The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-03-11

"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. 10 the stately measures OF
the "Siar-Spangled Banner" the flag
slowly descends till 1t drops 10 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 bristling pinon trees blend into a
darkling slope of green. The clouds
float in sea of moving color. All ma
ture in that breathless afterglow echoes
the meaning OF retreat-peace and rest.
From reveille TO retreat the day is
occupied with saber practice. gymras-
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 folk lore. 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
cranberries 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 done by the mothers skillful fingers.
aided by patterns and fashion plates.
With all these industries she finds time
10 play the piano. TO read. to visit. and to
teach the children their earliest lessons.
In the clubToom. 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 10 fight their battles DER
again in the quiet of the garrison.
These heroes Of our Indian wars form
naive and unworldly type-that of an
American who is unrufiied 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
dreams Of West Point. he CALAMITY ac-
cepts the drudgery and discipline of the
western garrison as preparation for
his career. The zeal with which he
drills and rides enters into his dancing
and dining; he is tireless either on
scout or at n 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
tries 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
Navajo reservation, where 10000 In
dams have their home; il is also in the
of numerous Pueblo In
iian settlements. Between Indians on
The one side and prospectors on the
other. the army is now called to pro-
tect the white man from the rcd man
and then the rel man from the white
man. One April day our garrison was
startled by an order directing two
troops of cavalry to proceed at once TO
northern New Mexico. Their mission
was TO guard the Navajo Indians from
IN invasion Of Colorado miners. who
we're said TO have found gold on the
reservation. A march of 1870 miles lay
before our men across sand wastes and
SUBMITS. through burning
ieat by day and freezing cold by night.
With little grass or fuel. and water
scarce and alkaline. Both officers and
men knew wei, these bardships Of field
service. but for weeks they had heard
20 new story. had seen no new face. al
Fort Wingate, and they welcomed
marching orders. even for the desert.
Forewarned, forearmed. While the
litchens of Officers row were steam
ng forth dainties for the officers mess.
he soldiers were laying in their goodies
il the post exchange. These consisted
If cheese. jam and tobacco-all snugly
led together in a red cotton handker-
'hicf. Away they rode on their six
lays march. canteens jngling. sabers
lashing. while the band played cheer
ully: THE Girl / Left Behind Me-"
Two months the troops watched and |
waited for intrudng prospectors, but
zone came. Meanwhile the army of &C.
had brought n welcome mar
let for grain and lay. cake and pies, 10 |
he little struggling settlement Of
'ioneers near their camp. When. there
ore, the squadron turned homeward, it |
vas with regretful farewells from their |