IT is not surprising that politicians got a military post established
here, so this wonderful country could be opened and settled, for the
country itself is not only beautiful, but it has an amount of game
every place that is almost beyond belief.
Deer are frequently seen to
come down from the mountains to the creek for water, and prairie
chicken would come to our very tents, I fancy, if left to follow their
inclinations.
Faye is officer of the day every third day, but the other two days
there is not much for him to do, as the company is now working on the
new quarters under the supervision of the quartermaster. So we often
go off on little hunts, usually for chicken, but sometimes we go up on
one of the mountains, where there are quantities of ruffed grouse.
These are delicious, with meat as tender and white as young chicken,
and they are so pretty, too, when they spread the ruffs around their
necks and make fans of their short tail feathers.
Yesterday we went out for birds for both tables - the officers' mess
and our own. The other officers are not hunters, and Faye is the
possessor of the only shotgun in the garrison, therefore it has been a
great pleasure to us to bring in game for all. Faye rides Bettie now
altogether, so I was on Pete yesterday. We had quite a number of
chickens, but thought we would like to get two or three more;
therefore, when we saw a small covey fly over by some bushes, and that
one bird went beyond and dropped on the other side, Faye told me to go
on a little, and watch that bird if it rose again when he shot at the
others.
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