The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-05

a III IN OAO DldN =,
"A tucket sounds" and with a Flour
ish!" our day has begun.
Retreat" ominous word in war.
signifies in peace the repose of even
ing. The music of the call for retreat
IS deliciously pensive and languorous
as the light wanes. The last cadence of
the trumpets is followed by the sunset
gun; then, to the stately measures of
the "Star-Spangled Banner" the flag
slowly descends till it drops to the
ground with the closing strain. The
landscape, too, fades in music. The en-
battled cliffs change into billowy
masses of reds and grays. The clumps
of bristlfng pinon trees blend into Il
darkling slope OF green. The clouds
float in a sea of moving color. All ma
ture in that b~reathless afterglow echoes
the meaning OF retreat-peace and rest.
From ~reveille to retreat the day is
occupied with saber practice, gymnas-
tics. and horse exercise in winter: with
drills, sham battles, and target practice
in summer. The leisure hours of the
enlisted men arc also well provided for.
Outdoors he has football and baseball.
hunting and fishing. Indoors he has a
reading-roOm and library as well as
concerts and balls.
In the Officers row the days are not
less busy than in the barracks opposite.
Though the average military man is not
deeply interested in general literature.
upon his own subjects he is well read.
He often studies. too, topics related to
the comparatively unknown regions of
our country which he inhabits. and be-
comes an expert in natural history.
archaeology and Indian folklore. The
officers wife also has tactics to master
in this land of no shops. no markets,
no dressmakers. The daily meals re-
quire careful foresight when butter and
eggs must be bought in Kansas, vege-
tables and fruit in California. The
Thanksgiving turkey and celery and
oranberries are bespoken by letter be-
fore the president has issued his
proclamation, and baby's dolls ard toys
are ordered from catalogues two
months before Christmas. The sewing
is lone by the mothers skillful fingers.
aided by patterns and fashion plates.
With all these industries she finds time
TO play the piano. to read, to visit. and to
teach the children their earliest lessons.
In the clubroorh. tales of stirring In
dian campaigns are told and retold by
the veterans; and surely those who have
made the peace of the plains should be
permitted to fight their battles DER
again in the quiet of the garrison.
These heroes of our Indian wars form a
naive and Unworldly type-that of an
American who is unruffled by the cares
of the voter, the competitions of trade,
or the rivalries of civil professions.
4 different type is the young lieu
tenant. Fresh from the problems and
of West TOint, he CALAMITY ac-
the drudgery and discipline of the
garrison as a preparation for
career. The zeal with which he
drills and rides enters into his dancing
and dining; he is t~ireless either on a
or at a picnic. At length, how
ever. listlesSness creeps over this eager
youth; for the monotony of duties and
of pleasure is the chief trial of frontier
life. When his horse pals upon him,
when hops and dinners bore him, he
in vain to believe that "only to
stand and wait is more heroic than to
fight and win.
Fort Wingate is on the border of the
reservation. where 10000 In
Hans have their home: it is also in the
leighborhoOd Of numerous Pueblo In
iian settlements. Between Indians on
he one side and prospectors on the
the army is now called to pro-
.ect the white man from the rcd man
then the rel man from the white
mar. One April day u garrison was
by an order directing two
roOps of cavalry to proceed at once to
northern New Mexico. Their mission
vas TO guard the Navajo Indians from
invasion of Colorado miners. who
we're said to have found gold on the
rservatiOn. \ march of 12O miles lay
'efOre M men across sand wastes and
mountain submits, through burning
leat by day and freezing cold by night,
With little grass or fuel. and water
carce and alkaline. Both officers ard
men knew wei these hardships of field
e%rvice, but for weeks they had heard
o new story. had seen no new face. at
'ort Wingate. ard they welcomed
Marching orders. even for the desert.
Forewarned. forearmed, While the
.itchens of Officers row were steam
NC forth dainties for The officers mess. -,
he soldiers were laying in their goodies =
t the post exchange. These consisted .
f cheese. jam and tobacco-all snugly f
ed together in a red cotton handker- .
hief. Away they rode or. their six {
avs march. canteens iingling. sabers !
ASKING, while the band played cheer T
ully: THE Girl I Left Behind Me-" =
months the troops watched and 6
for i%ntruding prospectors, but 4
one came. Meanwhile the army of oc- >
upation had brought Il welcome mar =
ct for grain and hay, cake and pies, to :
ne little struggling settlement of =,
near their camp. When, there /
IRE, the squadron turned homeward, it .
as with regretful farewells from their !
49, f.a, L - A. I-. -