There were interminable scouts, which took both cavalry and
infantry out of the post. We heard a great deal about "chasing
Injuns" in the Superstition Mountains, and once a lieutenant of
infantry went out to chase an escaping Indian Agent.
Old Smith, my cook, was not very satisfactory; he drank a good
deal, and I got very tired of the trouble he caused me. It was
before the days of the canteen, and soldiers could get all the
whiskey they wanted at the trader's store; and, it being
generally the brand that was known in the army as "Forty rod,"
they got very drunk on it sometimes. I never had it in my heart
to blame them much, poor fellows, for every human beings wants
and needs some sort of recreation and jovial excitement.
Captain Corliss said to Jack one day, in my presence, "I had a
fine batch of recruits come in this morning."
"That's lovely," said I; "what kind of men are they? Any good
cooks amongst them?" (for I was getting very tired of Smith).
Captain Corliss smiled a grim smile. "What do you think the
United States Government enlists men for?" said he; "do you think
I want my company to be made up of dish-washers?"
He was really quite angry with me, and I concluded that I had
been too abrupt, in my eagerness for another man, and that my
ideas on the subject were becoming warped. I decided that I must
be more diplomatic in the future, in my dealings with the Captain
of C company.
The next day, when we went to breakfast, whom did we find in the
dining-room but Bowen! Our old Bowen of the long march across the
Territory! Of Camp Apache and K company! He had his white apron
on, his hair rolled back in his most fetching style, and was
putting the coffee on the table.
"But, Bowen," said I, "where - how on earth - did you - how did you
know we - what does it mean?"
Bowen saluted the First Lieutenant of C company, and said: "Well,
sir, the fact is, my time was out, and I thought I would quit. I
went to San Francisco and worked in a miners' restaurant" (here
he hesitated), "but I didn't like it, and I tried something else,
and lost all my money, and I got tired of the town, so I thought
I'd take on again, and as I knowed ye's were in C company now, I
thought I'd come to MacDowell, and I came over here this morning
and told old Smith he'd better quit; this was my job, and here I
am, and I hope ye're all well - and the little boy?"
Here was loyalty indeed, and here was Bowen the Immortal, back
again!
And now things ran smoothly once more. Roasts of beef and
haunches of venison, ducks and other good things we had through
the winter.
It was cool enough to wear white cotton dresses, but nothing
heavier. It never rained, and the climate was superb, although it
was always hot in the sun. We had heard that it was very hot
here; in fact, people called MacDowell by very bad names. As the
spring came on, we began to realize that the epithets applied to
it might be quite appropriate.
In front of our quarters was a ramada,* supported by rude poles
of the cottonwood tree. Then came the sidewalk, and the acequia
(ditch), then a row of young cottonwood trees, then the parade
ground. Through the acequia ran the clear water that supplied the
post, and under the shade of the ramadas, hung the large ollas
from which we dipped the drinking water, for as yet, of course,
ice was not even dreamed of in the far plains of MacDowell. The
heat became intense, as the summer approached. To sleep inside
the house was impossible, and we soon followed the example of the
cavalry, who had their beds out on the parade ground.
*A sort of rude awning made of brush and supported by cottonwood
poles.
Two iron cots, therefore, were brought from the hospital, and
placed side by side in front of our quarters, beyond the acequia
and the cottonwood trees, in fact, out in the open space of the
parade ground. Upon these were laid some mattresses and sheets,
and after "taps" had sounded, and lights were out, we retired to
rest. Near the cots stood Harry's crib.We had not thought about
the ants, however, and they swarmed over our beds, driving us
into the house. The next morning Bowen placed a tin can of water
under each point of contact; and as each cot had eight legs, and
the crib had four, twenty cans were necessary. He had not taken
the trouble to remove the labels, and the pictures of red
tomatoes glared at us in the hot sun through the day; they did
not look poetic, but our old enemies, the ants, were outwitted.
There was another species of tiny insect, however, which seemed
to drop from the little cotton-wood trees which grew at the edge
of the acequia, and myriads of them descended and crawled all
over us, so we had to have our beds moved still farther out on to
the open space of the parade ground.
And now we were fortified against all the venomous creeping
things and we looked forward to blissful nights of rest.
We did not look along the line, when we retired to our cots, but
if we had, we should have seen shadowy figures, laden with
pillows, flying from the houses to the cots or vice versa. It was
certainly a novel experience.
With but a sheet for a covering, there we lay, looking up at the
starry heavens.
