Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-05-19
COWBOYS in CAMP.
ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN.
They Think Il Il II Great Joke to lie Or
dered About-MaJor BrodIe's Influence.

A correspondent of the Chicago Rec
ord. writing of camp life with toosc-
velt's rough riders ut San Antonio,
Texas. says:
The new life they are leading seems
to the men II huge joke, and they have
not done laughing yet TO find them
selves going here and there In orderly
couples ut the bidding of some '.com-
mon waddic" like themselves, just be-
cause he IL called lieutenant or SER
geant, and to have to keep step and
get pass to go down to the town,
Just like the stiT bluc-blOuscd unfOr-
tunntcs they have watched pityingly
mt the frontier posts. The humor OF
the situation appeals to them con-
stnntly.
Last night the boys gathered around
the cracking camp fires quite early,
for II Is unusually cool ut San Antonio
now, and some of the men have come
from places where the mercury has al-
ready registered 10 in the shade.
Pipes and cigarettes were lighted and
the boys stretched themselves out to
take their ease. After n little the in
cvitable story telling began.
A story In which spotted heifer. n
deputy sheriff and nm unauthorized
dying U" branding iron We're the
principal features was just approach
Ing the appalling climax and the dark
eyes under the brond-brimmed hats
were shining in the freight with ex-
citcmcnt when tattoo sounded, or
would have sounded If there had been
bugle In camp. and II newly made
sergeant approached the group. Eel
lcrs, you've got ter quit and hunt yer
bunks," he said. There was n general
chorus of representations. The privatcs
explained that they were much more
comfortable where they were and
rather preferred the night air; that the
smoke kept OFF the mosquitoes.
go and tell Brodic not to be skccrcd
about us hurting our dilikit cOnstitu-
tions." said the man who was telling
the story of the spotted heifer: but the
sergeant was inhcyiblc. "Thcre amt
no monkey business about this" he
said: Its orders. Come, hump your
selves, now" And, laughing at them
selves for doing 1t. but yet without
thought of disobcdlcnce, the boys pro-
ceeded to hump.
Without taking their military obli-
cations into consideration. anything
that Major Brodic said would be law
to this tribe. Many of them know him
personally. Some remember when he
was the lieutenant of the First cav
airy under Crook. All have heard OF
his record as an Indian fighter, for in
every campaign Of the stirring 'IOs
against the Navajos. Sioux and
Apaches, Brodic was in the hottest
corners.
The men were up bctmcs this morn
ing without waiting for rcveillc, and
after some sharp sounds of vigorously
blazing There has been no difficulty
about rations and the fare is such ns
most of the men have been accus-
toned to, so there's 10 complaining on
the score of diet. Breakfast over, the
horses We're well rubbed down. mount
ed and ridden down to the water.
Then the cowboy soldiers clattcrcd
back and set themselves about sweep
ing and garnishing the big barrack
rooms. Infantry drills followed. and
until next mess call squads of the odd
ly assorted men were marched up and
down the parade grounds.
No arms have yet arrived, but n con-
signmcnt of carbincs and revolvcrs
sufficient for the whole regiment il
now on the way. together with the nee
cssnry uniforms.
An animated discussion arose during
the day as to whether the name of the
mountain lion mascot should be
changed. 1t has tranSpircd that the
cub is really Il lioncss. and the name
'Tcddy" Is therefore deemed by some
Inappropriate. They propose Juanita
or something of that kind as Il sub
stitute. but the original SPONSORS are
unwilling to abandon the compliment
to their lieutenant colonel
Two of the Oklahoma troopers were
put in the guardhOusc this morning for
fighting. There were no serious conse-
qucnccs to the dispute, excepting the
loss of front tooth. suffered by the
larger of the combatants. \ doubt of
the veracity of the little man cX-
pressed in full and unnmbiguous
terms occasioned the trouble.
This afternoon the advance guard of
the contingent of college men arrived
from Washington. There were eight Of
them. strapping. broadshouldcrcd,
wcil-set men. clad in light fawn can
vas shooting suits that closely rescm-
blcd the Khaki uniforms originally i'll
tended by the War Department
Some quick work will have to he
done to get the regiment ready for the
expected move on Sunday. but Colonel
Wood believes he will be able to do it.