Poor Faye Was Utterly Exhausted From Running So Long, And For Some
Time Ryan Was In A Critical Condition.
It seems that he buried his
wife quite recently, and has left his only child in New Orleans in a
convent, and the greyhound, a pet of both wife and little girl, is all
he has left to comfort him.
Everyone is so glad that he got the dog.
Hal was not unchained again, I assure you, until we got here, but poor
Cagey almost killed himself at every stopping place running up and
down with the dog to give him a little exercise.
It is really delightful to be in a tent once more, and I am
anticipating much pleasure in camping through a strange country. A
large wagon train of commissary stores will be with us, so we can
easily add to our supplies now and then. It is amazing to see the
really jolly mood everyone seems to be in. The officers are singing
and whistling, and we can often hear from the distance the boisterous
laughter of the men. And the wives! there is an expression of happy
content on the face of each one. We know, if the world does not, that
the part we are to take on this march is most important. We will see
that the tents are made comfortable and cheerful at every camp; that
the little dinner after the weary march, the early breakfast, and the
cold luncheon are each and all as dainty as camp cooking will permit.
Yes, we are sometimes called "camp followers," but we do not mind - it
probably originated with some envious old bachelor officer. We know
all about the comfort and cheer that goes with us, and then - we have
not been left behind!
RYAN'S JUNCTION, IDAHO TERRITORY,
October, 1877.
WE are snow-bound, and everyone seems to think we that we will be
compelled to remain here several days. It was bright and sunny when
the camp was made yesterday, but before dark a terrible blizzard came
up, and by midnight the snow was deep and the cold intense. As long as
we remain inside the tents we are quite comfortable with the little
conical sheet-iron stoves that can make a tent very warm. And the snow
that had banked around the canvas keeps out the freezing-wind. We
have everything for our comfort, but such weather does not make life
in camp at all attractive.
Faye just came in from Major Pierce's tent, where he says he saw a
funny sight. They have a large hospital tent, on each side of which is
a row of iron cots, and on the cots were five chubby little
children - one a mere baby - kicking up their little pink feet in jolly
defiance of their patient old mammy, who was trying to keep them
covered up. The tent was warm and cozy, but outside, where the snow
was so deep and the cold so penetrating, one could hardly have
believed that these small people could have been made so warm and
happy.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 89 of 213
Words from 45709 to 46225
of 110651