RECREA TION. 



4i7 



After frequent struggles we succeeded 

 in leaving the enclosure at 11 o'clock at 

 night, and took the herd to camp, where 

 we arrived at 3 in the morning. The 

 men simply could not ride the horses 

 any distance, and after repeatedly being 

 bucked off, kicked at, and made ac- 

 quainted with numerous other fancy 

 tricks these horses knew, the soldiers 

 walked and led them. The men were 

 pretty well fagged out, and after putting 

 the animals on picket line, we all turned 

 in for a couple of hours' rest. 



At 7 we broke camp, and again 

 started on the 51 mile journey towards 

 home. The men made little attempt to 

 mount, but were leading the horses, as 

 they had done the night before. I saw 

 this would not do, for a good portion of 

 the journey lay over rocky land, with 

 steep ascents and bad roads. The old 

 saddler, a conspicuous character in the 

 troop, who was at the end of his third 

 enlistment, attempted to ride a full- 

 chested, slender-bodied horse ; but after 

 he was bucked off, the saddle slid and 

 slid till the animal, nearly frantic, dashed 

 across the prairie kicking and bucking 

 at the dangling seat till he finally rid 

 himself of it. I next tied the horses all to- 

 gether and let the men ride in the escort 

 wagon. This was all right for a few min- 

 utes ; then they tied all kinds of knots 

 in the ropes. Next we tied them in pairs 

 and turned them loose, knowing we could 

 catch them again later. They ran several 

 miles out of the road and up among the 

 canyons of one of the tributaries of the 

 Missouri, giving those few of us who 

 had succeeded in keeping our saddles, 

 a hard ride ; but we overtook them be- 

 fore we reached the half-way house, 

 where we again camped for the night." 



Here the young officer laughed in his 

 hearty way, startling his listeners out of 

 comfortable positions around the fire. 



"Well, what's up ? Give us the whole 

 story." 



" Oh, I was thinking of their first dose 

 of nose bag. It was no fun to get the 



straps over their heads, for immediately 

 after, they stood straight up on their 

 hind feet and pawed and struck at the 

 bag of grain with their fore feet like mad 

 things. Fine horses for cavalry, eh ! " 



The following day we didn't even 

 tie them in pairs, but turned them loose 

 again separately. They led us far out 

 of the way, but finally we reached the 

 post, with every horse, every saddle, and 

 a wiser lot of men than when we started. 

 The bays were turned over to our troop 

 and the blacks and browns to the other. 

 The men had the most fearful time im- 

 aginable for weeks, till the broncos were 

 broken, at drills, inspections, in fact at 

 all formations, and many a time a sol- 

 dier was bucked as high as the picket 

 line in trying to break his horse. 



After many months, by earnest work 

 and patience, some pretty good mounts 

 were made, though they were not of the 

 right sort for such service, on account 

 of their general build. The '' Man- 

 Eater" never was tamed, and finally broke 

 his neck by jerking up and running 

 away with one of the wooden posts to 

 which he was tied. It flew in the air, and 

 as he ran struck him, killing him in- 

 stantly. We were all glad, for we had 

 been afraid he would eventually kill 

 some of us. 



Soon after he finished speaking, 

 " tatoo " sounded through the big camp. 

 "Good night. I'm officer of the day. 

 I suppose you'll all turn in soon on ac- 

 count of the long march to-morrow?" 



After he left, Captain Jack, who had 

 been an earnest listener, said : '' That 

 young fellow is one of the best riders 

 and judges of horses in the cavalry to- 

 day, and I'll take his word for that ugly 

 Montan adetachment any time. Good 

 night." One by one ihe officers went 

 to their tents, pitched along the wide 

 stretch of western prairie, miles from 

 any habitation, beyond the Missis- 

 sippi, and the camp fire slowly burned 

 itself out as the quiet moon came up 

 over the camp. 



