THE garrison seems lonesome since the two companies have been out, and
I am beginning to feel that I am at home alone quite too much. Faye
was in Washington two months, and almost immediately after he got back
he was ordered to command the paymaster's escort from Helena here, and
now he is off again for the summer! The camp is on Birch Creek not far
from the Piegan Agency. The agents become frightened every now and
then, and ask for troops, more because they know the Indians would be
justified in giving trouble than because there is any.
An officer is sent from the post to inspect all the cattle and rations
that are issued to them - yet there is much cheating. Once it was
discovered that a very inferior brand of flour was being given the
Indians - that sacks with the lettering and marks of the brand the
government was supposed to issue to them had been slipped over the
sacks which really held the inferior flour, and carefully tied. Just
imagine the trouble some one had taken, but there had been a fat
reward, of course, and then, where had those extra sacks come
from - where had the fine flour gone?
Some one could have explained it all. I must admit, however, that
anyone who has seen an Indian use flour would say that the most
inferior grade would be good enough for them, to be mixed in dirty old
pans, with still dirtier hands.
