202 The Rough Riders 



through to the cool season. We did everything pos- 

 sible to keep up the spirits of the men, but it was 

 exceedingly difficult because there was nothing for 

 them to do. They were weak and languid, and in 

 the wet heat they had lost energy, so that it was not 

 possible for them to indulge in sports or pastimes. 

 There were exceptions; but the average man who 

 went off to shoot guinea-hens or tried some vigorous 

 game always felt much the worse for his exertions. 

 Once or twice I took some of my comrades with me, 

 and climbed up one or another of the surrounding 

 mountains, but the result generally was that half 

 of the party were down with some kind of sickness 

 next day. It was impossible to take heavy exercise 

 in the heat of the day; the evening usually saw a 

 rain-storm which made the country a quagmire ; and 

 in the early morning the drenching dew and wet, 

 slimy soil made walking but little pleasure. Chap- 

 lain Brown held service every Sunday under a low 

 tree outside my tent; and we always had a con- 

 gregation of a few score troopers, lying or sitting 

 round, their strong hard faces turned toward the 

 preacher. I let a few of the men visit Santiago, but 

 the long walk in and out was very tiring, and, more- 

 over, wise restrictions had been put as to either 

 officers or men coming in. 



In any event there was very little to do in the 

 quaint, dirty old Spanish city, though it was inter- 



