ACROSS COUNTRY WITH A CAVALRY COLUMN. 



127 



are lighting our pipes, and reports the wagons near at hand. 

 He is hot and thirsty, and falls to like a man who has seen 

 nothing to eat or drink for a week ; and soon we hear the 

 cracking of the whips, the braying of the mules, and the creak- 

 ing and groaning of the wheels as the long line of canvas- 

 covered, heavily laden wagons comes lumbering on the camp 

 ground. Speedily the tents rise in well-ordered lines about 

 us, fires are lighted, and every preparation made for dinner 

 and a comfortable night's rest. Some of us take our towels 

 and stroll down to the river for a bath, or to wash some ar- 

 ticle of clothing with a piece of toilet soap — laundries being 

 one of the luxuries of civilization which we have parted with 

 some time ago. The mosquitoes are not so bad here this 

 evening as they were a few days ago in one camp we occu- 

 pied, and one can bathe with more or less comfort ; besides, 

 we are hardened to them by this time — if one can ever be- 

 come hardened to the sting of a Montana mosquito — and 

 make a pretence of looking on their aggravating onslaughts 



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