danielle Laurent.

  During the meal, Logan could see that Danielle could not seem to remove her eyes from Lance Winslow. Logan excused himself shortly after lunch and went back to the base. All afternoon he walked around aimlessly, his mind troubled. What’s the matter with me? he thought, but he knew the answer. He was in love with Danielle Laurent, and she did not care for him. It was a hard thing for Logan Smith to accept. Ordinarily he would have been able to think it out, but somehow he could not. He grew morose and lost the cheerful spirit that was customary with him.

  When Revelation came back to the aerodrome, he found Logan sitting in the cockpit of his Nieuport. “What are you doing up there, Logan? There’s no mission today.”

  “Nothing.”

  Something about Logan’s tone caught Rev’s attention. He moved closer and stared up, saying, “You shouldn’t have left so early. Everyone was wondering why you didn’t stay.”

  “Didn’t feel like it.”

  “Something wrong, Logan?”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Rev hesitated. He knew something was bothering his friend, but he also knew that when Logan Smith got into a black mood like this, nothing would shake him. Rev went out of the hangar and shook his head. “Something’s the matter with Logan, Lord. I don’t know what it is, but he needs his wits about him.” Revelation was not an educated man, but he was what some called country smart. Without formal education he had a sharp, keen mind. He was analytical and able to pull things apart. It was not just engines he understood, but people as well, and as he pondered on Logan, it suddenly came to him. Why, it’s that Miss Dani, he thought. He’s talked about her a lot, and today she spent all of her time smiling at Captain Winslow. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that this was what was troubling Logan.

  “Never knew Logan to have woman trouble before. He never seemed to care, but I believe he’s shot down now. She’s a fine young woman. Pretty as a picture, but you don’t have to be around her long when the captain’s there to see where her heart is. Too bad. Logan will have to learn to swallow his medicine with less fuss.”

  ****

  “I say, the captain is in a rage, isn’t he?” Cecil Lewis was leaning back with a volume of Shakespeare held loosely in his hands. The pilots had gathered into headquarters waiting to give a report after their last mission, but Lewis could not pay attention to the words before him.

  “He’s really tearing a strip off of Cowboy this time, isn’t he?” Copper Jennings said. He took a drink of whiskey, shuddered as it hit his stomach, and squeezed his eyes together, then he turned back to listen to the sound of Winslow’s voice. None of them could distinguish the words as they came, but there was no question about the fiery anger that blazed in their commanding officer.

  “I can’t believe he’s taking off on Logan like that,” Clive Bentley said quietly. His face was lined with fatigue. The last mission had been hard, and he had barely managed to limp home with his Nieuport full of holes, expecting any moment for it to burst into flames. “After all, he shot down two of the Jerries, didn’t he? That makes five.”

  “Yep, that makes the Cowboy an Ace, all right,” Jerold Spencer said. He was straddling a chair, and his eyes were dreamy. He had been thinking of riding in a steeplechase, but now Winslow’s voice rose to a crescendo, and he shook his head. “If he’s tearing Smith apart after having shot down two planes and becoming an Ace, I’d hate to think what he’ll have to say to the rest of us.”

  “Oh, I don’t think he’ll have much to say,” Lewis said. His eyes fell back on the page, his lips moving silently as he read. Then he looked up and shook his head. “It’s breaking formation. That’s what drives Captain Winslow up the wall.”

  “Well, I’m beginning to think the Cowboy’s right,” Pug Hardeston said. “After all, he’s doing a whole lot better than the rest of us.” He got up and walked back and forth, his muscular body anxious for action. The long hours of forc
ed confinement in the cockpit of the plane often drove him to excesses when he was on the ground. “I go crazy trying to keep in formation, and what’s the use of it?”

  “Better not let the captain hear you say that,” Sailor Malone grunted. He was standing at the window looking outside and now turned and said, “Lewis, you’re a professor. What are we supposed to do anyhow?”

  Surprised, Cecil Lewis looked at the burly Malone. “Do about what?”

  “I been wondering about what this crazy war’s all about, and something came to me. I’m not much of a one for thinking ahead, but what’ll we do after the war’s over?”

  “Go back to work at a factory or a bank, I suppose. What did you do before the war, Sailor?”

  “I was a sailor! Why do you think they call me that?” Malone said. He turned and looked back out the window, dissatisfied and angry. “So we spend years of our lives doing nothing but killing people, and then we’re supposed to go back and sell shoes. Is that it?”

  Cecil Lewis knew that the pressures on Malone were great, as they were on all of them. He also knew that Malone appeared to be suicidal. He took abysmal chances and did not seem to care whether he lived or died. Now he looked down at the page and said, “You know, there’s a lot of boring stuff in Shakespeare, but every once in a while he comes up with a good one. I think that’s why people continue to read him. Just for a few things he said that strike home.”

  “Like what? What did he ever say about what I just told you?” Malone growled.

  “Well, right here in Henry V. Listen to this.”

  “Once more into the breech, dear friends, once more;

  Or close the wall up with our English dead!

  In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man

  As modest stillness and humility:

  But when the blast of war blows in our ears,

  Then imitate the action of the tiger;

  Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,