Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1898-04-01

"a tucket sounds" and with a 'Flour-
ish!" our day has begun.
| 'sRetreat," OminOus word in war,
signifies in peace the repose OF even
| ing. The music of the call for retreat
is deliciously pe1lsive 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 bristling pinon trees blend into a
darkling slope OF green. The clouds
float in a 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, gymnas-
ties. and horse exercise in win with
drills, sham battles, and target practice
in summer. The leisure hours of the
enlisted men arc also we'll provided for
Outdoors he has football and baseball
hunting and fishing. Indoors he has Il
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
| ,;1I ho ;,,l, l,n.
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-
ouire careful foresight when butter and
eggs must be bought in Kansas, vege-
tables and fruit in California. The
Thanksgiving turkey and celery and
Gran berries are bespoken by letter be-
fore the president has issued his
proclamation, and baby's dolls and toys
are ordered from catalogues two
months before Christmas. The sewing
is done by the mothers sliliful 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 club-room. 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
| -1o Sc ho
Of the voter. the competitions of trade,
or the rivalries of civil professions.
A 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 a
scout 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
tries in vain to believe that ':only to
stand and watt is more heroic than to
fight and win.
Fort Wingate is on the border of the
Navajo reserva ton. where 10000 In
dams have their home: it is also in the
neigh borhood of numerous Pueblo In
dian 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 red man
~ l. / IL.
man. One April day our garrison was
startled by an order directing two
troops Of cavalry to proceed a once to
northern New Mexico. Their mission
was to guard the Navajo Indians from
an invasion of Colorado miners, who
were said to have found gold on the
reservation. A march of 100 miles lay
before our men across sand wastes and
mountain SUBMITS. through burning
heat by day and freezing cold by night
with little grass or fuel, and water
scarce and alkaline. Both officers and
men knew wei; these hardships of field
service, but for weeks they had heard
no new story. had seen no new face. al
Fort Wingate, and they welcomed
marching orders. even for the desert.
Forewarned, forearmed! While the
kitchens of Officers row were steam
ing forth dainties for the officers mess
the soldiers were laying in their goodies
at the post exchange. These consisted
of cheese, jam and tobacco-all snugly
tied together in a red cotton handker
chief. Away they rode on their six
days march, canteens jingling, sabers
flashing, while the band played cheer
fully: 1.-THE Girl [ Left Behind Me-
Two months the troops watched and
waited for intruding prospectors, but
none came. Meanwhile the army of oc.
cupation had brought welcome mar
ket for grain and hay, cake and pies, tc
the little struggling settlement OF
pioneers near their camp. When, there
fore, the squadron turned homeward, il
was with regretful farewells from their
new made friends in the desert.
For those who stayed at Fort Wingate