62 WHIP AND SPUR. 



Gluckmansklegge, who was with me and had sug- 

 gested the venture, despaired of ever getting his 

 promotion by any fair means, when we rejoined 

 him by the return leap and rode safely to camp. 



Unhappily, even entire satisfaction with one's 

 horse is powerless to ward off such malaria as 

 that of the camp at Helena, and in due time 

 I fell ill with the fever. The horse was turned 

 over to the care of the quartermaster, and Ike 

 and I came wearily home on sick-leave. 



Late in the autumn we returned to St. Louis, 

 where one of the German officers told me that 

 the regiment had joined Davidson's army at " Pi- 

 lot K-nopp " ; and after the Hun, our new ad- 

 jutant, arrived from the East, we set out for 

 headquarters, and took command of the cavalry 

 brigade of Davidson's army. 



From November until January we were tossed 

 about from post to post, wearing out our horses, 

 wearying our men, and accomplishing absolutely 

 nothing of value beyond the destruction of an 

 enormous amount of the rough forage, which 

 would otherwise have been used to feed " nags," 



