lo6 HORSE, FOOT, AND DRAGOONS. 



stretched along and pinned at intervals to the ground by 

 huge iron pegs, or run from wagon to wagon, as the fancy 

 or habit of the company commander directs, while the sol- 

 diers are busied with curry-comb and brush grooming them 

 under the watchful eyes of the sergeants. Huge mess -chests, 

 bags of grain, cooking utensils black with the smoke of 

 many a fire, lie about, and some of the men are engaged in 

 arranging the saddles and equipments. Through the open 

 flaps of one of the tents the bedding of the soldiers can be 

 seen spread in a circle on the ground, the gray blankets 

 neatly folded, while around the pole in the centre hang car- 

 bines and cartridge - filled prairie belts, surmounted by a lan- 

 tern swinging by a cord, and as yet unlighted. Back of the 

 tents huge fires are crackling and blazing merrily, the smoke 

 from them rising straight upward in the still air, the com- 

 pany cooks busied about them, clearing away after the even- 

 ing meal, or relishing some tidbit reserved from the general 

 fare for their own private benefit, as, being cooks, they no 

 doubt feel to be one of the privileges of their position. 

 Coming towards the camp, and moving in a cloud of dust, 

 yellow as the purest gold in the last long rays of the setting 

 sun, the wagon mules are being driven in from pasture, and 

 their discordant braying and the shouts of the teamsters 

 mingle harshly with the clanging notes of the trumpets, 

 which now begin to sound the "assembly." We watch the 

 companies " fall in " in front of their respective quarters, and 

 the details for the new guard assemble, for, being in the 

 field and on the march, and an early start being the order 

 of the day, the guard is mounted in the evening instead of 

 in the morning, as is the custom in garrison. Guard -mount- 

 ino: does not take lono; in this case, althoufj^h it is thorouoh 

 enough in all its detail under the vigilance of the experi- 



