Epigraph
Here are some unfamiliar (to me) words.
badinage
Light, playful banter.
Chapultepec
Hill south of Mexico City, Mexico; site of an American victory on
September 13, 1847 in the Mexican War.
condoling
Express sympathy or sorrow.
currycomb
Square comb with rows of small teeth used to groom (curry) horses.
enured
Made tough by habitual exposure.
fastness
Strongly fortified defensive structure; stronghold.
kamerad
Comrade [German].
lagnappe
Trifling present given to customers; a gratuity.
levee
Formal reception, as at a royal court.
predial Relating to, containing, or possessing land; attached to, bound to, or arising from the land.
puncheon Short wooden upright used in structural framing; Piece of broad, heavy, roughly dressed timber with one face finished flat.
scantlings
Small timber used in construction.
tho
Though