The big gray thing must have thought
something evil was coming, for he sprang back, and then jumped over in
the bushes and did not show himself again. Rollo came home at an awful
pace; but I looked back once and saw, standing in the road near the
bushes, five timber wolves, evidently watching us. Just where the
other two had been I will never know, of course.
We have ridden and driven up that road many, many times, and I have
often ridden through those rosebushes, but have never seen wolves or
coyotes. Down in the lowland on the other side of the post we
frequently see a coyote that will greet us with the most unearthly
howls, and will sometimes follow carriages, howling all the time. But
everyone looks upon him as a pet. Those big, gray timber wolves are
quite another animal, fierce and savage. Some one asked me why I
screamed, but I could not tell why. Perhaps it was to urge the
horse - perhaps to frighten the wolf - perhaps to relieve the strain on
my nerves. Possibly it was just because I was frightened and could not
help it!
FORT SHAW, MONTANA TERRITORY,
May, 1888.
SUCH upheaval orders have been coming to the post the past few days,
some of us wonder if there has not been an earthquake, and can only
sit around and wait in a numb sort of way for whatever may come next.
General Bourke, who has been colonel of the regiment, you know, has
been appointed a brigadier general and is to command the Department of
the Platte, with headquarters at Omaha, Nebraska. This might have
affected Faye under any circumstances, as a new colonel has the
privilege of selecting his own staff officers, but General Bourke, as
soon as he received the telegram telling of his appointment, told Faye
that he should ask for him as aide-de-camp. This will take us to
Omaha, also, and I am almost heartbroken over it, as it will be a
wretched life for me - cooped up in a noisy city! At the same time I am
delighted that Faye will have for four years the fine staff position.
These appointments are complimentary, and considered most desirable.
The real stir-up, however, came with orders for the regiment to go to
Fort Snelling, Minnesota, for that affects about everyone here.
Colonel Munson, who relieves General Bourke as colonel of the
regiment, is in St. Paul, and is well known as inspector general of
this department, which perhaps is not the most flattering introduction
he could have had to his new regiment. He telegraphed, as soon as
promoted, that he desired Faye to continue as adjutant, but of course
to be on the staff of a general is far in advance of being on the
staff of a colonel. The colonel commands only his own
regiment - sometimes not all of that, as when companies are stationed
at other posts than headquarters - whereas a brigadier general has
command of a department consisting of many army posts and many
regiments.
The one thing that distresses me most of all is, that I have to part
from my horse! This is what makes me so rebellious, for aside from my
own personal loss, I have great sorrow for the poor dumb animal that
will suffer so much with strangers who will not understand him. No one
has ridden or driven him for two years but myself, and he has been
tractable and lovable always. During very cold weather, when perhaps
he would be too frisky, I have allowed him to play in the yard back of
the house, until all superfluous spirits had been kicked and snorted
off, after which I could have a ride in peace and safety. Faye thinks
that he is entirely too nervous ever to take kindly to city sights and
sounds - that the fretting and the heat might kill him.
So it has been decided that once again we will sell everything - both
horses and all things pertaining to them, reserving our saddles only.
Every piece of furniture will be sold, also, as we do not purpose to
keep house at all while in Omaha. How I envy our friends who will go
to Fort Snelling! We have always been told that it is such a beautiful
post, and the people of St. Paul and Minneapolis are most charming. It
seems so funny that the regiment should be sent to Snelling just as
Colonel Munson was promoted to it. He will have to move six miles
only!
We know that when we leave Fort Shaw we will go from the old army life
of the West - that if we ever come back, it will be to unfamiliar
scenes and a new condition of things. We have seen the passing of the
buffalo and other game, and the Indian seems to be passing also. But I
must confess that I have no regret for the Indians - there are still
too many of them!
FORT SHAW, MONTANA TERRITORY,
May, 1888.
THERE can be only two more days at this dear old post, where we have
been so happy, and I want those to pass as quickly as possible, and
have some of the misery over. Our house is perfectly forlorn, with
just a few absolute necessaries in it for our use while here.
Everything has been sold or given away, and all that is left to us are
our trunks and army chests. Some fine china and a few pieces of cut
glass I kept, and even those are packed in small boxes and in the
chests.
The general selling-out business has been funny. No one in the
regiment possessed many things that they cared to move East with them,
and as we did not desire to turn our houses into second-hand shops,
where people could handle and make remarks about things we had
treasured, it was decided that everything to be sold should be moved
to the large hall, where enlisted men could attend to the shop
business.
