66 INDIAN COURAGE 



When in the field the cavalryman is allowed some lati- 

 tude in suiting his dress to his own ideas of comfort, while 

 kept within certain regulation bounds. It is thus our art- 

 ist has represented him. He is apt to wear a soft hat — 

 there is no better campaigning hat than the slouch, as 

 thousands of old soldiers can testify — and boots ad lib. ; 

 his uniform is patterned on his own individuality after a 

 few days' march. His enormous saddle-bags are much 

 better filled at the start than at the finish, and a couple 

 of canteens with the indispensable tin cup are slung at the 

 cantle. His sabre he considers less useful than a revolver, 

 and in a charge it is a question whether the latter be not 

 by far the preferable weapon. Against Indians it certain- 

 ly is so ; for Avhile vour Indian is occasionally heroic be- 

 yond wiiat the white man ever dreams, as a rule he is 

 cowardly beyond belief, and you can rarely reach him 

 with the naked blade. Cornered, or frenzied by supersti- 

 tion or passion or tribal pride, his constancy is marvel- 

 lous ; in open fight he will often shirk danger like the 

 veriest poltroon. Like Sir Boyle Roche's Irishman, he 

 would rather be a coward for five minutes than a dead 

 man all his life. 



j\"o experience the trooper could possibly have could be 

 a better training than Indian warfare, and at the end of 

 his enlistment the intelligent cavalryman has perhaps no 

 equal as a light dragoon. He labors under some serious 

 disadvantages. His horse is an American, i.e., one which 

 comes from the States, and is in nowise allied to the 

 bronco. This horse is larger and stronger, but less hardy, 

 needs to be acclimated, and never can acquire the old hard 

 stomach of the plains pony. Used to grain, he more 

 speedily breaks down under lack of forage, and he is 

 vastly overweighted. The cavalry pack is vei-y heavy 

 for pursuit of a foe who has notliing but his own precious 



