78 THE PLAINS. 



which might save them from having to purchase the 

 knowledge with unhappy experience. 



The neglect to instruct has one most advantageous 

 result, in that it soon teaches the youngster self-reliance ; 

 but many a bitter experience, many an unnecessary 

 hardship, would be spared the young aspirant to plains 

 knowledge did his commanding officer occasionally give 

 him the benefit of an experience earned by his own 

 hardships. 



Almost every item of my own knowledge of plains 

 life has been drilled into my memory by the sharp point 

 of bitter experience. 



A very little instruction in youth would have saved 

 me many mishaps and annoyances, and it would have 

 been received with much thankfulness. 



When a boy, fresh from ' The Point,' new to army 

 life, and perfectly ' green ' in frontier service, I was sent 

 on my first scout after Indians, in command of a party of 

 twenty cavalry. I had not the first dawning of an idea 

 of the details of plains life, nor did my commanding 

 officer think it necessary to give me any instruction. The 

 sergeant of the party was an old soldier, well instructed 

 in all the details of scout and camp. When out about a 

 week we went one day into camp, on a piece of ground 

 covered with grass two feet high and very dry. The 

 wind was blowing quite strongly. 



After designating the position of the squads and 

 picket line, I saw the horses unsaddled and lariated 

 out, posted the pickets and guards, and, turning over the 

 command to the sergeant, went with my rod to the 

 stream near by to get some fish for dinner. 



I had just got interested in fairly good sport, when I 

 was startled by shouts and commotion in camp, not more 

 than sixty yards away. Dropping my rod I ran back to 

 find the whole camp ground in a blaze, and the flames 

 going with great speed towards the grazing horses. 

 Ordering some of the men to the relief of the animals, 



