He had seen in the pictures knights of old France wearing such a garb as this, and yet it did not seem so strange here.

These were strange times.
Everything was out of the normal, and the brilliant colors which would have seemed so dandyish to him at other times appealed to him now.
He suddenly recalled that these men were in gray uniforms, and he, too, wore a gray uniform.

They were his own people, cavalry of the Southern army.

Recovering his presence of mind, he ran forward, shouting and waving his hands.

The leader was the first to notice him and gave the order to halt.