CAMPAIGNING WITH MAX. 101 



City, Max had become the pride of the camp. 

 He was over sixteen hands high, of a solid dark 

 bay color, glistening like polished mahogany, and 

 active and spirited as a horse in training for the 

 Derby. 



At Union City the headquarters' horses were 

 stabled under a capital shed, close at hand, and 

 all that master's eye and servant's labor could 

 accomplish for their care and improvement was 

 lavished upon them ; so that, during our long 

 months' stay, we were among the best-mounted 

 men in the Western army. Our pleasure-riding 

 and our work lay through swampy wood-roads, 

 over obstructions of every sort, and across the 

 occasional grass farms, with their neglected rail- 

 fences. The weather was almost uninterruptedly 

 fine, our few visiting neighbors were miles away 

 from us, the shooting was good, and the enjoy- 

 ment we got from our vagabond life in camp was 

 well supplemented by the royal rides we almost 

 daily took. 



Naturally, in a camp full of idle men given 

 largely to sport, the elevating entertainment of 



